Sichuan Cuisine is one of the Eight Great Cuisines in China and is famous all over the world for its richness and variety. Characterized by spicy and pungent flavors, Sichuan Cuisine, with a myriad of tastes, emphasizes the use of chili, red hot peppers and garlic. Sichuan food is known for being 'spicy' hot! It's said that one who doesn't experience Sichuan food has never reached Sichuan. Typical menu items are: Hot Pot, Smoked Duck, Kung Pao Chicken, Twice Cooked Pork and Mapo Dofu.

Vegetarian Feast of Mt.Emei

The vegetarian feasts made by Buddhist monks of the Baoguo Temple, Wannian Temple and Fuhu Temple are also very famous. They are all made of vegetarian foods such as grey noodles, vermicelli, melons, beans and vegetables. There are a wide variety of dishes, which are made in the shape of all sorts of delicacies on the banquet. Hence, it is hard to distinguish between real ones and artificial ones.

The Buddhism believes that taking vegetarian food may make one have few wants and needs and protect and strengthen one's health. Therefore, Buddhist monks are particular about vegetarian food. It selects the ingredients of bean products, flour, vegetables and fruits, which are made into all sorts of dishes through elaborate craftwork and by the cooking method of steaming, boiling, stir-frying, sauting and stewing.

They are not only in the shape of fish or meat, but also resemble their flavor, thus looking rather genuine. Tens of dishes are perfect in color, fragrance and flavor, for example, the 'fish' made of casket, the 'sweet (salted) shaobai (made of belly meat and bean sprouts)' made of Chinese watermelon or radish, 'chicken', sauted 'chicken chips', Gongbao 'meat diamonds', Huiguo (warmed-up) 'pork' and sour 'fish' with ginger shreds made of beans.

Stewed Duck of E'meishan

The stewed duck of the E'mei Mountain has got a history of more than 200 years. It is cooked by adopting special secret formula. The stewed duck is red and bright in color. It is neither too fat nor too thin. With tender flesh, fresh taste and tempting fragrance, it goes well with wine.

Emei Dongpa

It is one of the unique cuisines of the E'mei Mountain. It is only made in the two months before the Spring Festival of every year. Its coat is made of fine powder of glutinous rice and sesame seed. The stuffing is pork and bean sprouts, etc. (Sometimes, lard lump is also used as the stuffing.) It is wrapped in leaves and steamed before eating. It tastes very delicious with lingering fragrance in the mouth. The most famous is the Qinglong Huang Dongpa at the west gate of the urban areas.

Emei Bean Jelly

The bean jelly made of the soy beans produced and the clear mountain spring on the E mei Mountain is soft, tender and white, which makes one want to eat. It tastes extraordinarily refreshing when it goes with seasonings such as sesame oil, chili oil, Chinese red pepper, garlic paste and monosodium glutamate. All the hotels and restaurants have this dish. The farm house bean jelly made in Dae Temple and Shenshui Pavilion of the Emei Mountain is especially famous.