Leshan Food & Cuisine | What to Eat in Leshan 2024
Located to the southwest of Chengdu, about 147 km away from it, Leshan has its food culture influenced by its surrounding counties and the capital city of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, and the Food here is a vibrant branch of the Sichuan cuisines. Known by its street food and snacks, you can not find many deluxe restaurants in Leshan as you can find in Chengdu. But there are lots of yummy snacks and dishes hiding in the streets. Let’s find the most authentic Leshan food and snacks here!
• Chinese: 跷脚牛肉 • Pinyin: qiāo jiǎo niú ròu
• Recommended Restaurant: GuShiXiang Qiaojiao Beef Restaurant 古市香跷脚牛肉
• Average
Cost: CNY 50/pp • Opening Time: 10:00-21:00
• Location: No.85, Guihua Road, Shizhong District, Leshan City, Sichuan Province 四川省乐山市市中区桂花路85号
Qiaojiao Beef Soup Pot, or simply Qiaojiao Beef, is a famous local dish of Leshan, made from the ox organs. It is said that, in the past, the soup was a kind of medicinal dish served free for the poor locals, which had the effect of dispelling the cold and relieving a cough. The ancient doctor, who created this soup, found that the poor could not afford any meat to eat. So he picked up some cattle's intestines and stomach, which were deserted by the rich, and he washed them clean and boiled them into the hot broth. The beef greatly enhances the taste. Later more and more locals came to taste this beef soup. For the popularity, there was always lake of seats. But people still would like to come and wait, even just sited with cross-legged on the stage in front of the restaurant, enjoying the delicious soup. That’s why it gained the name “Qiaojiao” (which means sit with a leg crossed).
• Chinese: 豆腐脑 • Pinyin: dòu fǔ nǎo
• Recommended Restaurant: JiaoSanJiao DofuNao Restaurant 搅三搅豆腐脑
• Average
Cost: CNY 20/pp • Opening Time: 08:00-20:00
• Location: 57 dongdajie, Shizhong District, Leshan City, Sichuan Province 四川省乐山市市中区东大街57号
Tofu Jelly, or Doufunao in Chinese, is also a popular snack in Leshan. It is available in many varieties such as Tofu Jelly with chicken shreds and Tofu Jelly with steamed beef wrapped ground rice, crispy fried pork, deep fried peanuts (fried beans), as well as some soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, peanuts, garlic and some celery leaves. Usually, the local people will also have the tofu jelly meat, Kabing, which is a kind a flatbread burger with the steamed spicy beef inside.
• Chinese: 钵钵鸡 • Pinyin: bō bō jī
• Recommended Restaurant: WeiXiao Boboji Restaurant 胃笑·开水鸡钵钵鸡店(市中总店)
• Average
Cost: CNY 50/pp • Opening Time: 09:00-21:00
• Location: 28 Jiaxiang Road, Shizhong District, Leshan City, Sichuan Province (near Leshan Education College) 四川省乐山市市中区嘉祥路28号(近教育学院)
During the hot summer, the Local people also prefer to eat fresh cold dishes. The Boboji is very refreshing. Bobo means the pottery Pot and Ji means chicken. Therefore, Boboji is literally the cooked chicken in a pottery pot. They usually use chicken and other ingredients strung on the bamboo sticks to cook in the broth, and you can take whatever cooked skewers you like and the waiter will come with a big pot of cold spicy chilli sauce. You can put all the skewers into it and start to eat.
• Chinese: 甜皮鸭 • Pinyin: tián pí yā
• Recommended Restaurant:Zhao's Duck 赵鸭子
• Average
Cost: CNY 60/pp • Opening Time: 8:30-21:00
• Location: No. 193, south section of Chunhua Road, Shizhong District, Leshan City, Sichuan Province 四川省乐山市市中区春华路南段193号
Tianpi Ya, literarily means sweet skin duck, enjoys a high fame for its great taste. The duck is stewed in a special sauce, which makes the duck juicy and tender inside, sweet and crispy ouside , and cooked duck is in dark brown with fragrant and salty duck meat. Some people even think the Tianpi Ya is more delicious than Beijing Roast Duck. So if you come to Leshan, don’t miss the chance to taste it!
