The cuisine of the Western region of China is well-known for its spiciness, but many Western palates overlook the complex interplay of savory, sour, hot and sweet flavors that underlie the fiery spice of the Szechwan pepper and other spices that give the Szechwan cuisine its characteristic burn.
When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970s, it was really quite unappealing. Everything came in a gloppy sauce and seemed to run smack into the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, supposedly a flavor enhancer but in reality, nothing of the kind. at that time in the 1980s a new breed of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took that long to reach the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking demonstrating regional differences.
