Sichuan and Hunan both use chilli, but Sichuan pepper gives many Sichuan dishes their characteristic numbing flavour. Hunan cooking often puts fresh and preserved chillies alongside sour vegetables, smoked meat and strongly flavoured sauces.
Note: this article was AI-generated, then checked and edited against the sources listed at the end.
I spent around 60 RMB (7,50€) a day, including snacks and drinks. The dish prices are budget estimates, per serving unless marked as shared dishes; euro equivalents use 8 RMB = 1€. The cooking-class link is an affiliate link: I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Sichuan and Chongqing
Chengdu
Rabbit heads
Rabbit head / tùtóu, 兔头 is one of Chengdu’s signature snacks, especially associated with Shuangliu. The heads are braised with spices and sold whole, commonly in málà and five-spice versions. The cheeks and jaw hold small pieces of meat; eating one involves working around the bones with your hands.
Look for Shuangliu Laoma Tutou / 双流老妈兔头 or counters selling braised rabbit. Shops in central Chengdu also serve them. Budget 12–20 RMB (1,50–2,50€) per head.
Rabbit appears in other forms too. Cold dressed rabbit / 凉拌兔丁 is chopped into small, often bone-in pieces and mixed with chilli oil, Sichuan pepper and toppings such as sesame or peanuts. Allow 30–55 RMB (3,75–6,90€) for a shared plate.
Mapo tofu
Photo: Suicasmo, CC0.
Mápó dòufu / 麻婆豆腐 combines soft tofu with fermented chilli-bean paste, Sichuan pepper and minced beef or pork. It arrives in a red sauce, with rice ordered alongside. The pepper’s tingling sensation remains distinct from the chilli heat.
Chen Mapo Tofu / 陈麻婆豆腐 is the established Chengdu restaurant name associated with the dish. Allow 25–45 RMB (3,10–5,60€) for a shared plate, plus rice.
Mapo tofu is usually a meat dish despite the tofu base.
Dandan noodles, sweet-water noodles and wontons
Photo: MOs810, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Dàndànmiàn / 担担面 are wheat noodles with a savoury, spicy dressing, commonly minced pork and preserved vegetables. Some versions have very little liquid, with the dressing underneath the noodles. Portions are often small, around 10–20 RMB (1,25–2,50€).
Tiánshuǐmiàn / 甜水面, sweet-water noodles, are thicker and chewier. The sauce combines sweetness with chilli oil, garlic and savoury seasoning. Budget 10–20 RMB (1,25–2,50€).
Hóngyóu chāoshǒu / 红油抄手 are wontons in red-oil dressing. Zhong dumplings / 钟水饺 have a pork filling and a sweet, garlicky chilli sauce. Long Chao Shou / 龙抄手 and Zhong Shui Jiao / 钟水饺 are established names to look for in Chengdu. Allow 12–25 RMB (1,50–3,10€) per serving.
Twice-cooked pork, cold chicken and aubergine
Twice-cooked pork / huíguōròu, 回锅肉 is simmered first, then sliced and stir-fried with chilli-bean paste and vegetables such as garlic shoots. The slices include both fat and lean meat. Budget 30–50 RMB (3,75–6,25€) for a shared plate.
Saliva chicken / kǒushuǐjī, 口水鸡 is cold poached chicken dressed with chilli oil and aromatics, often sesame or peanuts. It commonly arrives chopped through the bone. Allow 30–55 RMB (3,75–6,90€).
Fish-fragrant aubergine / yúxiāng qiézi, 鱼香茄子 uses garlic, ginger, chilli and vinegar. “Fish-fragrant” names the seasoning style; fish isn’t necessarily an ingredient. Minced pork can be added. Budget 20–40 RMB (2,50–5€).
Kung pao chicken / gōngbǎo jīdīng, 宫保鸡丁 brings diced chicken, peanuts and dried chillies in a sweet-sour sauce. Allow 30–50 RMB (3,75–6,25€).
Bingfen and tea
In Chengdu, bīngfěn / 冰粉 is a soft jelly dessert with brown-sugar syrup and toppings such as fruit, raisins, sesame or peanuts. Allow 5–12 RMB (0,60–1,50€). A teahouse stop commonly needs 20–50 RMB (2,50–6,25€), depending on the tea and venue.
Around Wenshu, I liked the quiet evening atmosphere, with teahouses and calligraphy shops.
A Sichuan cooking class
The Sichuan Cuisine Museum’s tasting and cooking options — affiliate link include different admission and class packages. Cooking classes require the class package rather than basic museum admission.
Leshan
Bōbōjī / 钵钵鸡 consists of cooked skewers soaking in seasoned broth, commonly with chilli oil and sesame. Alongside chicken, the selection can include vegetables, tofu and offal. It is often served cool or at room temperature. Allow 25–50 RMB (3,10–6,25€) for a small selection; skewer categories can have different prices.
Sweet-skinned duck / tiánpíyā, 甜皮鸭 is glazed and chopped into bone-in pieces. It is sold in portions as well as larger pieces of the bird. Budget 25–45 RMB (3,10–5,60€) for a small portion.
Qiāojiǎo beef / 跷脚牛肉 is a beef-and-offal soup, usually much milder than red hotpot, with chilli often served separately. Allow 25–45 RMB (3,10–5,60€) for an individual serving. Dòufunǎo / 豆腐脑, soft tofu pudding with savoury toppings, costs around 8–15 RMB (1–1,90€).
Zhanggongqiao food street / 张公桥好吃街 is an area to look for these Leshan specialities.
Chongqing
Hotpot, chuanchuan and individual bowls
Photo: Hawyih, public domain.
