Authentic paste maker fears loss of traditional technique

Chen Shucheng, a 60-year-old chili bean paste maker, is worried Sichuanese kitchens could lose an essential flavoring within a few decades.

The smooth texture and aromatic flavors of handmade chili bean paste, a rich and savory paste made from salted chilies and broad beans, has gradually been replaced by factory made versions in recent years, Chen said.

"The real mapo tofu or twice-cooked spicy pork requires the handmade Pixian chili bean paste," said the owner of what is said to be the only handmade chili bean paste workshop in China.