川菜以成都和重庆两地的菜肴为代表。所用的调味品有花椒、胡椒、辣椒，合稱“三椒”；葱、姜、蒜，合称“三香”；用的最多的有郫县豆瓣，永川豆鼓等调味酱，以调味为重点的有“鱼香”、“怪味”等菜。

川菜的风格朴实而又清新，官家川菜精细别致，农家川菜具浓厚的乡土气息。

川菜有“七滋八味”之说，“七滋”指甜、酸、麻、辣、苦、香、咸; “八味”即是鱼香、酸辣、椒麻、怪味、麻辣、红油、干烧、干炒。

川菜突出的是麻、辣、香、鲜及油大、味厚的特点，重用“三椒”和鲜姜。 在7种基本味型的基础上，又可调配变化为多种复合味型。

川菜的复合味型有24多种，如咸鲜味型、家常味型、麻辣味型， 等等。

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Most Sichuan dishes are spicy, although a typical meal includes non-spicy dishes to cool the palate.

Sichuan cuisine is composed of seven basic flavours: sour, pungent, hot, sweet, bitter, aromatic and salty.

Sichuan food is divided into five different types: sumptuous banquet, ordinary banquet, popularised food, household-style food and snacks. Sichuan cuisine often contains food preserved through pickling, salting and drying. Preserved dishes are generally served as spicy dishes with heavy application of chili oil.

Sichuan cuisine is the origin of several prominent sauces/flavours widely used in modern Chinese cuisine, including Yuxiang (魚香 fish flavor), Mala (麻辣 spicy & tingling) and Guaiwei (怪味 exotic taste).

There are many local variations within Sichuan Province and the neighbouring Chongqing Municipality, which was part of Sichuan Province until 1997. Four sub-styles of Sichuan cuisine include Chongqing, Chengdu, Zigong and Buddhist vegetarian style.

UNESCO declared Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, to be a city of gastronomy in 2011 to recognise the sophistication of its cooking.