Huǒguō / 火锅 centres on simmering broth at the table, with ingredients ordered on separate plates. The classic Chongqing red broth commonly uses beef fat, dried chillies and Sichuan pepper. Sliced beef, tripe, duck intestine, mushrooms, tofu and vegetables are among the choices.
A split pot / yuānyāng guō, 鸳鸯锅 has a spicy side and a milder broth. Broth, dipping sauces and drinks can each be separate charges. Budget 80–150 RMB (10–18,75€) per person when sharing.
Chuànchuàn / 串串 uses skewered ingredients, often cooked at the table. The bill commonly follows the number and type of skewers. Allow 50–100 RMB (6,25–12,50€) per person.
Màocài / 冒菜 gives an individual selection cooked in the kitchen and served ready to eat. Málàtàng / 麻辣烫 shops often let you choose ingredients from a display and charge by weight. A moderate bowl usually needs a budget of 20–40 RMB (2,50–5€).
Xiaomian, sour-spicy noodles and fried chicken
Xiǎomiàn / 小面 is a wheat-noodle bowl seasoned with chilli, Sichuan pepper and aromatics. It comes with broth or relatively little liquid. A basic bowl costs around 8–15 RMB (1–1,90€); wānzámiàn / 豌杂面, with peas and minced meat, or a beef topping brings the budget to 15–25 RMB (1,90–3,10€).
Suānlàfěn / 酸辣粉 uses slippery starch noodles, usually sweet-potato starch, with vinegar, chilli and toppings such as peanuts and preserved vegetables. Allow 10–20 RMB (1,25–2,50€).
Làzǐjī / 辣子鸡 is fried chicken tossed with dried chillies and aromatics. Small bone-in chicken pieces are scattered through a large pile of chillies. Budget 40–70 RMB (5–8,75€) for a shared plate.
I found Bayi food street far too loud and busy. In Ciqikou, vendors offered samples as I walked between the shops. For breakfast, xiaomian is a noodle-shop option.
Hunan
Hunan restaurant classics
Fish head with chopped chillies
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Duòjiāo yútóu / 剁椒鱼头 is steamed fish head covered in chopped preserved chillies. The sauce is salty, sour and hot, with small pieces of meat around the cheeks and bones. Noodles are often ordered afterwards to mix into the sauce.
This is a shared dish, with noodles ordered separately. It appears on menus across Hunan, including restaurants in the western towns.
Chilli pork and smoked meat
Làjiāo chǎoròu / 辣椒炒肉 is pork stir-fried with fresh chillies. The peppers make up a substantial part of the plate, with a different texture and flavour from the dried chillies used in many Sichuan dishes. Allow 30–55 RMB (3,75–6,90€).
Làròu / 腊肉, cured and often smoked pork, is especially relevant in western Hunan. It is sliced and stir-fried with garlic shoots, chillies, bamboo shoots or other vegetables. Budget 35–65 RMB (4,40–8,10€) for a shared plate.
Red-braised pork / hóngshāoròu, 红烧肉 is another common Hunan restaurant dish: pieces of pork belly slowly cooked in a dark sauce. Allow 40–70 RMB (5–8,75€).
Sweet rice cakes
In Hunan, tángyóu bāba / 糖油粑粑 are glutinous-rice cakes cooked in a sweet syrup, particularly associated with Changsha. They have a soft, chewy centre. Budget 5–12 RMB (0,60–1,50€) for a small serving.
Fenghuang
Xuèbāyā / 血粑鸭 combines duck with pieces of glutinous-rice cake bound with duck blood. Both cook together in a strongly seasoned sauce. It is one of Fenghuang’s characteristic shared dishes, around 60–100 RMB (7,50–12,50€).
For smaller things, look for fried shrimp cakes, mugwort rice cakes and shèfàn / 社饭, rice prepared with herbs and preserved meat. Some are seasonal. Budget 5–15 RMB (0,60–1,90€) for a small snack.
Sour-soup fish / 酸汤鱼 is also found in Fenghuang’s Miao restaurants. Prices can be per dish, kilogram or jin / 斤, 500 g.
Furong
Mǐdòufu / 米豆腐 is made from rice, cut into soft pieces and dressed with seasonings such as chilli, vinegar and pickled vegetables. The texture is smooth and jelly-like. Sauces and toppings vary between stalls.
It is a local speciality to look for in Furong, around 8–15 RMB (1–1,90€) per bowl.
Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan
Sanxiaguo
Sānxiàguō / 三下锅, the “three-item pot”, is a shared Tujia dish. The ingredients are chosen from the restaurant’s selection, which can include pork belly, intestines, tripe, pig’s trotters or other meats. Some versions are relatively dry; others have more broth.
Budget 70–130 RMB (8,75–16,25€) for a pot, with rice and side dishes extra. Around Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan, smoked pork, bamboo shoots and preserved vegetables are other common things to look for.
Giant salamander
Chinese giant salamander / wáwayú, 娃娃鱼, also called dàní / 大鲵, is a speciality of Zhangjiajie and Wulingyuan. Restaurants serve it braised with ginger and chillies, stewed, or in a shared hotpot. The flesh is delicate, with soft, gelatinous skin.
Look for 黄焖娃娃鱼 / braised giant salamander or 娃娃鱼火锅 / giant salamander hotpot on specialist restaurant menus. It is usually a larger shared order, often priced by weight. Allow 200–500 RMB (25–62,50€) as a provisional budget for the dish, depending on weight and preparation.
A May 2025 account from Hunan distinguishes protected wild giant salamanders from authorised farmed stock sold with identification and breeding permits.
Ordering
Wēilà / 微辣 means mildly spicy. Bú yào làjiāo / 不要辣椒 asks for no chilli; bú yào huājiāo / 不要花椒 asks for no Sichuan pepper. Prepared sauces and broths may already contain both.
Vegetable and tofu dishes can contain meat stock, lard or mince.
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