Chinese Food Guide for Chengdu
Szechuan Cuisine, From Hot Pot to Dumplings
People from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, are known for their love of spicy foods, which many believe is the spiciest Chinese food. Sichuan, or Szechuan cuisine, is packed with peppers and has become world-famous for dishes like hot pot and Kung Pao chicken. This Chinese food guide will show travelers all of the best ways and places to enjoy Szechuan food while traveling in and around Chengdu.
Szechuan Chinese Foods Preparation and Ingredients Overview
Sichuan cuisine utilizes garlic, chili peppers, and the Sichuan peppercorn, or star anise, in many of their most famous dishes. The Sichuan peppercorn, known locally as mala, is an indigenous peppercorn that’s both tongue-tingling and mouth-numbing. Many of the dishes, like Kung Pao chicken and hot pot, are saturated with these peppers and a liberal dousing of red chilies, while the oil used to cook the dishes, distributes them evenly across the plate.
Stir-fried is the preferred preparation method, but steamed and braised meat can also be found. Like most Chinese food, dishes are often cooked with meats, like beef, chicken, pork, fish, and lamb. Vegetable dishes are not as common, but vegetarians will be pleased to find a handful of vegetarian restaurants around Chengdu. Dishes are served in bite-sized pieces with smaller portions, perfect for chopsticks and sharing with friends.
Many Szechuan recipes are saturated in different oils and sauces to bring out the dishes flavor and distribute the spices. Some foreigners unaccustomed to this may find these dishes hard to digest.
Chengdu food is also famous for snacks and light meals, so cheap snack stalls line many crowded market streets, each serving up a tantalizing variety of Szechuan and Chinese foods.
Szechuan Foods Travelers Recommendations
Travelers should try all of these sizzling Chinese foods if they have the time. But, the most important is the fiery oil-dish, hot pot; with more than 10 local varieties this dish ignites the mouth in a sensory overload. For more information, check out this hot pot guide for all the best restaurants and tips for enjoying the endless spices of hougou.
Chuan chuan xian, or hotpot’s little brother, is served on a skewer, then fried in a simmering pot of oil at the table. This dish is perfect for those travelers who love to sample a little bit of everything. Restaurants are typically a fresh foods buffet, which are cooked like hotpot at the center of the table.
Shaokao (spicy bar-b-q), also served on a skewer, is slightly different than chuan chuan xian. This dish utilizes peppery seasonings and is cooked over bar-b-q coals. Street vendors sell beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and potatoes throughout the city. On Jiuyanqiao Bar Street and near the west gate of Sichuan University there are many excellent sit-down restaurants. This is the perfect cheap and light snack to help travelers get through a busy day of sightseeing.
Be sure to settle the spicy stomach with some delicious baozi, or steamed buns wrapped around meat, vegetables, and bean-paste fillings.
Mapo Tofu utilizes the famous numbing and tingling Sichuan pepper. This traditional Szechuan food has also become a staple in Chinese food throughout the world. The tofu is immersed in a delicious chili oil and ground beef.
There are also countless dumplings or Jiaozi restaurants that serve this traditional Chinese food. The difference in Chengdu is that it is often served with a chili oil and garlic dipping sauce. Also try a bowl of delicious dumpling soup.
Another Chengdu favorite is the fish smelling eggplant dish Yu xiang Chieza. The dish tastes nothing like fish and is often a favorite because it’s mild, filling, and delicious. There are also a plethora of other snacks and dishes to various to name.
Travelers can easily survive on 25 RMB (3.50$) per meal and will find many options under 10 RMB. For fancier dishes like hotpot, an average of 50-75 RMB is substantial. Tipping is not practiced here like the rest of China.
Menus at most restaurants are in Chinese only and have no pictures on them. Tourists should have someone write down the Chinese characters and the pinyin so they don’t end up with a less appetizing dish, like pig’s brain, which for the brave can actually be quite appetizing. Other less common dishes travelers may want to try: Roasted duck’s tongue, pigeon, and rabbit.
The variety of Szechuan food in Chengdu is amazing and many Chinese travel to this area just to sample all of the many delicacies. Travelers can be sure that they will never get bored trying these Chinese foods, and will find many small restaurants with a menu that resembles a newspaper. For the brave, just point to a few dishes on the Chinese menu and say, “surprise me.” For more information on Chengdu, check out this Chengdu Travel Guide.
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