Written by Natalia |
Located at the southernmost of China, Guangxi has a humid and warm climate and rare spectacular Karst landform. In this beautiful land surrounded by mountains and rivers, several ethnic minorities live here, including the Miao, Zhuang, Dong and Yao. Due to the natural conditions and the cohabitation of multiple ethnic groups, the local cuisine is also very distinctive and diverse. Most of the food here is characterized by sour, spicy, and fresh flavors.
Compared to exquisite dishes in other regions, the food here seems to consist mostly of snacks and special staples. You can see them in the river-side restaurants and local markets.
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- Overview of the Flavorful World of Guangxi Cuisine
- Top 15 Guangxi Must-Try Dishes
- Top Guangxi Dishes at a Glance
- City-by-City Guangxi Food Guide – Where to Eat in Major Cities
- Guangxi Recipes You Can Try at Home
- Guangxi Ethnic Cuisine: Zhuang, Dong & Miao Foods
- How to Plan a Guangxi Food-Focused Trip
- FAQs About Guangxi Cuisine (Schema Ready)
- Travel with China Xian Tour to Discover the Flavors of Guangxi
Overview of the Flavorful World of Guangxi Cuisine
Guangxi Food History and Culture
During the pre-Qin period, Guangxi is mainly populated by the Baiyue ethnic groups. Guangxi food at that time is dominated by rice and many mountain and sea products thanks to local nature environnment and Baiyue people’s customs. They are especially skillful on harvesting fish, game, and wild delicacies.
Actually, the real Guangxi cuisine, aka Gui cuisine, was gradually formed until the Tang and Song dynasties. As this region emerged as a thriving commercial hub, cooking techniques and ingredients from central China gradually introduced. Local culinary culture is blended with many new flavors and refined elements. The Liuzhou rice noodles was just a notable example of this period.
After the increased trade with Sougheast Asian nations during the Ming and Qing dynasties, more new cooking techniques and ingredients were introduced to the regions. Guangxi’s sour and spicy dishes were just a result of the influence of Southeast Asian flavors and styles.
In more recent times, the advanced transportation and communication contribute to a more diverse and integrated culinary landscape in Guangxi .
Many of popular Guangxi dishes have been included in the list of intangible cultural heritage, such as luosifen, Lipu taro pork, Guilin rice noodles, and five-colored glutinous rice.
Guangxi Cooking Style & Flavors
The cooking methods of Guangxi mainly involve pickling, fermentation and grilling. These traditional cooking techniques, with the history of several centuries, not only preserve food for a long time but also impart unique flavors. Grilling food over charcoal can bring out its most authentic and original aromas.
They enjoy foods predominantly with sour and spicy flavor. Meanwhile, they also make some light and refreshing snacks, which mostly retain their natural aroma and do not have too many seasonings.
Guangxi Minority Food Culture (Zhuang, Dong, Miao)
The Zhuang, Dong, and Miao ethnic groups all prefer sour foods, but each has its own distinctive dishes. The Zhuang like various sour soups as the base for rice noodles. Their five-colored sticky rice is also classic. The Dong are most famous for a dish of sour fish. When hosting guests, they may also offer cured meat, oil tea, or glutinous rice wine as a sign of respect. The Miao enjoy adding chili to their sour dishes and also prefer using alcohol to entertain guests.
Different customs and flavors of each ethnic group have created a rich variety of cuisine. What is common is that these foods carry the culture of the ethnic group and express the enthusiasm and simplicity of the local residents. It is certain that after experiencing it, you will remember it for a lifetime!
Top 15 Guangxi Must-Try Dishes
1. Guilin Rice Noodles (Guilin米粉)
Guilin rice noodle, a staple food of the local landmark breakfast, is a food you can never miss in your trip to Guangxi.
There are two ways to eat Guilin rice noodles:
- The first is dry gravy version: combinetender Rice noodles with fragrant minced meat and marinade, and then add peanuts, sour beans or chili oil to mix according to your preference, which tastes stimulating and refreshing.
- And the second is the broth-based bowl: use the soup made from pig bones for a long time with theelastic-teeth rice noodles, plus fresh vegetables and Soy egg to create a bowl of warm soup powder, especially suitable for cold weather.
Whether it’s the broth-based bowl or dry gravy version, they both retain their spicy, numbing, and savory flavor. Paired with various side dishes, the taste will be even richer!
2.Luosifen (Liuzhou Luosifen)
Luosifen is the most famous label of Guangxi. The soup base uses pickled river snails, stewing hen and marrow bones to boil. After 8 hours of boiling with soft fire, the soup base is finished, and then rice noodles and vegetables are added.
