Bo Bo Ji (钵钵鸡) is a traditional street food originating from Leshan and very popular in Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan province.
These are cold chicken and vegetable skewers dipped in a spicy sauce made with chili oil and chicken broth, served in earthenware bowls called “bō” (钵) whose exterior is glazed with red and yellow porcelain dragon motifs.
The addition of various ingredients, such as bamboo shoots and duck innards, has enriched the dish that was originally composed only of chicken and chili.
The name of the dish is quite unusual; it is similar to Chuan Chuan Xiang, a stew with meat and vegetables skewered with sticks, and differs from Mala Tang, which is prepared by cooking ingredients in broth.
Bo Bo Ji actually involves a partial pre-cooking of the ingredients, soaking them in chili oil to flavor them, and is usually served cold.
In 1990, Bo Bo Ji won the high-quality award for the most renowned popular snacks of Chengdu and, in 1991, it was named a high-quality snack by the Chengdu municipal government.
We tasted it at the “Dim Sum Tang” restaurant in Genoa during my collaboration with the restaurant to create content for social media (video below).
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 4 People
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 1 quart water
- 10.6 oz chicken bones
- to taste fresh ginger
- 1 spring onion
- to taste Sichuan salt and pepper
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons Chinese chili powder
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon peanut sauce (or sesame sauce)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- to taste fresh ginger (minced)
- to taste Sichuan pepper
- 10.6 oz chicken (breast or boneless thighs)
- 5.3 oz lotus root (or sliced potatoes)
- 5.3 oz tofu
- 3.5 oz Wood Ear mushrooms
- 3.5 oz bamboo shoots (or zucchini)
Tools
- 15 Sticks bamboo
Steps
Prepare the broth with the specified ingredients, simmer for 1 h.
Blanch the ingredients separately in the broth, then drain them.
Prepare the sauce: heat the oil, pour it over the chili, then add the rest.
Assemble the skewers with chicken and vegetables.
Immerse them in the sauce in a bowl, add the broth until the skewers are submerged, and let marinate for 30-60 min at room temperature or in the fridge.
