The people of Chongqing consider the hot pot a local specialty, which is noted for its peppery and hot taste, scalding yet fresh and tender. Skewers of pre-sliced meat and vegetables are placed in boiling hot broth, with fish, pork, bean sprouts and scallions. Locals can be found enjoying this hot pot specialty as a dish that certain restaurants specialize in.

There are a great variety of hotpots, including Yueyang Hotpot, Siwei (Four Tastes) Hotpot, Yashan Hotpot, Yutou (Fish Head) Hotpot and Quanyang Hotpot.

There are also other kinds of snacks, such as the tasty noodles, baozi (dumpling), and other famous cuisine including tea-smoked duck and dry-stewed fish that are served in the small restaurants and street vendors.

Other popular specialties includes: the Peach Slices of Hechuan, the Mihuatang of Jiangjin, the Preserved Eggs of Yongchuan, Fermented Beancurd of Zhongxian, Hot Pickled Mustard Tuber of Fuling (Fuling Zhacai), Yellow Peach of Tongnan, the Orange of Beibei, Pressed Salted Duck of Baishiyi and the Beef of Laosichuan.

There is a small street in Nanshan District filled with snack shops noted for its Quanshui chicken and Duck Cooked with Beer. At the foot of Gele Mountain emerges a well-known gourmet zone noted for its offering Ciqikou's Fish with Beancurd, Tongnan's Tai'an Fish and Bishan's Laifeng Fish.

A saying among residents is that when you talk about Chinese food, you can't omit Sichuan food and when you talk about Sichuan food you can't omit the food of Chongqing.