If you’ve been to Chengdu, Sichuan, you probably have noticed the famous Chengdu snacks called “Xiao Chi” aka “Small Eats” everywhere in the city. Xiao Chi is a variety of specialty food usually served in small plates. When getting Xiao Chi, you are getting a variety of plates that gives you a full experience of different food, textures and flavors. Each plate is so small that you aren’t suppose to be filled up by it but just getting the flavor of one dish!
Examples of these XiaoChi dishes include DanDan Noodles, TianShui Noodles, Long Wonton, Zhong Dumpling, Liang Fen, Dan Hong Gao (Stuffed Pancake), Lai Tang Yuan, Three Cannon (Sticky Rice Ball Covered with Peanut Powder), Hot and Sour Noodles, etc. From the list of dishes you can tell, XiaoChi covers a variety of delicious foods from savory to sweet, from spicy to sour, each dish gives you a distinct sensual experience.
In Chengdu, most popular parks, night markets, or tourist sites such as Kuan Zhai Xiang Zi or Jing Li would offer Xiao Chi as an extra attraction at the site. People possess a great level of food loving culture here in Chengdu, thus anywhere worth visiting needs to be worth dining at as well! Since XiaoChi is highly appreciated both by locals and tourists, many restaurants specialize in traditional Sichuan Xiaochi. These restaurants include Zhong Shui Jiao, Long Chao Shou (Long Wonton) and Chengdu Ming Xiao Chi Restaurant.
The restaurants offer XiaoChi in sets! For example, you can order a set of 11 or a set of 14 variety in the Long Wonton restaurant (also called Long Meat Dumplings on Google Map). The set of 14 include Traditional Long Wonton, Zhong Dumplings, DanDan Noodles,Glassy Shumai, Ye’er Ba (Green Leaf Stuffed Sticky Rice Ball), Lai Tang Yuan, Fried Spring Roll, Pumpkin Cake, Northern Sichuan Liang Fen, Tian Shui Noodle, Soft Tofu, Three Cannons (Sticky Rice Ball Covered with Peanut Powder), Dan Hong Gao (Stuffed Pancake) and Yin’er Geng (White Fungus Soup). The total cost in 2023 is 58 yuan for this set, which is about $8. Good deal?
Below are some snacks I got from my last trip to Chengdu. The restaurant Long Chao Shou is located near Du Fu Cao Tang, here is the location on Google Map.
Dan Hong Gao – Pancake with sweet or savory filling
Pumpkin Cake – Fried Pumpkin Cake made of pumpkin and sticky rice flour, with sweet red bean filling
Spring Roll – Fried Spring Roll with vegetable filling
Tian Shui Mian (Sweet Water Noodle) – Thick Wheat Noodles in a dense dark sauce topped with minced garlic and peanuts
Dan Dan Noodles – A traditional Sichuan snack noodle in chili oil sauce topped with minced pork topping and green onion. Here is my recipe of how to make Dan Dan Noodles.
Zhong Dumplings (Zhong Shui Jiao) – Dumplings with pork filling bathed in chili oil, sweet soy sauce and garlic
Long Chao Shou (Long Wonton) – Long means “Dragon”, the name could originate from an old restaurant’s name. These wontons are made with fresh tender wonton wrappers and served with carefully cooked and seasoned chicken stock.
Are you ready to go to Chengdu to try these out? 🙂 Would you like to see some recipes for these traditional Chengdu snacks? Leave me a comment!
I really like when you show the product that you are using for ingredients in its packaging, so I can find in my Asian market, even if it may not be the same brand, it makes it easier. My family loves Dan Dan noodles so I will try these and write again. We have been to night markets in Taiwan, and I am sure they are wonderful in Chengdu. My husband has been to China several times, I have wished to go there someday. Thank you for your lovely website.