Good Food Good Times: Sichuan – Chengdu

3 must-try delicacies in Chengdu

When it comes to food, the Chinese people can talk for hours and often like to discuss which local cuisine is the best. Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan province, was named an UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2010 and its cuisine is an important part of the Han diet culture. It is well-known for its unique flavor and wide variety of dishes such as Mapo Doufu (麻婆豆腐), spicy rabbit head (兔头) or Sichuan Liangfen (四川凉粉).

Chengdu cuisine is also famous for its mala sauce, with ma standing for “numbing” and la for “spicy”. You won’t get that burning sensation that is typical to spicy food, however, the mala sauce will make your lips and tongue slowly feel numb and heavy. This numb feeling is mainly due the the main ingredient of the mala sauce: Sichuan pepper, a special kind of peppercorn unique to the area and which adds such a fragrant taste to every dish, your nose will notice immediately when you walk past a restaurant that sells chengdu cai – Chengdu cuisine.

Learn more about three typical Chengdu dishes below (don't worry - no rabbit heads included).

1) Hotpot（火锅）

"Feeling cold? Let’s eat hotpot and warm up!" According to people in Chengdu, inviting someone for a hotpot equals a confession and as long as there is ingredients in the pot (and therefore reason enough to invite someone), life will never be empty.

A variety of ingredients – ranging from various kinds of meat and leafy or root vegetables to dried tofu, rice cakes etc. - is thrown into a pot with a boiling hot broth, sometimes as red as the one in the picture below, where it stays until it’s boiled to perfection.

Are you worried the spiciness could burn your taste buds off your tongue? Worry no longer. Although hotpot started as a spicy dish in Chongqing in the 20th century, meanwhile, most restaurants offer various kinds of broths, some of which are only slightly – or not at all – spicy.

Where to eat:

大龙燚火锅 Da Long Yi Hotpot

Address: No. 330, Hong Ji Xin Road

Price: appr. 80 yuan/person

Hours: 10:30-02:00

2) Fu Qi Fei Pian (夫妻肺片)

This dish literally translates as “husband and wife lung pieces” and while it does not actually include lung pieces, thinly sliced beef or beef offal – such as tongue or heart - is served with the mala sauce mentioned above.

The story behind this special name begins in the 1930s, when a married couple started a small business selling beef slices in Sichuan. While their effort to stand out from other vendors by carefully selecting the beef slices and experimenting with the seasoning resulted in their business growing, the two standing together in their small shop day by day is said to be responsible for the name of the dish. Fu Qi Fei Pian now also serves as the name of their restaurant.

It’s usually served cold and the melt-in-the-mouth texture of the beef slices, together with the spiciness, make it a favorite dish of the locals during Chengdu’s steamy summers.

Where to eat:

武侯祠大街店 Fu Qi Fei Pian (Wu Hou Temple Shop)

Address: No. 36, Jiang Xi street, close to Wuhou Temple

Price: appr. 40 yuan/person

Hours: 09:00-22:00

3) Long Chao Shou (龙抄手)

It’s not all spicy food in Chengdu. Long Chao Shou – or Sichuan style Wonton – does not necessarily come with mala and is a pleasant alternative to the city’s spicy delicacies.

Although all kinds of wonton can be found throughout the country, Sichuan style Wonton are bigger in size and – of course – a spicy version is available, too. Minced pork, chopped ginger and vegetables are wrapped in thin flour skins, boiled and served with chili oil or as a soup.

The texture is so soft and smooth, the wonton, once put in the mouth, literally slide towards the throat which makes it a perfect dish for those days when you do not really feel like eating much.

Where to eat:

成都文殊坊店 Chengdu Long Chao Shou (Wen Shu Fang store)

Address: No. 35, Wen Shu Yuan Road

Price: appr. 30 yuan/person

Hours: 11:00-21:00