China / Travelling in Chengdu

My first encounter with Chengdu cuisine

By Alice Wang (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2016-02-04 15:11

China Daily website is inviting you to share Chengdu Story with us! and here are some points that we hope will help contributors:


Two weeks ago I got an unexpected vocation from my boss, “Be sure you will be back in a week, and have a safe trip!” That sounds like a requirement for a work, rather than a relaxed trip in reality. Frankly speaking, I have no idea where to go, since I broke up with Alan, long time without traveling. Vocation more sounds like a term for me to stay at home.

“Why don’t you just go somewhere you never have been to?” my best friend Cynthia face timed me.

“Somewhere I have never been to?” It always tortures me to come up with some spots to travel; I stared at myself in the computer screen and totally went blank.

“How about Chengdu? I always want to visit those little cute pandas, why not just come with me? We will have so much fun there!” Cynthia’s face looks so excited from the other side of Internet, I can even her humming with her happy smile. Being her best friend for so many years I knew her travel routine so well, her motivation for travelling is always about animals. The only spot she interested in a city is the zoo. Chengdu and pandas seems a perfect match for her.

“Fine, Chengdu next week! ”It’s really not my thing in choosing travel destination, but I think I’m really good at booking tickets and packaging up!

A week ago, it was my very first time to Chengdu. The spicy smells penetrate every inch of the air. Spicy food, amicably local people and cozy hotel is too hard not to love here. “Fancy but it still feels something missing, isn’t it? You should let it go.” Cynthia’s voice comes from bathroom. She knows everything about me; I even afraid look at her eyes while she is trying to comfort me. Alan and I was an old story, however it still bothers me when sometimes pieces of our memories seeps back and forth in my mind. Staying in busy is the easiest way for me to left it behind. “Cynthia, how about some tasty piggy brains for tonight! I know I’m crazy!” “That’s my girl!”

Pig brain seems a pretty insane word for visitors, but for the locals they would never consider it as a special dish. Hot stone pot pig brain, is the one that never let you down. We could barely tell there is the pig brain when we get the first sight of the dish. Garlic under the layers of corianders and chilly, inside the stone pot it reflected with golden sparkle boiled oil. All the ingredients perfectly covered pig brain. It is such a pleasure to sick into the fancy smell with my chopsticks. “ Do you like it? ” Cynthia asks tenderly, she is so cautious and afraid her voice will incline the tasty of the brain. “You should have a try! It’s more than amazing! ” I smiled with satisfaction, and still can’t help to eat. She slightly gets some brain to her bowl, blends with the chilly source then put all into her mouse even without chewing, her face is honestly telling me “They are so good!” It seems go nuts, but we do spend the entire night in the pig brains, and laugh each other in the old stories.

“Cynthia, the dish reminds me eating is sometimes an antidote for emotions pressure instead of full our belly.”“ You really believe so? ” “ I think is a time to move on ” We both look at each other with smiles without saying anything, it’s more than just forgetting a person, it’s about a new beginning to next life journey.

The opinions expressed do not represent the views of the China Daily website.

[Please click here to read more My Chengdu Story. You are welcome to share your Chengdu stories with China Daily website readers. Please send your story to chengdu2016@chinadaily.com.cn]

 


 

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