“Titan Provinces of Spicy Food” in China: Who Ranks the Top?

What’s the very first word that comes to your mind when you hear the place Sichuan? Panda? Spicy? Hot? Ah yes, spicy food must be one of the best words to describe people’s typical impression of Sichuan province. It’s widely accepted that hot or spicy is pain rather than a taste. Nevertheless, countless real epicures are still enticed by its flavor and grow obsessed with the burning sensation spicy food delivers. As one of the countries known for having various cuisines, China has five provinces proud of their spicy and hot food. Sichuan, obviously, takes its seat on this list.

Then who are these five “titans” of spicy food here? Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guizhou. However, despite their relishable hot food, these provinces are also keen on “competing” with each other based on their spiciness! When it comes to spicy food, people from all five regions regard themselves with higher spice tolerance than others--no one is willing to back down this spice competition.

If you wonder why Sichuan and Chongqing are always the top cities flashing across your mind when you think of places that have the spiciest food, you should go and pay a visit there. The concept of numb and spicy food took root there. The well-known food in both areas--which you might all be familiar with--is the hotpot. Without a doubt, hotpot cities, as they are commonly referred to, explain “how spicy they are.” Besides hotpot, spicy rabbit heads, Malatang, Chuan Chuan Xiang are some of the delicious food that can whet your appetites. But you may ask, what spice contributes to the numbing sensation? The one secret ingredient is called Zanthoxylum, commonly known as the Sichuan pepper. Sichuan pepper brings people a citrus-like flavor and induces a tingling numbness as if it nibbles the tip of your tongue and mouth. With the chili peppers and fresh peppers, the refreshing feeling and the aroma of the food will be fully presented. Even more than that, people from Sichuan and Chongqing possess a deep love for spicy food when they even create spicy-taste ice-creams and cakes!

Different from these two areas, Hunan has a unique taste for spicy food. Hunan cuisine is known for being Gan La (purely spicy). It has probably the best spicy food in the gourmet world, such as the Steamed Fish Head with Chopped Chili, Fried Pork with Chili, and Changsha Stinky Tofu. Basically, three words can describe the food here: hot, spicy, and salty. If you set out on a journey to this place, never miss the special Hunan Chili Sauce! Jiangxi, a region that you may never think that it perhaps has hotter food than Sichuan, is a southeast Chinese province. Some may argue that Jiangxi “is purer than Sichuan cuisine and spicier than Hunan cuisine.” But similar to Hunan spicy food, Jiangxi spicy food tastes “purely spicy and hot.” By widely using vegetable dried chili, chili powder, fresh chili, small chili, and Chaotian chili and sometimes applying them all together, people from Jiangxi can make an excellent spicy cuisine that is mind-blowing.

Guizhou province, a landlocked area in the southwest region of China, has marvelous landscapes, intriguing cultures, and last but not least, fascinating food. Guizhou cuisine, which varies from the four cuisines mentioned before, impresses many people through its sour-spicy taste. It’s said that Guizhou spicy food has a range of “spicy types,” varying from Yan La (thick spicy), Zao La (salty and spicy), Xiang La (piquant), to Xian La (fresh and spicy). If you still need to know one famous Guizhou spicy food, you should have heard of Lao Gan Ma or Lao Gan Ma, the renowned chili sauces made in China. Originated from Gui Zhou, Lao Gan Ma Chili Crisp Sauce is almost like a “gold mine” for many Chinese people living abroad.

Sichuan, Chongqing, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Guizhou have amazing spicy food. People enjoy their food and feel proud to dig into the cooking process so as to pass down the food legacy and culture. We could see some of the time-honored brands of spicy food still striving in these areas and some hot-selling food and snacks exported overseas. I once heard of the term food diplomacy (gastro diplomacy), which underlies the premise that "the easiest way to win hearts and minds is through the stomach.” As part of the culture, food tells stories and builds connections, and so does spicy food. Though among the five provinces, which one has the spiciest food leaves a debatable question, it also leaves some space where we can share our culinary experience and deepen our communications over food. Have you ever been to these cities before? If you’re a spicy food lover, we highly recommend you to travel to these places and seek the answer to the rank list!