The cold dish (凉菜) tradition in Sichuan and across China is distinct from Western concepts of cold food. In Chinese dining culture, cold dishes are not leftovers or simplified preparations — they are a separate category of cooking requiring specific techniques: braising until perfectly tender, slicing precisely thin (the texture of each cut determines how well the dressing penetrates), and dressing with complex, balanced sauces in which each component (chili oil, vinegar, sesame, garlic, Sichuan pepper) plays a specific role. Fuqi feipian is the most famous of Sichuan's cold dishes.
The offal selection is part of the dish's identity. Tripe provides chewiness and surface area for the dressing; tendon provides gelatinous richness; tongue provides a denser, meatier texture. The combination across cuts creates a texture variation in each bite. Using only one cut (all tripe, for example) misses the point.
The Offal and Its Preparation
Honeycomb tripe (beef stomach): Must be thoroughly cleaned — soaked in cold water with vinegar for 30 minutes, then blanched, then braised. The texture after braising should be tender enough to bite through easily but not falling apart.
Beef tendon: Requires longer cooking — 2–3 hours of simmering until completely gelatinous and soft when pressed. Slices into thick, translucent rectangles.
Beef tongue: Braised until tender; the skin must be peeled off (easier when hot, immediately after cooking — peel under cold water). Dense and smooth-textured.
Beef heart (optional): Less common; denser than tongue.
The braising liquid (卤水 lǔshuǐ): The offal are braised in a spiced master stock — soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, dried chili, Sichuan peppercorn, ginger, scallion. The braising liquid seasons the offal from the inside.
The Dressing: The Complex Spiced Oil
The dressing has multiple components, each critical:
Chili oil (红油 hóng yóu): Homemade Sichuan chili oil — dried chili flakes and aromatics (star anise, cinnamon, bay leaf) poured over with smoking-hot oil; the sediment (chili solids) is included in the dressing for texture and heat.
Sichuan peppercorn (花椒 huājiāo): Freshly toasted and ground — the numbing, citrusy note. Used generously.
Sesame paste or tahini: Provides richness and a nutty background.
Soy sauce: Salinity and depth.
Chinkiang black vinegar: Provides acid — the contrast to the richness of the oil and paste.
Garlic: Finely minced raw garlic — its sharpness is one of the elements that prevents the dressing from being purely rich.
Sugar: A small amount; rounds the flavors.
The garlic-ginger stock: Some recipes add a few tablespoons of the braising liquid to the dressing; this ties the dressing flavor to the offal.
The Garnish
Roasted peanuts: Toasted until golden, roughly crushed — essential texture contrast to the soft offal.
Sesame seeds: Toasted; scattered over.
Fresh celery leaves or cilantro: The fresh herbal note against the rich, spiced dressing.
Scallion: Thinly sliced.
The Complete Recipe
Serves: 4 (as a starter/side) | Time: 3 hours (mostly braising)
Offal
- 300g honeycomb tripe
- 200g beef tendon
- 200g beef tongue
- Braising liquid: 1 liter water + 3 tablespoons soy sauce + 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine + 2 star anise + 1 cinnamon stick + 3 bay leaves + 2 dried chilies + 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns + 4 slices ginger + 2 scallion stalks
Dressing
- 3 tablespoons Sichuan chili oil (with sediment)
- 1 tablespoon ground Sichuan pepper (toasted and ground)
- 1½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinkiang black vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame paste or tahini
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 garlic cloves, minced to a paste
- 2 tablespoons braising liquid (from above)
Garnish
- 50g roasted peanuts, roughly crushed
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Fresh celery leaves or cilantro
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Method
1. Prep tripe: Soak tripe in cold water + 2 tablespoons vinegar for 30 minutes; drain; rinse; blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes; drain.
2. Braise all offal: Combine all braising liquid ingredients; bring to a boil. Add all offal. Simmer: tripe 60–90 minutes until tender; tendon 2–3 hours until gelatinous; tongue 60–90 minutes. (They can be braised together — remove each as it becomes tender.)
3. Cool and slice: Let offal cool in the braising liquid to room temperature. Remove; slice everything very thinly (2–3mm). Peel tongue skin while still warm if not done.
4. Make dressing: Whisk together all dressing components. Taste — should be spicy, numbing, savory, sour, with sesame richness.
5. Dress: Arrange sliced offal on a plate; pour dressing over; toss to coat. Let rest 5–10 minutes for the dressing to penetrate.
Serve: At room temperature. Scatter peanuts, sesame, celery leaves, and scallion over top.
Related reading: Mapo Tofu Sichuan Guide | Dan Dan Noodles Sichuan Guide | Kung Pao Chicken Sichuan Guide
The full recipes live in the book.
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