Joanna James
The variety of Sichuan cuisine on offer boils down to how well ingredients are balanced and condiments added. Be it sweet, salty or spicy. When in Chengdu, do make note of the following types.
Translating to a hot pot broth, the Mala Huo Guo is a spicy concoction that would test the most sensitive of palates. While coming across as an excellent choice for large travelling groups to feast on, this specially created broth brings together a host of vegetables and meats coupled with the hottest spices that you will find in Chengdu. However, milder versions are also made available and the popular Mi Xun Teahouse can be looked at which serves this specialty with black truffles and is considered a 'go-to' destination for everything vegetarian.
Yearning for a tinge of spiciness in the hope of moving onto bigger and grander offerings? Then why not consider some Hui Guo Rou? For the Hui Guo Rou is anything but conventional. In fact, the dish is made up of pork belly strips that are initially boiled, then stir-fried using garlic scapes before finishing it all off with sprinklings of chili and fermented soy beans to enhance colour and taste. For example, such creations can be easily found and enjoyed at some of the best restaurants in Chengdu such as the one within Dorsett Grand Chengdu.
If you assume that Gong bao Ji ding is similar to any form of kung pao chicken, then you might want to backtrack on that assumption. The dish takes the form of diced chicken which is tossed in a mix of dried chillies and roasted peanuts before being smeared in a rich and pungent sweet and sour sauce. For something that is truly authentic, then do consider a helping or two of Gong bao ji ding.
Commenting on cuisine in Sichaun would be incomplete if one does not devote time and attention towards the varying fish dishes. One such example which is truly 'Sichuan' is Douban yu. The offering is a lightly fried fish that one may choose to delight in either with a tinge of sourness & sweetness or a hot sauce that combines ginger, garlic & a chili bean paste. The latter may have you scrambling for an extra glass of chilled water but let not this prospect put you off from moving through these unique presentations that will be hard to come by elsewhere.
The street food culture of the area ought not to be excluded when traversing through Chengdu. Seen more like a meat pie than anything else, the Guo Kui that you will encounter along the streets will either be a grilled dough stuffed with braised beef, bamboo shoots and pickled vegetables or a handmade dough with a filling of ground meat which is shaped into a pancake before being fried and baked to a golden grown.
Satisfying your sweet tooth in more than way will be the Tang you Guo Zi which is the Chinese version of donut holes. The dish is in fact fried rice balls that are covered in sesame seeds, caramelized sugar and offered on skewers to hungry visitors and locals who find street food simply irresistible.
Local delicacies are extravagant yet simplistic in their preparation and a far cry from what you will find in any other part of the world. Considered a snack for the adventurous at heart, Tu Tou is a wok-fried rabbit with dashes of spring onions and chillies that would make for quite the meal when one is on the go.
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