Lizhi Wei Archives • The Mala Market

Sichuan’s fùhé wèi (复合味) are a collection of more than 20 classic flavors and flavor combinations that form the base of many of the province’s dishes. This page explores lìzhī wèi (荔枝味) and the recipes that feature it. Other fuhe wei can be found through the menu above.

Lìzhī wèi (荔枝味), or “litchi flavor,” is one of the most popular and inventive of Sichuan’s “complex flavors.” If you live outside of China, you may be unfamiliar with this flavor profile’s name, but you likely know the flavor itself—it is the delicately balanced sweet, sour and savory flavor you find in one of China’s most famous dishes: kung pao chicken (gōngbǎo jīdīng, 宫保鸡丁). Despite its name, lizhi wei does not use litchi fruit. Instead, it relies on black vinegar, sugar and salt to evoke a gentle sweet–sour profile reminiscent of the fruit.

In Sichuan cuisine’s fuhe wei, or classic “complex flavor” profiles, there are two different flavor profiles that focus on the interplay of sweetness and acidity: lizhi wei and tángcù wèi (糖醋味). The latter is more commonly rendered in English as “sweet-and-sour” and shows up in dishes like sweet-and-sour pork ribs (tángcù páigǔ, 糖醋排骨). The sweet-and-sour taste in lizhi wei is typically more restrained than the tangcu flavor profile and is balanced by a salty note. Some describe lìzhī wèi as presenting a sequence of flavors—sour first, then sweet, followed by a light salty finish—whereas tangcu wei emphasizes a more immediate sweetness.

Lizhi wei is also broken down into two different intensities: “big litchi” (dà lìzhī, 大荔枝) and “small litchi” (xiǎo lìzhī, 小荔枝). The first has a bolder use of vinegar and sugar, while the second is more restrained. These styles are exemplified by two iconic dishes: the small litchi style is found in gongbao chicken, while the big litchi style is most commonly linked to guōbā ròupiàn (锅巴肉片), or pork and vegetables over sizzling crispy rice. These are also the two most commonly served lizhi wei dishes; other examples of the flavor profile have largely fallen out of favor in recent years and are hard to find.

In practice, many gongbao dishes also incorporate elements of another fuhe wei, “scorched chili flavor” (húlà wèi, 糊辣味), created through the use of dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorn. Some describe this combined profile as húlà lìzhī wèi (糊辣荔枝味).

Historical cookbooks offer a range of dishes with the lizhi wei profile, including litchi squid rolls (lìzhī yóuyújuǎn, 荔枝鱿鱼卷), litchi kidney pieces (lìzhī yāokuài, 荔枝腰块) and litchi chicken breast (lìzhī fèngpǔ, 荔枝凤脯). But the most popular and often recorded throughout history appear to be kung pao chicken and pork slices over crispy rice. These two dishes began appearing in written records in the early to mid-20th century, although many accounts trace gongbao jiding to the Qing dynasty official Ding Baozhen.

In one of the earliest modern Sichuan cookbooks, Chongqing Famous Recipes (Chóngqìng Míngcàipǔ, 重庆名菜谱), first published in 1960, you can find preparations for both dishes that already look a lot like today’s versions, using the same kind of vinegar, salt, soy sauce and sugar-based sauce (as well as variations of gongbao dishes made with ingredients like pork kidney and diced pork).

The Base Ingredients of Lizhi Wei

In the Encyclopedia of Sichuan Cuisine (Chuāncài Pēnrèng Shìdiǎn, 川菜烹饪事典), the lizhi flavor is described as “resembling litchi, with a well-balanced sweet-and-sour taste” (味似荔枝, 酸甜适口). The text also emphasizes the importance of saltiness in rounding out the flavor. Many recipes call for slightly less sugar than vinegar, a balance that creates the profile’s characteristic brightness.

Core ingredients: black vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, salt

Frequent ingredients: Shaoxing wine, msg

Aromatics: Ginger, scallion and garlic can also be included, as well as pickled erjingtiao chilies, which brighten the flavor and add a bit of heat and sourness to the dish

Nuts: modern gongbao dishes usually include toasted peanuts or cashews

Classic Lizhi Wei Dishes

Today, only two dishes (and their variations) are usually associated with this flavor: gongbao jiding (kung pao chicken) and guoba roupian (pork slices over crispy rice). All the variations on these two dishes usually feature pork, chicken, fish or seafood and usually also include vegetables.

In gongbao dishes, the flavor profile is almost always paired with a “scorched chili” flavor. To get this combination, you fry dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns in a wok until fragrant and darkened, then add the protein and vegetables and cook them through before adding a pre-mixed sauce, which reduces to a glossy layer that just coats the ingredients (rather than a thick sauce). Crispy nuts such as peanuts or cashews are often added.
- Popular examples of this style of dish include the original, kung pao chicken (gongbao jiding,宫保鸡丁), as well as kung pao shrimp (gōngbǎo dàxiā,宫保大虾), kung pao pork (gōngbǎo ròudīng, 宫保肉丁), and kung pao pork kidney (gōngbǎo yāokuài, 宫保腰块).

In guoba dishes, the protein is stir-fried and combined with aromatics and vegetables, then the pan is deglazed with stock and the sauce is thickened with a starch slurry. This rich sauce is poured over deep-fried crispy rice, in a table-side presentation, to produce the dish’s signature sizzle. (Listen for it in the video here!)
- Popular variations on this dish include a fish fillet version (guōbā yúpiàn, 锅巴鱼片) and a squid version (guōbā yóuyú, 锅巴鱿鱼).
- Beyond these categories, lizhi wei also appears in regional stir-fries such as Héchuān ròupiàn (合川肉片), a dish originated from Hechuan, now part of Chongqing. Sometimes you’ll also find older dishes, like the squid rolls mentioned above. These dishes are prepared similarly to guoba roupian—with a combination of meat and vegetables and a rich, glossy sauce—but without the crispy rice component.

Fuhu wei category photos and text compiled in collaboration with Xueci Cheng.