Tujia Three-Pot

San xiaguo - 'three-pot' - is the dish that defines Zhangjiajie: a clay pot of fatty pork, tofu, and greens simmered with chilies and mountain herbs, eaten over rice while the pot still bubbles. It is Tujia home cooking, and every restaurant in town claims the best version.

Ask for it at a local place near the train station rather than a tourist menu, and let the waiter adjust the heat. With the mountains in the windows and the pot steaming, it is the taste of the region.