Facing Heaven

A Swedish-language cookbook that serves as one of the best introductions to Sichuan cooking available in Scandinavia. Videgård, who ran a Sichuan restaurant for three years, shares around 40 recipes and his personal journey into one of the world’s most exciting cuisines. The title refers to the “facing heaven” chili pepper, a staple of Sichuanese cooking.

Why Start Here

Most cookbooks about Chinese food available in Swedish are either too broad or too complicated for someone who wants to start specifically with Sichuanese cooking. Videgård’s book is different. It is written for someone who has never cooked Sichuanese food before and takes you step by step through ingredients, techniques, and flavors.

The recipes are adapted for Scandinavian home kitchens, with tips on where to find specialty ingredients and how to build your Sichuan pantry. You will learn classics like tofu with Sichuan pepper, twice-cooked pork, and bang bang chicken. What makes the book the right starting point is the combination of accessibility and authenticity. Videgård does not simplify the cuisine, but he makes it manageable.

What to Expect

A compact book at 160 pages with beautiful photography by Pål Allan. The recipes are clearly written and manageable for a home cook. You will need to source some specialty ingredients like Sichuan pepper, doubanjiang, and dried chili, but the book helps you find the right ones. The tone is personal and inviting. Note that this book is written in Swedish.