Chengdu China Food: 9 Dishes You HAVE To Try (2023)

If you’re a foodie, lover of spice, or a culinary student, you’ve probably heard of Sichuan Province. Cities in Sichuan, including Chengdu, are famous for the INSANE levels of SPICE in their dishes. Prepare your tastebuds: this post is going to cover all you need to know about Chengdu China food!

So you’re going to Chengdu? Lucky, lucky you! You’re on your way to one of the most culturally rich and generally lovable cities I’ve ever been to in China!

Chengdu is full of personality. Their women are famous for their impeccable hair, makeup, and and outfits. Their mountains are famous for hosting many of China’s beloved Giant Pandas. And their food is famous for its HEAT.

I spent about five days in Chengdu, and would TOTALLY move there if I got the chance. It’s a big city with small-town vibes, meaning that everyone is very relaxed, kind, and the pace of life is MUCH slower than in Beijing.

We saw delivery guys walking instead of running, security guards having laughs together, and people just taking time to enjoy big Sichuan meals together. In a city with such a food culture, the table seems the place to be!

So how exactly should you order and consume these legendary spices? Thankfully, Chengdu has no shortage of ways to encounter its mouth-(and eye!)-watering flavors.

Sichuan Hot Pot: The #1 Chengdu China Food BuckeT List Item

Do NOT leave Chengdu without getting your chopsticks into Sichuan’s notorious hotpot!

Hotpot is a DIY kind of meal: the restaurant provides a big bowl of broth (or 2 broths in the same bowl with a divider down the middle). You order the veggies and meats you want to boil, and drop ’em in to cook!

You also get spices and sauces to make a custom dipping sauce for when your items are cooked (my favorite part). In Chengdu, they don’t tend to use the typical mahjiang (sesame sauce) but use oil as a base instead.

Usually staff are quite helpful at getting you started with ordering, making your dipping sauce, and giving advice as you go so that everything is cooked fully.

Now, why is Chengdu’s hotpot so legendary? Because they turn up the HEAT via their Sichuan peppers!

We got only the “light” and “medium” spicy broths while in Chengdu. Once, the table nearby us ordered MAX SPICY, and even just the steam from their broth was making us cough and cry where we were sitting. Insane!

I recommend getting a “split pot” like we did, with one half being a spicy option and the other being a veggie or mushroom based broth, to help you cool off.

Also, we went through 2-3 cups of milk tea (which we brought into the restaurant ourselves) each time we got hotpot. I highly recommend ordering some juice or milk tea to cool off with, because water does NOT cut it!

Sichuan Hotpot should be a must-eat on your Chengdu China Food list. And if you’re not a spice lover, what are you even in Chengdu for then? (JK, we all know you’re there for the pandas 😉 )

#2 Sichuan Malatang

Malatang is kind of like hotpot for lazy people. You still pick your veggies/meats/noodles from a buffet, but after they weight it and you pay, someone in the kitchen cooks it for you.

Usually, malatang comes with a super tasty soup, but in Chengdu, they drain the soup after cooking and throw some spices on top. Usually they offer bowls of rice to accompany your meal.

This is a bit more relaxed and a LOT less time-consuming than hotpot. A hotpot meal can take an hour or two to eat, depending on the company and how hungry you are. Malatang is quicker, but in Chengdu, still quite spicy.

#3 Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu is one of my favorite dishes in China, period. But eating it in its province of origin takes the deliciousness to the next level. It’s SO good.

Enjoy these steaming tofu cubes atop a bowl of steaming rice, or on it’s own!

Consisting of creamy tofu cooked with minced beef, spicy oil, and sweet-spicy peppers: this dish is an absolute dream and one of Chengdu China’s must-try foods.

#4 Pickled Veggies

Sichuan LOVES pickling things — mushrooms, veggies, and meats — in their famous spicy oils and peppers. The hotel we stayed at offered an entire bar of Sichuan pickled delicacies.

While that’s not my preferred breakfast (I have a sweet-tooth), my love (and travel buddy) LOVES pickled things AND spicy things, and he was in heaven.

We came for a later breakfast one day, and I tried a bunch of pickled things on skewers…it was amazing.

Definitely take advantage of trying Sichuan-styled pickled items at either your hotel or a restaurant during your time in Chengdu!

#5 Sour Spicy Noodles

During one of our days in Chengdu, we met up with some former students of mine who are locals. They explained over lunch that there are three different types of spicy: sweet-spicy, sour-spicy, and hot-spicy.

And trust me: you can FEEL the difference!

We checked off hot-spicy with hotpot, and sweet-spicy with Mapo Tofu. My student recommended we find “sour-spicy noodles” before leaving, so that we could experience all three flavors. So we did!

This wasn’t my favorite thing that we ate in Chengdu, but it was still pretty tasty! And as it was our last type of “spicy” to try before leaving, it sort of completed our cuisine experiences in Chengdu.

So definitely grab yourself a bowl of “suanla fen” while visiting Chengdu!

#6 Poached Spicy Pork Slices

Tender pork slices marinated and slow-cooked in sweet-spicy broth, we couldn’t get enough of this dish! It literally melts in your mouth.

Sweet-spicy was in my opinion the best of the spices. It gives just enough of an alternative flavor to the spice to make it more enjoyable, for those whose tastebuds aren’t as adventurous.

I think this dish was the one that surprised me the most (in a good way!) while in Chengdu. Make sure to get yourself a big bowl of sweet-spicy meat during your own trip!

To cool off, get some sweet rice topped with pumpkin slices (in the above photo, next to the bowl of spicy pork slices).

#7 Kung Pao Chicken

Out of all of Chengdu, China’s foods, Kung Pao Chicken is probably the most famous. Chinese restaurants all around the world serve some variation of this savory dish, but no one does it like Chengdu.

With fresh Sichuan peppers and veggies, Chengdu’s Kung Pao chicken certainly blows the competition away.

I haven’t met a single person who doesn’t LOVE a steamy dish of Kung Pao chicken, so make sure to get yourself a dish of the REAL stuff in its place of origin!

BONUS: Matcha ice Cream Balls

After ALL of that spice, cool off with a local favorite: sweet and creamy matcha ice cream filled mochi’s!

Just be sure to order them right when you’re ready to eat them. We waited a bit too long, and ours were too mushy by the time we got them.

Bonus #2: Pig Brain!!

Full disclosure: I have NEVER eaten brain while in China, and have no intentions to! The people I know who have tried it have told me its taste and texture are exactly what you’d imagine…no thanks!

But if you’re feeling brave, well, as they say: when in Rome!!

So there you have it: 9 dishes you HAVE to try while in Chengdu, China! I can attest that every one is not only local to the area, but SO delicious (except for pig brain). It’s no wonder that people both local and foreign will make their way to Chengdu China just for the food. So get yourself there, grab a cup of milk tea, and bon appétit!

You may also like:

Chengdu China Points of Interest for Tourists