Eat like a local: Sichuan

Spicy and numbing foods make region iconic in China

Many Chinese people consider Chengdu and Chong?qing the gourmet capitals of China. Many believe eating spicy food there will not give you any problem, because the cities are humid.

Therefore do not be afraid to try a spicy hot pot of beef, lamb or bullfrog. There will be plenty of side dishes to go with the hot pot, including mushrooms, vegetables and seafood.

For appetizers, a typical Sichuan restaurant offers two types of sausages: spicy and original.

You can dig into a tongue-numbing chicken, served with fresh red and sometimes green chili. The fresh dark-green pepper gives the chopped chicken a refreshingly spicy flavor.

Fried garlic greens with preserved pork is a classic Sichuan dish, and goes extremely well with rice.

Another classic is tea-smoked duck, which is a bit chewy but not greasy.

For more classic Sichuan specialties, try fish boiled in spicy soup, mapo toufu (pictured), dandan noodles and kungpao diced chicken.