Chengdu Cuisine
As the provincial capital of Sichuan, Chengdu food must be representative of hot and spicy Sichuan cuisine. This old cuisine originated from Qin and Han Dynasties (B.C221-220A.D) and permeated the country as a whole. Hotpot, as the pioneer of the Sichuan cuisine, has countless varieties. Hotpot soup alone counts as many as ten sorts, while things edible that can be put in it are even more. In recent years, malatang derived from hotpot has been booming around China. Moreover, snacks on the street enjoy great popularity due to its special flavour, unique soup and high quality. In the year of 2010, Chengdu was designed as "City of Gastronomy" by UNESCO. So travelers can fill their stomachs with innumerable food in Chengdu!
Poached Sliced Beef in Hot Chilli Oil (水煮牛肉)
Poached sliced beef in hot chilli oil is a typical Sichuan cuisine. The ingredients are beef, asparagus lettuce, celery, garlic bolt, chilli and so on. What is worth mentioning here is the way of cooking beef. It is not fried with oil but boiled in hot chilli soup, hence the name. It looks appetizing, smells fragrant tastes tender
Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁)
Kung Pao Chicken is the traditional dish of Sichuan, consisting of diced chickens, chilli and peanuts. After frying, the dish tastes tender, delicious and spicy but you will not feel dry. Enjoying the dish slowly, you will find it a kind of bittersweet.
Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)
As one of the most distinguished local flavours around China, Mapo tofu has a history of more than a hundred years' history. Snow white tofu dotted with minced beef and green garlic bolts, and surrounded by clear oil, the dish looks like amber edged with jade. Only when you try will you discover its unique spicy, tender and fresh!
Recommended restaurants:
-Hongxing Hoter (红杏酒家), Daronghe (大蓉和), Jianghu Taste (江湖味道), Ms, Zhou Xiyanghong(周大妈夕阳红) for Sichuan cuisine.
-Kongliang Eel Hotpot (孔亮鳝鱼火锅), Dezhuang Hotpot (德莊火锅), Huangcheng Laoma Hotpot (城老妈火锅) for authentic hotpot.
-Zongfu Road (总府路) and Chunxi Road (春熙路) for snacks.