Back to basics

Photo by Liu Zhihua / China Daily

It features cream-colored sesame seeds and bits of dried red chilies clinging to the caramelized chunks of chicken. The diner is rewarded with a dance of flavors from spiciness, saltiness, and tingly numbness.

Originally a local dish from Sichuan and Chongqing, the dish is now a must-try in many restaurants featuring hutong cuisine, he says.

I also liked the Beijing-style pork-skin jelly.

Popular in many places in China, pork jelly is said to originate from the Manchu kitchen. Diligent housewives carefully remove all the hairs, then stew it in boiling water to get rid of oil, and then simmer chopped pork skin with a small bag of spices, including ginger, peppers and shallots, for hours until the skin jellies.

The jelly contains collagen, fiber and fat, and is believed to be good for people's skin, bones and hair. The tender, meaty dish is often served as a cold appetizer with sauce. In the childhood memory of many Chinese, it is a treat for celebrations or special guests - a delicacy associated with happiness.