At the table
Share the cooked chicken with rice. Take small bites and separate the meat from the bones.
Chicken pieces may contain small bones. Let hot sauce and meat cool before eating.
Cuts, sauce and heat vary by cook. Ask for less chili before ordering; the name alone does not guarantee a particular water source.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
IN THE APP
Get to know every ingredient.
Explore what goes into a dish and how each ingredient shapes its flavor.
How does it taste?
Savory and aromatic, with Sichuan-pepper tingling followed by chili heat.
- Chili heat
- 3/5
- Texture
- Tender chicken with skin and bones, coated in a rich sauce.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Chongqing
Associated with Chongqing.
About this regional connection
Chongqing: The official CQ01 roster associates 南山泉水鸡 with 南岸区, and the municipal culture-and-tourism feature is explicitly titled 南山泉水鸡; this supports a local association, not exclusive origin or current vendor availability.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有南山泉水鸡吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A chicken meal that drew diners up Nanshan
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
“Spring-water chicken” takes its name from a Nanshan style that cooks local chicken with mountain spring water. By 2014, dozens of chicken restaurants lined the road toward Nanshan Botanical Garden, drawing weekend meals from Chongqing residents and visitors. On the mountain, eating the dish became part of an outing with views and flowers. Some restaurants also made it a shared “one chicken, three dishes” meal: spring-water chicken, stir-fried chicken offal, and clear chicken-blood soup. The three-part format and seasoning vary by shop, so the name points to a local dining tradition rather than one fixed recipe.
Traveler experiences
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