Chengdu's signature Sichuan dish: soft tofu and minced beef braised with Pixian broad-bean paste and Sichuan pepper, numbing, spicy, hot, fragrant, and tender all at once.
A traditional Sichuan noodle named for the shoulder poles once used to peddle it, tossing thin noodles with minced pork, preserved mustard, chili oil, and Sichuan pepper.
A traditional Chengdu street sweet named for the three loud bangs as glutinous-rice balls are flung onto a brass tray, then rolled in soybean flour and drizzled with brown-sugar syrup.
A distinctive Chengdu noodle as thick as chopsticks and chewy, dressed in sweetened soy, chili oil, and garlic for a layered sweet, savory, and spicy taste.
A traditional Sichuan cold dish from Leshan and popular in Chengdu: cooked chicken and assorted ingredients on bamboo skewers steeped in a crock of chili or green-pepper oil.