Chengdu Local Market Food Tour & Cooking Class: Discover Sichuan’s Spices, Tea, and Traditions

October 4, 2025By maverickbirdPosted in Asia, Chengdu Cooking Class, China, Food Thoughts, Outside India, Travel Extras, World Food

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Chengdu conjures up images of giant pandas and a laidback city. Those are all true because Chengdu is probably China´s friendliest and easiest-going city. It is a place where people love to yarn about nostalgic things, sip tea in a leisurely way, play mahjong, and eat. It is also a city that loves to eat, and the sheer number of eateries that line the streets of Chengdu will take your breath away. I often wondered how they manage to stay afloat amidst such tough competition, but they do, and the food is delicious, if on the spicy side. In my opinion, the best way to explore a place is to feel it, and in Chengdu, it means a combination of soaking in the city´s vibe and sampling its delicious treats. The true heart of Sichuan beats in its local markets, tea houses, and kitchens, and what can be better than exploring them together?

A Chengdu food tour and cooking class is the ultimate way to dive into Sichuan culture—tasting unique snacks, exploring fresh markets, and cooking with the iconic Sichuan peppercorns, chili paste, and chili oil that make this cuisine so sizzling hot and world-famous. I explored the culinary side of the city with a Chengdu food tour. It included a visit to the local market and a cooking class with Chilli Cool China.

A Chengdu Food Tour starts with a Local Market Tour

A local market is every street photographer´s delight, and the ones in Chengdu are a feast for the senses. Imagine stalls piled high with exotic ingredients like lotus roots, celery stems, banana flowers, giant winter squashes, fresh tofu, and glistening chili peppers. Vendors sell braised ducks, fresh bread, handmade dumplings and baos, while woks sizzle, and eels glisten in the fishmonger´s tubs. Fat green frogs sit grouped for sale, the smell of spices fills the air, and tea vendors´ shops showcase wheels of expensive, fragrant teas. While all this is mindboggling, the local ingredients listed below stand apart. Make sure to give them a try if you are in Chengdu.

The Local Market Highlights:

Sichuan Peppercorns (花椒 huājiāo) – Despite their fiery reputation, Sichuan peppercorns do not burn your senses. Instead, they numb them. While not actually spicy, these small jewels famously numb your tongue, thus creating the addictive mala (麻辣) sensation.
Doubanjiang (豆瓣酱) – A fermented broad bean and chili paste, it is the base of many Sichuan classics like Mapo Tofu. Try buying one at a local market. You´ll love it. It adds that perfect umami to any stir-fry.
Chili Oil (辣椒油 làjiāo yóu) – While the best ones are made at home by moms, aunts, and grandmothers from recipes that have been handed down through generations, the commercial version is not bad. Bright red, smoky, and aromatic, and drizzled on everything from dumplings to noodles, the local Chilli Oil can pep up any dish.
Century Eggs (皮蛋) – Now this is an acquired taste. While most are put off by their unbecoming look, many can´t stand its saltiness. A local delicacy, preserved duck eggs have a creamy, umami flavor, and are often served with pickled ginger.
Fresh vegetables, handmade noodles, and delicate pastries like sesame cakes.

Walking around Chengdu local markets isn’t just shopping—it’s sampling a part of the local time, and it can get exhausting. That is when you head over to a local teahouse to cool your toes, sip a cup of fragrant brew, and perhaps get your ears cleaned or your tarot cards read.

Pause at a Traditional Tea House on a Chengdu Food Tour

Teahouses are a part and parcel of China´s cultural heritage. That is why no Chengdu food experience is complete without tea. The city is dotted with teahouses where locals gather to sip, chat, and play mahjong, and visiting one is quite an experience.

Watch the famous long-spout tea pouring performance, where hot tea is poured with grace and precision.
Taste different varieties, from green tea (light and refreshing) to Pu’er tea (earthy and aged), and flower teas like jasmine or osmanthus.
Learn how tea complements the fiery flavors of Sichuan food, balancing heat with calm.

Taste Chengdu’s Sweet & Savory Traditions

One of the most frequently asked questions on the Chengdu food tour was about desserts. Although the Chinese meal doesn´t traditionally end with a dessert, a local friend told me that the Chengduese have quite a sweet tooth. So, while spicy food is Chengdu’s calling card, its snacks and sweets are just as fascinating.

Mooncakes (月饼) – These pretty, round pastries are eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival, symbolizing family reunion.
Flower Cakes (鲜花饼) – Although not as pretty as the mooncakes, these filo pastry buns are filled with rose or osmanthus petals, and are both delicate and fragrant.
Street Snacks – My go-to snacks at the local Āyí (aunt´s) shop were dumplings in chili oil, wontons, and rice cakes, and these are filling while being easy on the pocket. By the way, I love the Āyí culture of China, in which any middle-aged/elderly lady is respectfully addressed as Āyí or aunt.

Cook Sichuan Classics in a Hands-On Class

I went on a Chengdu food tour with Chilli Cool China, and it combined a market visit with a cooking class. So, after shopping for local ingredients at the market, we rolled up our sleeves and got going to make some classic Sichuan dishes.

Typical Dishes You’ll Learn:

Kung Pao Chicken (宫保鸡丁) – sweet, spicy, and nutty with peanuts and dried chilies.
Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) – silky tofu simmered with doubanjiang, Sichuan pepper, and chili oil.
Hand-Pulled Noodles – fresh and chewy, perfect with spicy sauce.
Seasonal stir-fried vegetables, flavored with chili paste and peppercorns.

We practised knife skills, stir-frying, and the art of balancing flavours: spicy, numbing, salty, and savoury. Trust me, wielding the traditional Chinese kitchen knife takes both concentration and effort.

Final Thoughts

A Chengdu local market tour and cooking class isn’t just about food—it’s about understanding a culture through its most important rituals: shopping, cooking, eating, and sharing.

From the numbing tingle of Sichuan peppercorns to the delicate sweetness of flower cakes, from sipping tea in a lively teahouse to mastering chili oil in the kitchen, this is the experience that makes Chengdu unforgettable.

If you’re planning your Chengdu itinerary, leave time for this spicy, flavorful, and truly local journey. Exploring Chengdu is quite easy, but if you want to go deeper into the remote and jaw-droppingly beautiful western Sichuan province, then I recommend this reliable local company.