Chengdu is a city renowned for its delicious food, and here are some of its specialties:
Hotpot
- Spicy Hotpot: One of the must-try foods in Chengdu, where diners cook a variety of ingredients such as meats, vegetables, and tofu in a spicy broth at their table. The Sichuan-style spicy broth is flavored with chili, garlic, and Sichuan peppercorns, offering a unique spicy and numbing sensation. Recommended restaurants include Wuliguan Hotpot, Guo Guo Conglin Hotpot, and Bashu Dazhaimen Hotpot.
- Chuan Chuan Xiang (Skewered Hotpot): Similar to hotpot but with a twist, featuring skewers of various meats, vegetables, and tofu that you dip into a spicy, bubbling broth. You can choose your ingredients, which are cooked in the same flavorful broth as hotpot, providing a unique and customizable experience. Ma Lu Bian Bian Chuan Chuan Xiang is a popular choice.
Signature Dishes
- Mapo Tofu: A classic Sichuan dish featuring soft tofu and minced meat in a spicy sauce, known for its spicy, numbing, and savory flavors.
- Dan Dan Noodles: A traditional Chengdu noodle dish with a spicy and savory sauce made from minced meat, chili oil, and Sichuan peppercorns, topped with crunchy peanuts and scallions.
- Fuqi Feipian: Thinly sliced beef and beef tripe in a spicy sauce, with a unique texture and rich flavor.
- Twice-Cooked Pork: Pork belly stir-fried with vegetables and fermented black bean sauce, offering a combination of fatty and savory flavors.
- Kung Pao Chicken: Diced chicken stir-fried with peanuts, dried chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns, with a sweet and spicy flavor profile.
- Lao Ma Ti Hua (Braised Pig Trotters): Pig trotters cooked in a rich broth, served tender and flavorful with a special dipping sauce, a beloved local dish.
Snacks
- Tangyou Guozi (Deep-fried Sticky Rice Balls): Glutinous rice balls deep-fried in brown sugar-infused oil, giving them a shiny appearance and a crispy texture, typically skewered on bamboo sticks for easy eating.
- Guokui (Savory Flatbread): A crispy, multi-layered flatbread filled with various savory fillings such as minced meat, pork belly, or beef. First fried and then baked, it has a crispy texture without being greasy.
- Tutou (Rabbit Head): A popular street food in Chengdu, available in various flavors like original, BBQ, and mala. The meat inside the rabbit head is tender and flavorful, requiring some skill to eat.
- Bao Ding Ji (Bao Ding Chicken): Originating from Leshan, this dish features boneless cold chicken skewers served with a spicy sauce and garnished with crushed peanuts and cilantro in a pottery bowl. It can be enjoyed as a snack or appetizer, with options like beef, pork, and various vegetables also available.
- Douhua (Silken Tofu): A soft and delicate tofu dish available in both sweet and savory versions. It can also be paired with noodles and various toppings. Xiao Tan Douhua is a popular local shop.
- Yibin Ranmian (Yibin Flaming Noodles): A type of dry-tossed noodle similar to dan dan noodles, topped with yacai (preserved mustard stems), chili oil, roasted peanuts, and scallions, offering a rich and flavorful taste.
- Tian Shui Mian (Sweet and Spicy Noodles): Handmade thick noodles coated in a rich, dark red spicy sauce, blending savory, umami, and spicy flavors with a subtle sweetness.
- Lai Tang Yuan (Lai’s Glutinous Rice Balls): A traditional Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice flour filled with sweet fillings. The rice balls are boiled in water or syrup and served hot, with a satisfying combination of sticky rice and sweet sesame paste.
Desserts
- Bing Zui Douhua: A specialty of Xiao Tan Douhua, it is exceptionally soft but not slimy, tender, warm, and rich in nutty soybean flavor.
- Douhua Noodles: A combination of traditional douhua with noodles and various toppings, featuring a generous scattering of ground beef atop white noodles, surrounded by a shallow moat of red oil filled with peanuts and green onions, with silky pieces of douhua beneath.
- Other Classic Sichuan Small Dishes: Such as red-oil wontons, Zhong Shui Jiao (钟水饺), and duck dishes, all of which are delicious.