Chongqing Food: What & Where to Eat in Chongqing

Chongqing is known for its numbing and fiery hotpot, particularly those served with a nine-grid pot where each section offers a unique temperature and oil concentration. Typically, a metal pot filled with simmering broth, dried peppers, and peppercorns, etc., is served at the center of the dining table. Surrounding this pot there are a variety of meats, vegetables, and other ingredients ready to be cooked. You can make a dipping sauce according to your taste buds. Chongqing Hotpot offers a communal dining experience, making it ideal for gatherings with friends and family.

Wanzhou Roast Fish is a classic dish in Chongqing that's known for its crispy skin and tender flesh. It integrates three cooking skills including pickling, roasting and stewing, making it an aromatic dish with unique taste. When served, the steaming grilled fish is often accompanied by a vibrant array of glowing red peppers, garlic, peppercorns, and other spices, enhancing its overall appeal and taste.

Fish-Flavored Pork Slices is one of the must-order dishes in Chongqing. Cooked with pork fillet, vinegar, sugar, ginger, etc., it's bright in color, tender in meat, and salty, sweet, sour and subtly spicy in taste. Although there is no fish in its ingredients, the blend of seasonings imparts a unique fish-like aroma to it, hence its name. It belongs to Sichuan Cuisine, but rather than adding black fungus and shredded celtuce, it uses scallion, which enhances the dish's aroma and makes it more delicious.

Chongqing Noodles is one of the most famous street food that local people usually enjoy in the morning. It refers to two types of noodles: soup noodles and dry noodles, and typical Chongqing Noodles are pure noodles served with chili oil, soy sauce, and garlic. Noodles with meat, such as beef, fat sausage, pea paste noodles, Rongchang flour, etc., are also often to see. Among these, Pea and Pork Mince Noodles topped with a savory mixture of ground pork, peas, and seasonings are the most welcomed.

Chongqing Hot and Sour Noodles is known as the best noodles in the world. Made of sweet potatoes, red stalks and peas, it's chewy, spicy, sour and appetizing with tongue- numbing, spicy, fresh, savory, sour tastes a tangy and refreshing treat, deeply loved by people all over the country. It's an ideal dish for hot summer days, providing a delightful and refreshing treat.

Tofu Pudding with Rice is a highly popular Chongqing dish with an appetizing flavor and rich proteins. It comes with a bowl of tofu pudding, a bowl of rice, and a separate dish of spicy dipping sauce. To enjoy this dish, you can pick up a piece of tofu pudding, coat it with the special sauce, and then eat it with fragrant rice. For local Chongqing people, it's a perfect meal to go with wine.

Besides what mentioned above, Ice Jelly and Ice Small Glutinous Rice Balls are also highly recommended to try, especially in summer. Brown Sugar Rice Cake is another beloved street snack that you shall definitely try. Furthermore, don't miss Fried Dough Twist, Hechuan Walnut Slice, and Strange-flavored Crunchy Beans, and you might even want to bring some back home with you as gifts to your relatives and friends!

Chongqing has many popular food streets. You're highly suggested to go to Bayi Snack Street beside Jiefangbei CBD at the city center or Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Street, which is 7km (0.5 hr by car) from the city center. Both serve delicious hotpots, dishes like Fish-flavored Pork Slices and Hot Pepper Chicken at local cuisine restaurants there, along with various snacks. Bayi Snack Street is also a great place to try Hot and Sour Noodles. To sample snacks such as Fried Dough Twist, Hechuan Walnut Slice, etc., you can head for Ciqikou Ancient Town. Raffles City Chongqing in the Yuzhong District is also a good choice, where you can find not only classic Chongqing dishes and snacks, but also international cuisines from Japan, South Korea, Italy, Span, etc.

Bayi Snack Street: No. 181, Bayi Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing (重庆市渝中区八一路181号);

Guanyinqiao Pedestrian Street: No. 59, Donghuan Road, Jiangbei District, Chongqing (重庆江北区东环路59号);

Ciqikou Ancient Town: No. 1, Cinan Street, Shapingba District, Chongqing (重庆市沙坪坝区磁南街1号);

Raffles City Chongqing: No. 8, Jiesheng Street, Yuzhong District, Chongqing (重庆渝中区接圣街8号).

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