The most special part is the sour bamboo shoots, dried tofu skin, peanuts and other auxiliary materials added:
- The sour bamboo shoots are pickled with fresh local bamboo shoots, which have a unique “smell”. Somepeople may feel pungent in first smelling, but after tasting it, no one fails to praise its sour, fresh and delicious flavor.
- The dried tofu skinis soaked into the soup, becoming well-seasoned.
- Peanut is crispy and fragrant, which adds a sense of layer.
- Pickled long beansand agaric silk taste prominent and crisp.
- Finally,adding red pepper oil according to personal preference, a bowl of authentic Luosifen will be completed!
You may wonder if Luosifen with such complex elements is healthy for us? Actually, it is. The soup base is rich in pork bone collagen, and the sour bamboo shoots are also rich in probiotics. The dried tofu skin and peanuts provide an appropriate amount of fat and protein, and pepper can remove moisture from our bodies.
3.Lipu Taro Looped Meat (Lipu Yutou Kourou)
Cut the pork belly and Lipu taro into shapes of similar size, deep fry them until slightly golden brown. Then, mix the meat with taro, add the secret sauce and steam over high heat for at least 1 hour, then a Lipu Taro Looped Meat is completed.
The aroma of taro and meat is mixed. The meat slices are soft and tender, and the taro is also filled with meat juice. With one bite, the aroma of oil and the density of taro are emitted in the mouth, leaving an endless aftertaste.
4.Sour Fish
Fresh fish paired with a sour soup made from tomatoes and fermented glutinous rice, then adding some pickles, a refreshing sour fish is ready. The taste is full of the fish’s freshness and the soup’s sour fragrance, and with a bowl of rice, it becomes increasingly intoxicating.
5.Beer Fish in Yangshuo
Beer Fish uses swordfish from the Li River and is stewed with local beer. The beer and spices are boiled to form a rich sauce that covers the fish meat. After completed,it looks colorful, with a golden sauce that is very appetizing.The fish meat absorbs the wheat aroma of the beer, making it more flavorful and delicious.
6.Five-Color Sticky Rice
As a Guangxi ethnic snack you must try, Five-Color Sticky Rice’s uniqueness lies in the rich natural colors. Five different colors of rice are all made by boiling and dyeing natural plants. The steamed rice is crystal clear, and carries the fragrance of plants. It is also paired with some auxiliary materials such as brown sugar and dried fruits, making it more sweet and fragrant.
7.Zhuang Bamboo-Tube Rice
The Zhuang Bamboo-Tube Rice essence lies in the perfect combination of freshness and fragrance. Cut fresh bamboo into sections, put soaked glutinous rice into them, and then add bacon, sausages, chestnuts, red dates and other accessories according to preference. Fill with water and seal, then slowly grill on charcoal fire.
After baking, the bamboo tube is split open, and a mixture of glutinous rice and bamboo fragrance spreads out. After eating it, you can taste a faint scent of plants and trees, mixed with the aroma of elastic glutinous rice and accessories, making you intoxicated.
8.Liuzhou Sticky Rice Dumplings
There is a special dish called sticky rice dumplings in Liuzhou, Guangxi. It is different from the boiled dumplings in northern China.
It uses delicate sticky rice to make the outer skin, and is filled with Liuzhou people’s favorite foods such as beans, minced meat, mushrooms, etc. These dishes are stir fried and filled with aroma. When paired with a soft and sticky outer skin and steamed in a pot, they become delicious sticky rice dumplings.
9.Nanning Lemon Duck
Lemon Duck’s charm lies in the combination and collision of sour, hot and fresh.
It uses locally raised ducks, marinated with sour seasonings such as lemon, ginger, and chili. Stir-fry it over high heat, then add the sauce and cook it through before serving.
The duck meat has a refreshing lemon aroma, mixed with an appetizing sourness and chili fragrance , bringing a rich taste.
10.Nanning Laoyoufen (Old Friend Noodles)
Laoyoufen is a kind of soup powder with sour bamboo shoots, lobster sauce, garlic powder and pepper as the base material.
It uses fresh and tender meat slices to cook a strong soup base, and uses flat rice noodles as the staple food, which taste fresh and soft. Some people may also use pig’s liver or small intestines as combination.
11.Guilin Fermented Tofu (桂林腐乳)
As a traditional snack in Guilin you must try, Fermented Tofu is known as one of the “Three Treasures of Guilin”. It contains the aroma of fermented tofu, and the combination of rice wine, pepper, spices and other flavors added in the making process.
It has a long and rich aftertaste and can be used as a side dish, or directly served with white rice or steamed bun. And it can also be put into Rice noodles or Luosifen as a seasoning, adding a new flavor.
12.Oil Tea (油茶)
Oil Tea is a representative Guangxi dessert, known as the “refreshing soup” by locals. It is a soup made by boiling tea leaves, ginger, and garlic. The locals often drink it together with rice flowers, peanuts, and other ingredients.
