The slightest mention of Sichuan province in Southwest China's Sichuan province will remind visitors of fine food.

But there is no universal standard about what a high-quality Sichuan cuisine restaurant is.

The Sichuan Provincial Tourism Development Committee and Sichuan Provincial Department of Commerce announced on Wednesday that they will officially commence the Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant Certification.

"The event will run annually for five to 10 years to discover the finest Sichuan cuisine restaurants from around the world and promote the magic of Sichuan cuisine," said Hao Kangli, chief of the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Development Committee.

His committee was known as the Sichuan Provincial Tourism Bureau until recently.

Each year, the finest Sichuan cuisine restaurants from around the world will be chosen and ranked in accordance with the Gold Panda, Silver Panda and Bronze Panda criteria.

"A Gold Panda restaurant is a must for visitors because its food is perfect and the dining experience is perfect. A Silver Panda restaurant is worth of visit because its food is wonderful and the dining experience is wonderful. A Bronze Panda restaurant is a recommended one where its food is good and the dining experience is good," Hao said.

"Each restaurant will be subject to stringent checks to ensure consistency of quality. Those who fall short will have their ranking lowered or removed," he said.

While formulating the certification, Sichuan has emulated advanced restaurant rating systems in the world and consulted many famous restaurant owners, chefs and Sichuan cuisine researchers in the province.

Experts overseeing the certificate include Chen Xiaoqing, chief director of "A Bite of China," a household TV series produced by China Central Television, and Chen Qingren, editor-in-chief of TimeOut China.

"The certification will take into consideration the selection of materials, food preparation, cooking, and the arrangement and cultural connotation of dishes," Hao said.