A Single "Sizzle" Marks the Beginning of Summer

一声 "呲啦"，夏天就开始了

In the height of midsummer, the sun blazes over the Guanzhong Plain, gilding every eave and alleyway.

盛夏烈日流火，铺满八百里秦川，镀亮了每一片屋檐与巷陌。

Deep in the old lanes, woks hiss and spatulas clang, weaving the daily symphony of local life.

街巷深处，铁锅轻鸣，锅铲起落，织就市井烟火的日常交响。

Then comes that sharp, iconic chila — scalding oil meeting crushed chili in a single, explosive moment.

随即，一声清亮的 "呲啦" 炸裂开来——滚油撞进椒碎，瞬间沸腾。

A rich, familiar aroma rises at once, stirring memories that have settled in this land for centuries.

香气轰然升腾，熟悉而浓烈，唤醒了这片土地上沉淀数百年的味觉记忆。

 IFrom the Americas to the Loess Plateau

从美洲到黄土高原

The chili pepper (Capsicum annuum) is a New World native, first cultivated in Mesoamerica around 5000 BCE.

辣椒原产于新大陆，约公元前5000年由中美洲土著首次栽培。

Following Columbus's voyage in 1492, it reached China during the late Ming Dynasty (around 1591 CE), entering through the Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road. 1

1492年哥伦布航行后，辣椒于明朝末年（约1591年）传入中国，经丝绸之路与海上丝绸之路两条路径。

The earliest documented reference appears in Gao Lian's Zunsheng Bajian (1591), which described it as an ornamental plant.

最早文字记载见于高濂《遵生八笺》（1591年），彼时仅作观赏。

Not widely consumed until the mid-Qing Dynasty, chili became a dietary staple driven by climate necessity: in the arid, cold winters of the Loess Plateau, it provided warmth, stimulated appetite, and preserved well dried.

清代中期方广泛食用，实为黄土高原干冷气候下的生存智慧——驱寒开胃，干燥易存。

The northwestern route gave rise to Qin Jiao ("Qin Pepper"), adapted to the Guanzhong Plain's continental climate — vivid red, thick flesh, high oil content, and a mellow, aromatic heat that earned it the title "King of Peppers."

西北路径孕育了秦椒，适应关中大陆性气候——色泽鲜红、皮薄肉厚、油脂丰富、辣感醇厚，素有"椒中之王"美誉。

The Guanzhong Terroir

关中水土

The Guanzhong Plain enjoys a warm temperate semi-humid continental monsoon climate with over 2,000 hours of annual sunshine and rainfall concentrated in the peak growing season.

关中平原属暖温带半湿润大陆性季风气候，全年日照超2000小时，雨热同季。

This terroir allows chilies to accumulate capsaicin and aromatic oils gradually, producing the "xiang la" (fragrant-spicy) character — a warm, lingering heat with subtle sweetness, unlike the searing burn of tropical varieties.

这种风土使辣椒缓慢积累辣椒素与芳香油，形成"香辣"特质——温润绵长，微带甜韵，而非热带品种的灼烈冲劲。

Dried Qin peppers, strung into crimson curtains beneath whitewashed eaves, are the indispensable soul of Shaanxi cuisine.

串串秦椒于白墙之下晾晒成红帘，是陕菜不可或缺的灵魂。

"Oil-Splashed Chili Counts as a Dish"

"油泼辣子一道菜"

"Among the "Eight Oddities of Guanzhong," one saying endures: "Oil-splashed chili counts as a dish.

关中"八大怪"中，有一句说法流传至今："油泼辣子一道菜"。

" For the people of Shaanxi, it is far more than a condiment — served with steamed buns as an appetizer, tossed with plain noodles as a full meal, or eaten simply with rice.

对陕西人而言，它远不止一种调味品——就着蒸馍可作待客先菜，拌一碗素面便是一顿正餐，即便无菜无肉，一口辣子一口饭也能吃得满足。

As the ballad goes: "Three million Shaanxi folks roar Qinqiang; a bowl of noodles brings joy, but without chili, they grumble aloud."

正如民谣所唱："三千万老陕怒吼秦腔，一碗面条喜气洋洋，没有辣子嘟嘟囔囔。"

The craft is precise. Dried Qin Jiao is ground coarse, blended with salt and sesame. 

制作讲究，毫厘不爽。秦椒干焙后粗碾，拌入盐与芝麻。

Rapeseed oil is heated to 160–180°C for the first pour, 190–210°C for the second, and residual heat for the third. 

菜籽油首泼160–180°C，二泼190–210°C，三泼借余温。

Each tier serves a chemical purpose: releasing pigments, triggering Maillard reactions for smoky aroma, and infusing without bitterness.

每一温度各有其用：初泼释红素，二泼起美拉德反应而生烟熏香，末泼低温浸润免苦涩。

A dash of aged vinegar at the end "shocks" the fragrance into place.

最后点入陈醋，"激"香定型，酸韵点睛。

The result is mellow and aromatic — a glossy crimson pool with a layeredbouquet of toasted nuts and smoke, a heat that builds gently and lingers. 