It has both the aroma of tea and the pungent and stimulating flavors of seasonings.Therefore, it may be a little bitter when first tasted. But upon closer inspection, the aftertaste is long-lasting and gives off a warm feeling.
13.Beihai Shrimp Cake (北海虾饼)
Fresh prawns are mixed with glutinous rice to make rice paste, then seasoned simply with scallions and salt. The large shrimp inside is the most simple interpretation of seafood taste by people in coastal cities. Fry it until golden brown and crispy, then a delicious shrimp cake is completed.
This shrimp cake balances the greasiness of deep frying with the deliciousness of shrimp, making it a perfect delicacy.
14.Stuffed Li River Snails (阳朔酿田螺)
Fresh river snails from the Li River are selected. Their meat is minced into paste, mixed with ground pork, scallions, ginger, shiitake mushrooms and secret spices to make filling, which is then stuffed back into the snail shells. The snails are handcrafted and slow-stewing, resulting in tender meat with a rich flavor.
15.Beihai Pork Knuckle Noodles(北海猪脚粉)
Beihai Pork Knuckle Noodles features pork knuckles slow-cooked for hours, paired with flat rice noodles and rich broth.
The pork knuckles are stewed until tender yet retain their texture, and the broth is rich but not greasy—this is the unique inheritance of culinary craftsmanship by Beihai people over the years.
Top Guangxi Dishes at a Glance
Dish |
Features |
Where To Try |
Guilin Rice Noodles |
Silky rice noodles, rich braised sauce, assorted toppings (pork, peanuts, pickles) |
Chongshan Rice Noodles (Main Store, Yiren Road, Guilin) |
Luosifen |
Chewy rice noodles, spicy and sour soup, river snail flavor, crispy peanuts & tofu skin |
Kouzhong Luosifen (Sanzhong Road Store, Liuzhou) |
Lipu Taro Looped Meat |
Tender pork belly, soft Lipu taro, sweet and salty taste, melt-in-mouth texture |
Guilin Restaurant (Xiangshan District, Guilin) |
Sour Fish |
Fermented fish, sour soup base, spicy and refreshing, herbal notes |
Lusheng Miaozhai (Xihuan Store, Liuzhou) |
Beer Fish |
Fresh carp cooked with beer, tender meat, sweet and savory sauce, citrus aroma |
Master Gold Award Beer Fish (West Street Main Store, Yangshuo) |
Five-Color Sticky Rice |
Natural plant-dyed rice (5 colors), chewy texture, fragrant and sweet |
Local snack shops in Liucheng County, Liuzhou |
Zhuang Bamboo-Tube Rice |
Glutinous rice with meat/vegetables in bamboo tube, smoky aroma, soft taste |
Gulin Bamboo Tube Rice (Yuda Store, Wuxuan County, Laibin) |
Liuzhou Sticky Rice Dumplings |
Glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, fillings of pork, beans, salted egg yolk |
Qingyun Market, Liuzhou |
Nanning Lemon Duck |
Tender duck meat, sour lemon sauce, spicy ginger & garlic, unique sour-spicy flavor |
Ganjiajie Lemon Duck (Headquarters, Nanning) |
Nanning Laoyoufen |
Rice noodles in sour and spicy soup, fermented beans, pork intestines, strong flavor |
Shuji Noodle Shop (Qixing Road Store, Nanning) |
Guilin Fermented Tofu |
Soft tofu curd, fermented rice wine flavor, spicy and salty, creamy texture |
Huaqiao Furu Flagship Store (Lingui District, Guilin) |
Oil Tea |
Bitter-sweet tea soup, mixed with fried rice, peanuts, crispy snacks, warming effect |
Lusheng Miaozhai (Xihuan Store, Liuzhou) |
Beihai Shrimp Cake |
Crispy fried cake with fresh shrimp, golden crust, sweet and salty taste |
Laozhao Li Yi Moyu Wan Xia Bing (Main Store, Zhuhai West Road, Beihai) |
Stuffed Li River Snails |
River snails stuffed with minced pork & mint, spicy sauce, tender filling |
Mulongfu Homestyle Restaurant (Dongxixiang, Guilin) |
Beihai Pork Knuckle Noodles |
Braised pork knuckle, savory soup, chewy rice noodles, tender pork skin |
Boluoshu Pork Knuckle Noodles (Haicheng District, Beihai) |
City-by-City Guangxi Food Guide – Where to Eat in Major Cities
The diverse terrain and ethnic groups in Guangxi make it an inclusive place. Each destination in Guangxi has its own distinct and characteristic culinary culture and customs. Below, this paragraph will present them to you:
Guilin
- Dietary characteristics: The food earthy and rustic, with a strong taste of sourness and spiciness. The main cooking methods are pickling and stuffing.
