Mao Xue Wang

Mao Xue Wang is a bold, rustic dish that embodies Chongqing's 'eat everything' philosophy. The name literally means 'hair blood flourish' — describing the main ingredients of tripe (mao) and duck blood cake (xue). Served in a massive bowl, the dish features tender slices of duck blood cake (a silky, iron-rich delicacy), beef tripe, luncheon meat, ham sausage, bean sprouts, and sometimes fish fillets or tofu skin — all submerged in a deep red chili oil broth that's been infused with Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies, and doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste). The magic is in the layering: the cool, silky texture of the blood cake contrasts with the chewy tripe, while the luncheon meat absorbs all the spicy oil. It's served bubbling hot, often in a traditional clay pot, and is meant to be shared among a group.

📖 History

Mao Xue Wang originated in the 1940s in Ciqikou (磁器口), Chongqing's historic old town. The story goes that a local chef at a riverside restaurant created the dish by combining leftover offcuts — tripe, blood cake, and cheap cuts of meat — in a spicy broth to feed the boat crews working along the Jialing River. The dish became so popular that it evolved into a specialty of the Ciqikou area, where it's still the signature dish today.