最终成品醇厚馥郁，色泽艳红油亮，裹挟着烤坚果与烟熏交织的复合香气；辣度缓缓铺展，余味绵长。

Like the local people: direct, generous, full of staying power.

一如此地的人们：直率热忱，坦荡宽厚，韧劲绵长。

China's Spicy Spectrum

中国辣味谱系

Across China, chili has evolved into distinct regional styles, each shaped by climate.

辣椒在中国大地演化出各具地域烙印的风味派系，每一种口味都由当地气候塑造而生。

Sichuan favors mala (numbing-spicy) to dispel basin humidity. 

川味主打麻辣，用以驱散盆地湿寒；

Hunan pursues ganla (dry-spicy) with pure, intense heat. 

湘味崇尚干辣，主打纯粹猛烈的灼痛感；

Guizhou developed suanla (sour-spicy) through fermentation in mountainous humidity.

贵州依托山地潮湿环境，酿出酸辣风味；

Jiangxi highlights xianla (fresh-spicy) with bright, vegetal notes.

江西突出鲜辣，裹挟着清爽鲜活的本味蔬香；

Shaanxi stands apart with xiangla (fragrant-spicy) — oil-based, moderate in heat, profound in aroma. 

陕西则独树一帜，主打油泼香辣，辣度克制内敛，香气厚重悠远。

Chili adaptation is climate adaptation: the humid southwest ferments and numbs; the arid northwest oils and preserves.

辣椒风味的变迁本质是对气候环境的适配：湿润的西南偏爱发酵与麻香，干燥的西北则以热油萃取、锁存风味。

In Shaanxi cuisine, this versatility shines.

这份风味的百变魅力，在陕菜之中尽显无遗。

On liangpi, it awakens wheat's aroma in a bold harmony of sweet, sour, and fragrant heat. 

拌入凉皮，酸辣鲜香交织碰撞，唤醒小麦本身的清甜；

In saozi noodles, it unleashes meaty richness with lingering depth.

浇于臊子面，衬出肉卤醇厚，回味悠远；

In yangyu caca, it pierces simplicity with bold spice.

搭配洋芋擦擦，质朴的主食瞬间被浓烈辛香点亮。

A single condiment, transformative.

一味辣椒油，便可盘活万千滋味。

A Global Language of Heat

辣味：通行世界的味觉语言

The global appetite for spice is surging. 

全球范围内，大众对辣味的喜爱正持续攀升。

65% of consumers now eat spicier food than a year ago, with the spicy sauce market growing at 125% CAGR in new launches.

超65%的消费者相较往年更偏爱重辣饮食，辣椒酱新品上市的复合年均增长率高达125%。

Western culture has historically pursued Scoville-scale extremity — ghost pepper challenges, stimulus-driven intensity.

西方辣味文化素来追求史高维尔指数的极致刺激，流行死神辣椒挑战这类强冲击性吃法。

Shaanxi chili oil offers a different paradigm: mild, approachable heat balanced with profound aromatic complexity. 

而陕西辣椒油开辟了全新思路：辣度温和适口，层次香气繁复悠长，提味却不喧宾夺主，天然适配多元饮食体系。

It enhances rather than overwhelms, making it inherently cross-culturally adaptable. As global palates seek "layered taste experiences" — spicy-floral, spicy-tangy — Shaanxi's fragrant moderation aligns perfectly with this evolution.

当下全球食客愈发追求复合味觉，花香佐辣、酸香配辣的风潮盛行，陕西香辣内敛雅致的特质，恰好契合这一饮食趋势。

Along the new Silk Road, it journeys far — not as an ambassador, but as a flavor that needs no translation.

它顺着新丝绸之路远赴四海，无需刻意推介，单凭风味便能跨越语言，直抵人心。

Smmer's Enduring Echo

夏日绵长余味

In summer's heat, a spoonful ignites life — scorching and real.

酷暑盛夏，一勺红油便能唤醒烟火人间，热辣直白，鲜活滚烫。

Sweat beads on brows. Bowls are emptied.The courtyard fills with laughter and the clatter of chopsticks.

汗珠凝在眉梢，碗碟一扫而空，院落里满是欢声笑语与碗筷碰撞之声。

The earthen jar, stained faintly red at its rim, waits for the next pour.

陶坛口沿晕开淡淡的红渍，静静等候下一次舀取。

This is Shaanxi chili oil,Born of hot earth,Passed down through generations.

这便是陕西辣椒油，生于黄土热土，代代传承至今。

Different from Western spicy culture's pursuit of intense irritation, this gentle, fragrant, down-to-earth flavor conveys an Eastern aesthetic of everyday life: beauty not in spectacle, but in the patient practice of making the ordinary extraordinary.

它不同于西方辣味一味追求强烈的感官刺激，温润香浓、质朴平实，藏着东方独有的生活美学：美好从不必声势浩大，而是以匠心点滴打磨，让寻常烟火焕发出别样光彩。

图源：视觉中国、人民网

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