Chongqing Food Guide

Chongqing food is largely a hybrid of Sichuan cuisine and local specialty dishes. Compared with Chengdu's Sichuan Cuisine, Chongqing’s has a stronger taste, spicier and more innovative. The dishes are rich in flavor and use almost 40 different cooking methods in their preparation. The city center is filled with restaurants and food stalls where you can pick up a cheap and filling meal for very little money. Different from many other Chinese cuisines, the dishes here come in small individual sized portions, so that you don’t need an entire group to go together.

Chongqing Hotpot

Hotpots are the most famous traditional dish in Sichuan, of which Chongqing hotpot is specially noted. Characterized by heavy flavors, diverse ingredients, and steaming aromas, hotpot is to the local culture what tea is to Chinese culture. As such, this is the first and best choice of tourists seeking a local specialty.

Dandan Noodles

It is a kind of hot-spiced noodles in soup favored with a sauce containing dried shrimp, shredded preserved vegetables, peanuts, sesame seeds, chili oil, vinegar and garlic. Dandan refers to shoulder poles. In the earliest time a noodle peddler shouldered his pole with two baskets at the either side while walking along streets. The baskets contained his noodles and sauce. He sold his noodles for the convenience of passers-by. His noodles cost almost nothing and gradually local people called it Dandan Noodle.

Qianzhang (Beam Cream Skim)

Qianzhang is the cream skimmed from soy bean milk. In order to create this delicacy several steps must be followed carefully. First soybeans are soaked in water, grounded, strained, boiled, restrained several times, and spread over gauze until delicate snow-white cream is formed. Although the process is time-consuming, it is a tasty treat. It can also be hardened, cut into slivers and seasoned with sesame oil, garlic and chili oil. Some bake and fry it with bacon. The texture is soft and the fresh, sweet, flavor will leave you craving more.

Jiangtuan Fish

Located along the Jialing River, the city offers freshwater fish. The Jiangtuan fish, also called big-head fish, is probably the best. Like most fish in China, this is steamed to keep it healthy and flavorful. Fish-lovers should definitely try some.