Lewis, a Briton and an Ambassador of Sichuan cuisine, came to Chengdu, Sichuan province, solely to learn how to make authentic Chengdu hotpot, known for its four layers of spiciness, from La Jie, an owner of a local hotpot restaurant.

For La Jie, spiciness is the soul of Sichuan hotpot. She blends two types of chili peppers for the soup base. Chili peppers from Muma Mountain in Sichuan province can guarantee the bright red color of the broth, whereas Weiyuan pepper and Pixian bean paste are used to make the broth more fragrant.

To Lewis, an authentic Sichuan hotpot is a link between Sichuan and the world.

Video provided by Sichuan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism

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