The stereotype of Sichuan food is that everything is hot. The truth is more interesting: the region's cooking is built on layered seasoning - chili oil, roasted Sichuan pepper, sesame, black vinegar, fermented bean paste, sugar - and nowhere is that clearer than in the cold dishes served before the main meal or bought from a counter to take home.
Fuqi feipian
The name means something close to "husband and wife offal slices". Thin slices of braised beef, beef tongue and tripe are dressed with chili oil, Sichuan pepper, crushed peanuts, sesame, cilantro and a little soy, and served cold. The numbing sensation from the pepper comes first, then the slow chili heat. It is one of the most widely loved dishes in Chengdu and a good entry point for anyone nervous about offal, because the texture is delicate and the seasoning is what you taste.
Rabbit heads
Chengdu eats enormous numbers of rabbit heads, spiced and braised and sold from shop counters and street stalls, usually cold or at room temperature. Eating one is a technique: start with the jaw, work through the cheeks and tongue, and finish with the brain. Shops sell them by the piece for a few yuan, and they are a standard beer snack. The spice level ranges from mild five-spice to full ma la, so ask which is which.
Bangbang chicken
Poached chicken is pounded with a wooden stick until the fibres loosen, then shredded and dressed with the same sesame-chili-vinegar combination used across the region, with cucumber or bean sprouts underneath. The pounding is what makes it different from any other cold chicken dish: the meat absorbs the sauce rather than sitting under it.
Also look for
Cold jelly noodles (liangfen) in chili and vinegar, sliced pork with garlic sauce, pickled vegetables, and cucumber salads dressed with crushed garlic and sesame oil. Most restaurants serve these as small plates at the start of the meal, and many have a cold counter where you point at what you want.
Practical notes
The best places are often not restaurants with signs in English: look for shops with a display case of rabbit heads and basins of dressed offal. Portable stomachs vary, so try small amounts first. If you want less heat, say bu la or wei la, which ranges from "not spicy" to "a little spicy" - though in Chengdu, "not spicy" is relative.