• Chinese: 叶儿粑 • Pinyin: yè ér bā
• Recommended Restaurant: Que's Snack (Yulin) 阙记粑店(春华路店)
• Average
Cost: CNY 15/pp • Opening Time: 8:30-21:00
• Location: #204, south section of Chunhua Road, Shizhong District, Leshan City, Sichuan Province 四川省乐山市市中区春华路南段204号
Ye’er Ba, the sticky rice ball wrapped with Leaves, is a traditional steamed snack in Sichuan province. It is always with different stuffings inside. There are mainly sweet skin and salty filling, white skin with salty filling, sesame filling, bean paste filling, walnut filling, as well as some other flavors, mainly in white and brown. It is a popular snack during the spring festival and other traditional Chinese festivals.
Chinese Food Culture
Nourished by the five thousand years’ history and multiple nations and regions in the vast land, China’s food culture is more than what words can describe. Rooted in traditional Chinese philosophy, like Yin-Yang and Five Element and Confucianism, Chinese cuisine is beyond the food itself but an artwork of the creative minds. Under the guidance of Traditional Chinese Medicine, most of the Chinese cuisines are healthy and nutritious, pursuing to maintain people’s health, and even help the patients get healed.
Are you wondering about Chinese cooking process? Is that hard? around 100 cooking techniques have been formed over the development of Chinese food culture. The diverse cooking techniques show the wisdom of Chinese people and also help a lot on the sustainable development and reformation of the Chinese cuisines.
To enjoy the authentic Chinese flavour in a right way, Chinese dining etiquette plays a rather important role in Chinese food culture. Getting to know the Chinese etiquette will not only show one’s good self-cultivation and manners, but also help you understand the culture deeply and avoid making taboos accidentally to behave offensively to your Chinese host.
♦ Useful Link Related to Leshan Food: Chengdu Food | Sichuan Food | Chengdu Hot Pot | Cooking Class in Chengdu | Sichuan Cuisine Museum
Best Leshan Tour Packages for 2024/2025
If you are planning a trip to Chengdu or southwestern China, please do not miss the chance to visit the magical and mysterious Giant Buddha in Leshan (Happy Mountain). Facing Chengdu city in the north(150 km) and adjacent to Mount Emei(50 km), trip to Leshan Giant Buddha can be done in a brief day tour or 2 days in-depth tour combining the Giant Buddha and Mount Emei. If your schedule is tight, you can visit the Giant Buddha with Chengdu, i.e. 1 day Giant Panda - Giant Buddha tour or 2 days Chengdu City plus Giant Buddha. If you can have one or two extra days, do not miss out Mount Emei which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site either. Jiuzhaigou is another option if you have 3 or more days after Giant Buddha visit. As a Sichuan based travel agency, you can always find an ideal trip with us no matter where you want to explore and when you come.
Be taken to enjoy an in-depth exploration of Leshan Giant Buddha as well as the bests of Chengdu. You will have a full day to discover Leshan Giant Buddha from different angles – hiking and boating, then go to visit adorable pandas and enjoy relaxing sightseeing in Chengdu.
Starting from Chengdu to explore the best highlights of both Mount Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha in a smart way – using cable car, skipping unnecessary spots, visit the Giant Buddha in its most empty time. Good price and service are guaranteed.
A great tour of a visual feast to explore two magnificent World Heritage Sites around Chengdu - Leshan Giant Buddha and Mount Emei in a leisure way, and also visit the adorable giant pandas in Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Visiting Giant Pandas and Leshan Giant Buddha first, and stay a comfortable night in Leshan city, then go to ride the scenic Jiayang Steam Train. All-inclusive private tour package covering accommodation, lunches, tour guide and personal driver.
