section_path: Culture/Culinary art and tea culture
section_name: Culinary art and tea culture
paragraph_text: Culinary art and tea culture
  
  The distinct characteristic of Sichuan cuisine is the use of spicy chilies and peppercorns. Famous local dishes include Mapo doufu, Chengdu Hot pot, and Dan Dan Mien. Both Mapo Doufu and Dan Dan Mien contain Sichuan peppers. An article by the Los Angeles Times (2006) called Chengdu "China's party city" for its carefree lifestyle. Chengdu has more tea houses and bars than Shanghai despite having less than half the population. In 2023, there were more than 30,000 teahouses in Chengdu, and there were 3,566 legally registered bars, nightclubs, and dance halls in the city. A statistical report in 2019 showed that Chengdu had more bars than Shanghai, becoming the city with the most bars in China. Chengdu's tea culture dates back over a thousand years, including its time as the starting point of the Southern Silk Road.
  
  Chengdu is officially recognized and named by UNESCO as the "City of Gastronomy".