Chengdu was designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2010, and the city takes its cooking seriously. A number of schools here run classes aimed at visitors, taught in English, usually in a converted courtyard building or a purpose-built kitchen with individual stations.
The market visit
Most classes begin at a wet market in the morning. This is the part most people remember: stalls of vegetables you cannot name, live fish tanks, rows of dried chilies, dozens of types of tofu, and vendors selling Sichuan peppercorn by weight. Your instructor explains what to look for in pepper, how to judge fermented bean paste, and what the different grades of soy sauce do.
What you cook
A typical class covers three dishes chosen from kung pao chicken, mapo tofu, twice-cooked pork, dan dan noodles, fish-fragrant eggplant and hot and sour soup. You are taught the technique rather than just the recipe: how to bloom chili in oil without burning it, how to get the numbing effect from pepper rather than heat, and how to balance sweet, sour, salty and fragrant in a single dish. The meal you cook is eaten at the end, usually with tea.
Practical notes
Half-day classes run about four hours including the market. Book at least a few days ahead in the high season. Tell the school in advance about allergies and dietary restrictions; they can usually adapt, and sesame and peanut appear frequently in Sichuan cooking. Bring an appetite and do not eat breakfast too late.
