While it isn’t unusual to hear about unconventional dishes in China, one exotic dish in Chengdu caught my attention—rabbit’s head. Like most of Sichuan’s specialty dishes, rabbit’s head is marinated with a variety of spices, red chillies, and the peppercorns that are unique to the province.

“It’s a common dish that people eat with rice and other dishes,” says Wang Zhan, a Jiangsu native who moved to Chengdu.

Madam Wei, the owner of a small rabbit head eatery, explains that selling this dish is lucrative since rabbits reproduce quickly.

Rabbit’s head can be cooked in a variety of ways, but locals love the dry pot rabbit head (gan guo tu tou) the most. The spices eliminate any odour that one might expect the rabbit meat to have. In fact, it tastes remarkably like duck meat.

Many start with the rabbit’s cheeks for the more tender meat. They then remove the jaw to reach the meat inside the skull. Each bite is filled with the aroma of spices, and the peppercorn leaves your tongue with a tingling sensation.

Last comes the brain, what many would call the best part. It’s roughly a quarter of the size of a ping-pong ball, and its taste is reminiscent of a hard-boiled egg yolk. The brain is soft and creamy, mashing up slowly against the roof of your mouth and tongue as you chew.

 

Rabbit’s head can be found in most eateries and hotels, where they’re sold per pot from RMB 30 to RMB 50 (S$6 to S$10) at the former, and from RMB 50 to RMB 70 (S$10 to S$14) at the latter. Grilled rabbit’s head can also be bought at tourist hotspots like Jin Li Street.

Forget about culture shock and squeamishness—you must try rabbit’s head to experience Chengdu’s culture in full.

All photos courtesy of Jerome Lau and 023jiulou.com.

 

Enjoy a slice of Chengdu right here in Singapore at the following restaurants:

Old Chengdu Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant

Address: 80/82 Pagoda Street, Singapore 059239

Tel: 6222 6858

Opening hours: 11am to 12 midnight daily

 

Cheng Du Restaurant

Address: 243 Outram Road, Singapore 169045

Tel : 6222 5335

 

Xiao La Jiao

Address: 112 East Coast Road, #03-05, Singapore 428802

Tel: 6636 3736