Mouth-Watering Chicken lives up to its name. Poached chicken is shredded by hand, then drenched in a complex sauce of chili oil, Sichuan peppercorns, sesame paste, black vinegar, and sugar. The sauce pools around the chicken, glistening with red oil, topped with crushed peanuts and cilantro. The name comes from the reaction the dish evokes — your mouth waters before you even take the first bite.
The dish originated in Sichuan's rural areas as a way to serve cold poached chicken at banquets. Its bold sauce was designed to use up leftover poaching liquid. Over time it became a Chengdu cold-dish classic.