As part of the "EXPLORING YUMMY CHONGQING IN LONDON" Chongqing Food & Culture Experience, the overseas food influencer @freshmikeeats visited two Chongqing restaurants in London. The influencer and her colleagues not only tasted Chongqing delicacies such as Fragrant Chicken in a pile of Chillies, Assorted Meats in Fiery Sauce, Chongqing-style Boiled Grouper Fish Fillet with Bean Sprouts, and Chongqing Chicken Hot Pot but also recorded the cooking process with the camera, leading the overseas audience on this treasure hunt.

Treasure Hunt in Pepper

With a history of 12 years, Barshu is a time-honored brand in London. It makes many westerners fall in love with the Bashu flavor. The influencer @freshmikeeats tried two of Chongqing's most distinctive Jianghucai cuisines here.

Chongqing Jianghucai is famous for its spicy flavor, which comes from the folks and embodies local characteristics and flavors. As a classic Jianghucai cuisine, Assorted Meats in Fiery Sauce is a famous dish from Ciqikou, Chongqing. Duck blood is boiled in a spicy sauce with honeycomb tripe, pig intestines, and luncheon meat. All kinds of flavors harmonize, making the soup thick and fiery. "Not one for the faint-hearted." the influencer @freshmikeeats commented on the dish on Instagram.

After the short video was posted on Instagram, overseas internet users praised it, "Looks amazing" and "I'm going to have to go try this now." "Don't know what's hotter, the food or the fire production here," commented @bokehbites. Another user, @ramyinocencio, added, "I'm definitely going to Chongqing!"

Influencer @freshmikeeats (left) tastes Chongqing cuisine, Fragrant Chicken in a pile of Chillies, and Assorted Meats in Fiery Sauce. (Photo/Tang Zimu, Vice Chairman of UK Chinese Food Festival Committee)

"Boiling Hunt for Aroma"

Er Mei is the first Sichuan cuisine restaurant to open in Chinatown, London. The owner and chefs are from Sichuan and Chongqing, ensuring the authenticity of the dishes. Influencer @freshmikeeats came here to look for the unique flavor of Chongqing.

The first course is a Chongqing-style Boiled Grouper Fish Fillet with Bean Sprouts, the best example of Chongqing Jianghucai. The fresh fish is sliced and cooked with chili. The attractive aroma bursts out with the crackling sound of hot oil to form a spicy, tender, and juicy dish.

The second course is Chongqing Chicken Hot Pot, combining Chongqing Roasted Chicken and Griddle Cooked Chicken with Pepper. It is made with half a chicken and vegetables such as fresh bamboo shoots, needle mushrooms, tofu, and wax gourd. It is boiled with a special sauce and then braised over a soft fire. This dish is spicy, mellow, tasty, and appetizing.

Influencer @freshmikeeats (right) enjoys Chongqing-style Boiled Grouper Fish Fillet with Bean Sprouts and Chicken Hot Pot. (Photo/Tang Zimu, Vice Chairman of the UK Chinese Food Festival Committee)

The restaurant visit activity of "Exploring Yummy Chongqing in London" has been initiated on the overseas social media account of the Chongqing International Communication Center. Overseas internet users are invited to look for Chongqing restaurants and Chinese restaurants around them and then post related short videos and food pictures labeled "#TastyChongqing" on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and other overseas social platforms. Local British internet users participating in the above online section can attend the offline experience section in London.

The offline section will be held at a well-known Chongqing restaurant in London on February 2. The anchors of the Chongqing International Communication Center in Chongqing will connect with the British activity scene at Chongqing's landmark restaurants. The two sides will experience Chongqing's food culture together.

Primary poster of "EXPLORING YUMMY CHONGQING IN LONDON" Chongqing Food & Culture Experience (Photo/ Yue Xingchen)