This traditional Chinese seasoning mix is said to have originated in Sichuan cuisine, which is known for spiciness and bold flavors, but has since spread to other regions as well. The word yuxiang also refers to the sauce in which the meat or vegetables were cooked. Yúxiāng literally translates to fish fragrance, although it contains no seafood and is not commonly used in seafood dishes, but rather to create a flavor base for vegetarian recipes and various dishes containing beef, pork, or chicken.

The mix typically consists of finely minced pickled chili called pao la jiao, white scallion, ginger, and garlic; in more or less equal amounts. To create the sauce, on top of the basic mixture, cooking with yúxiāng almost always includes the use of sugar, salt, chili peppers, soy sauce or vinegar and doubanjiang - a spicy fermented broad bean, soybean, and rice paste popularly known as the soul of Sichuan cuisine.