SPECTACULAR SICHUAN CUISINE

Cool, heavy, humidity hangs over both Chengdu and Chongching in Sichuan Province in Springtime, the natural richness of flora, fauna, and agriculture all enhanced by the stillness of the air. Chengdu lies in a large air-trapping basin, and while Chongching is slightly mountainous, this is where the Yaling river empties into the Yangtze, helping keep the air thick and wet. How do these cities of 10 and 30+ million food-obsessed people respond to the conditions? With an endless array of fish, animals, and various parts thereof all bathed in mouth-numbing peppers and oil; the spiciest Hot Pot in China.

My first meal in Chengdu at a locally famous restaurant still stands out as one of the finest, if only for their signature "Bull Catfish" dish. Served in a black clay pot, only small green pepper slices can be seen beneath the savory oil at the surface when served. Underneath lie long, thick, smooth potato starch noodles and the beautiful 4-inch long catfish, local to the Yangtze. The sheer spicy heat and savory splendor of pulling these noodles and petite fish through the green sichuan peppercorn-infused oil and broth into your mouth is a piece of heaven on earth. Succulent does not quite describe the fish little catfish. Gentle sucking brings everything but the head and spine sublimely slithering over your palette in a true rush to glory.

Most every meal in Sichuan Province, whether at a fancy restaurant or some kind of dive, yielded at least one great local fish dish -- most all of them based on Hot Pot methods. Topping the relationship Sichuanians have with their food will not be easy. Hunan Province, Beijing, and Shanghai lie ahead and have their work cut out for them to win the heart of this self-appointed critic. The feature foods of Sichuan Province are not for the faint of heart, which fact speaks volumes about its residents. And while Sichuan is known for its beautiful women, energetic work force, and incomparable cuisine, it now appears to me as the heart, if not the soul, of this great country.