Hechuan Peach Slice: A Sweet Walnut Treat from Chongqing（合川桃片）

Dear travelers, visiting Chongqing or Sichuan? Don’t miss Hechuan Peach Slice!
This traditional snack is crispy, sweet, and full of walnut flavor.

1. Origin History

Hechuan Peach Slice originated in Hechuan, Chongqing during the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty.
Created by a candy artisan named Chen Hanqing.
Originally sweet “Peach Slices,” later evolved into salty-sesame flavors.
It reflects the creativity of the Sichuan-Chongqing people.

2. Cultural Significance

More than a snack, it’s Hechuan’s “culinary calling card.”
Served during festivals and to guests, representing local hospitality.
Symbolizes sweet life and refined tea culture in the Bashu region.

3. Ingredients & Flavor

Main ingredients: premium glutinous rice, walnut pieces, and sugar.
Sweet slices: snowy white, delicate, and melt in your mouth.
Salted-sesame slices: golden, crispy, slightly numbing from Sichuan pepper.
Both feature embedded walnut pieces for aroma and crunch.

4. Preparation Method

Process is intricate: selecting rice, roasting, grinding, mixing, steaming, and slicing.
Key step: slicing thinly, less than 1mm thick.
Requires precise knife skills to ensure each slice is delicate.

5. Taste & Texture

Sweet slices melt in your mouth with rich walnut and rose aroma.
Salted-sesame slices are crispy, savory-sweet, with subtle peppery numbness.
Layered flavors make every bite fascinating.

6. How to Eat

Best enjoyed with tea (jasmine or green tea).
Perfect for afternoon tea, balances slight bitterness and enhances sweetness.

7. Where to Try

Available at Chongqing and Sichuan specialty shops, supermarkets, and traditional pastry stores.
Example: Hechuan Chuanzhou Peach Slice Co., Ltd. stores.
Price: around 10–20 RMB per box.
Order by saying “one box of sweet slices” or “one box of salted-sesame slices.”

8. Tourist Tips

English names: “Hechuan Walnut Slice” or “Hechuan Peach Slice.”
Fragile snack, handle carefully when taking home.
Short shelf life, best eaten soon after purchase.

Traditional Preparation Method

• Select and wash glutinous rice, roast, and grind into “fire powder.”
• Chop walnuts finely.
• Mix sugar, walnuts, and fire powder into a smooth dough called “return powder.”
• Spread and press into a pan, steam to hydrate (“stew cake”).
• Slice the cake into paper-thin peach slices, then package.

This delicate, crispy, sweet snack is a true edible work of art.
Don’t forget to include it in your China food journey!
Bring a box home and taste a century of Hechuan tradition and walnut sweetness.