An eccentric's food for thought dishes up some great treats

A recent visit to Chengdu in Sichuan province set me thinking what, for me, would be the seven wonders of China. I mean not the tangible and intangible heritages of China the world already knows about, but the seven palate-soothing, heartwarming, lip-smacking and at times tongue-burning dishes that make up the incredible variety of Chinese cuisine.

For the tangible and intangible heritages of China, we can always refer to the UNESCO World Heritage list, on which the country has the second-highest number of entries.

Any list of most liked, most talked about, dishes in China on the other hand would have to start with Peking duck, and no doubt it should. But, without any disrespect to the signature dish and without doubting the taste buds of fellow food lovers, we all have our favorite dishes. Blame it on the food we grow up with.