Sichuan cooking is built on a defined set of flavors rather than a single heat level. Numbing pepper, chili, garlic, fermented broad bean paste, sweet bean sauce, vinegar and sesame are combined in different proportions to produce the twenty-three recognized flavor profiles of the cuisine. Street snacks are where that system is easiest to taste.
Dan dan noodles
A small bowl of noodles topped with minced pork, preserved vegetables, chili oil, sesame and ground roasted Sichuan pepper. The classic version is dry rather than soupy, and you mix it hard at the table before eating. The name comes from the carrying pole used by the original street vendors.
Long chao shou
Pork wontons in a chili oil and sesame sauce, sometimes served in a light broth. The wrappers are thin and folded into a shape that resembles a folded hand. Order a small bowl as part of a snack crawl rather than as a meal.
Sweet water noodles and cold jelly
Tian shui mian are noodles served cool with a sweetened soy and garlic dressing, excellent in summer. Liang fen is mung-bean or pea starch jelly cut into strips and dressed with vinegar, chili and peanuts. Both are sold from small shops and carts and both cost very little.
Where to find them
The snack streets around Jinli, Kuanzhai Xiangzi and Wenshu Monastery all have versions of these dishes. For better prices and fewer tourists, look in the older residential districts, where a single shop often sells five or six snacks on one menu. Order several small dishes between two people.
Practical notes
Most snacks contain wheat, pork or sesame. Vegetarians can eat well on cold jelly, pickled vegetables and plain noodles, but should confirm that no meat broth is used. The heat level is adjustable; saying bu la will get you a genuinely mild dish in most shops.
