Chengdu, a city of gastronomy

Museum of Sichuan Cuisine in Chengdu.[Photo/cntv.cn]

Sichuan takes its distinctive style of cooking very seriously - so much so that it has set up a museum that is a cheerleader for the chili and honors the hotpot.

The liberal use of red-hot chilies, mouth-numbing Sichuan pepper and fierce chili bean paste gives many of the region's dishes their fiery character.

Such intense flavors and the sight of meats, fish and vegetables lolling in red chili-infused oil might be expected to put diners off, but in fact Sichuan cuisine is popular around the world. Chengdu has been given the rare accolade of being named a city of gastronomy by UNESCO.

A particular favorite is, of course, kung po chicken, a tasty stir-fry with peanuts, while other classics include Pock-marked Mother Chen's bean curd and fire-exploded kidney flowers.

The exhibits at the Sichuan Cuisine Museum in Chengdu's Pixian county include plates of simulated food made to resemble some of these dishes. They are an odd and not entirely appetizing sight alongside more conventional exhibits such as bowls, dishes, plates and spoons.

The entire history of food and cooking in Sichuan is told, and some of the items are very old, including a large 2,000-year water container.