Chengde Tiger Salad

Chengde Tiger Salad

　　People in Chengde generally have a preference for strong flavors and enjoy a variety of pickled and salted foods. They often chop green chili peppers, scallions, cilantro, and other ingredients into fine pieces, place them in a bowl, and mix them with soy sauce, MSG, and vinegar to create a dipping sauce. Because this dipping sauce has a spicy and bold flavor, it is called "Tiger Salad."

　　In Chengde, there are many varieties and styles of Tiger Salad: The first type is made by chopping green chili peppers, scallions, and cilantro into fine pieces, placing them in a bowl, and mixing them with soy sauce, vinegar, and MSG. This is the original form of Tiger Salad, characterized by the blended aroma of chili peppers, scallions, and cilantro, with a slightly sour taste on top of the saltiness—hence the name "Tiger Salad." The second type is made by chopping dried fried chili peppers, scallions, and cilantro into small pieces, placing them in a bowl, and seasoning them with soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, and MSG. Due to its intense spiciness, it is called "Mother Tiger Salad." The third type is made by chopping celery, scallions, and cilantro into fine pieces, placing them in a bowl, and mixing them with an appropriate amount of water, salt, white vinegar, and MSG. It is refreshing in taste, thus called "Father Tiger Salad." The fourth type is made by chopping fried red chili peppers, scallions, green chili peppers, and cilantro into fine pieces, combining them with roasted sesame seeds in a bowl, and seasoning them with water, chicken powder, soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil. This dipping sauce combines the essence of the second and third preparation methods, offering a spicy, fragrant, and aromatic taste, which is why it is called "Hybrid Tiger Salad."