• If you’re finding winter tough in the city, here’s some little local pick-me-ups. This article is one of our favourite pieces from food writer Jordan Porter - who isn't in the city anymore, though his ways to win at winter have never felt fresher.
Don’t miss out on the greatness embedded in the greyness…
Win the winter, win the year!
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Kumquats (jīnjú 金橘), pomelos (yòuzi 柚子) and clementines (júzi 橘子) oh My! Why can’t it always be pomelo season? BONUS: citrus peels are tossed into the fires over which the larou is smoked giving it a zesty punch.
It’s a veritable sausage party out here! When the weather starts to cool families, restaurants, butchers and artisans all start making cured sausages and smoked meats (腊肉 làròu). These pork-based charcuterie are cured with salt and Sichuan peppercorns before they are smoked and then hung from balconies across the city.
They are like the Christmas lights of Chengdu signaling the arrival of the season… MEAT SEASON. And they are pretty much the tastiest things around - so tasty I even find myself looking forward to winter from time to time.
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Goat is the king of the warming meats (in traditional Chinese Medicine), and as temperatures drop Yáng Ròu Tāng 羊肉汤 places rise in the stead of the summery crayfish spots. Goat carcasses are strung from the rafters or doors of the places to signal the freshness of their meats.
A deep, rich, milky broth is the hot pot base and you order by the pound of meat or organs. If you want the real deal, head out to Jianyang (a city East of Chengdu where the Tianfu New Airport is located) to get your soup on.
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And much more than that it brings with it a deliciously sweet, floral smell that will light up your whole apartment. The sweetest part of winter, WINTERSWEET. You can get it from street carts and in some flower shops.
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Honestly, once you go all in on comfort it’s hard to bounce back. And in an (un)ironic way, you sometimes end up looking super fly.
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Gotta make hay while the sun shines right? For real though, its pretty good, and you’re definitely not going to drink it in the summer. Watch how to make it here.
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There used to be many more firework shows in Chinese cities (sometimes for 2 weeks, and 24 hours a day) - but now it’s hard to get a glimpse of the gunpowder-ey sparkles if you stay in the city. To see fireworks in Chengdu you’ll need to head out past the 4th ring round AKA Chengdu's 绕城, as the law states they can only be release on from there.
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Why does Chengdu feel so much colder than it actually is? Well, this icy feeling is in part to do with many of us using an AC keep warm, and the body reacts far better to radiant heating (like wall, or floor heating) but even more to do with the high humidity and the bowl shape of the city. The bowl shape topography, means the moisture is often trapped under cloud cover, making the air very damp and cold feeling. Wrap up warm!
Source: Weather Spark
What's your Chengdu favorite?
Any other suggestions?
Let us know in the comments below!
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