- Local special foods: Guilin Rice Noodles, Nuns’ Vegetarian Noodles, Braised Old Duck with Ginkgo Nuts, and Lipu Taro Looped Meat
- Where to eat: Shijiayuan Night Market, Zhengyang Pedestrian Street, and Xianhu Road Night Market
Naning
- Dietary characteristics: The food is influenced by Cantonese cuisine, being light, fresh and sweet. The local snacks and late-night meals are quite diverse.
- Local special foods: Nanning Laoyoufen, Lemon Duck, and Suanye (Pickled Fruits and Vegetables)
- Where to eat: Nongyuan Road Night Market, Pingxi Night Market, Jianzheng Road Night Market, and Nantie Food Street in Nanning
Liuzhou
- Dietary characteristics: Liuzhou is the birthplace of Luosifen. The locals has a fondness for sour and spicy flavors, with a bold and intense taste.
- Local special foods: Luosifen (River Snail Rice Noodles), Stir-Fried River Snail Meat, Tofu Bun, and Sour Rice Noodles
- Where to eat: Shengli BBQ City Night Market and Wuxing Commercial Pedestrian Street
Yangshuo
- Dietary characteristics: The food in Yangshuo is a tourist-oriented modification of Guilin cuisine, blending traditional flavors with foreign influences.
- Local special foods: Beer Fish, Stuffed River Snails, and Mugwort Rice Cake
- Where to eat: Yangshuo West Street Night Market
Beihai
- Dietary characteristics: The food in Beihai has a coastal fisherman’s flavor, emphasizing the original taste. The main cooking methods here are steaming and blanching.
- Local special foods: Shrimp Cakes, Sweet Soup, Pork Knuckle Noodles and Clay Pot Rice Noodles
- Where to eat: Beihai Old Street and Qiaogang Style Street
Recommended tour
Guangxi Ethnic Cuisine: Zhuang, Dong & Miao Foods
Zhuang Cuisine Highlights
The cuisine of the Zhuang is centered around rice. Colorful sticky rice is both beautiful and delicious. It can be used as a daily snack as well as a festival sacrifice. Bamboo tube rice has a unique aroma of plant and long aftertaste.
And the pickled fruits and vegetables, mixed with chili powder and seasonings, are also unique and flavorful. It includes sour, sweet, hot and rich flavors.
The Zhuang always adopts special cooking techniques to give food a unique aroma, reflecting their ethnic heritage and wisdom.
Dong Cuisine Traditions
The dishes of the Dong insist “sour” as the main flavor and mainly adopt the method of pickling, which not only can effectively preserve the food but also give it a new flavor.
At a banquet, sour fish and cured meat are the highest etiquette used to entertain guests, accompanied by fresh fruits and vegetables.
Meanwhile,the Dong often drinks alcohol, sings and dances at banquets, which satisfies people’s appetite and promotes them to make new friends through happy songs.
Miao Sour & Spicy Staples
The sour and spicy staple food of the Miao is created by the local people according to climate and labor’s needs.
Sour fish paired has a “sour, spicy, and refreshing” flavor, while rice neutralizes the stimulation of fish. Sour soup powder is to put Rice noodles into sour soup, add pickles, peppers, etc. Both the two foods can not only drive away cold and damp, but also enable people more energetic in work.
The Miao ethnic group has many sour and spicy staple foods, which are both healthy and delicious, reflecting the wise survival principles of the working people.
Guangxi Recipes You Can Try at Home
Easy Beer Fish Recipe
- Prepare the following ingredients:
a swordfish (chunks), a bottle of beer, two tomatoes (chunks), a green pepper (chunks), ginger and garlic (minced), dried chili, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and salt.
- Step-by-step Guide:
- Marinate the fish with salt and cooking wine for 10 minutes, then fryit in a pot until it becomes
- Add ginger, garlic, and dried chili to the hot oil, stir fry until fragrant, then add tomatoes and stir fry to make a soup.
- Pour in beer, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and bring to a boil.
- Add fish and green peppers, simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, and finally season with salt to complete the preparation.
Homemade Guilin Rice Noodles Tips
- Prepare the following ingredients:
Rice noodles, brine (made of anise, cinnamon, fragrant leaves, soy sauce, and oyster sauce, boiled), stewed beef, pickled long beans, peanuts, and fried tofu skin.
- Step-by-step Guide:
- Dry rice noodles should be soaked in water to soften in advance, boiled in boiling water, put in cold water, and finally drained into an empty bowl.
- Put hot brine in thebowl, add side dishes (pickled long beans, peanuts, fried tofu skin and stewed beef), and then add seasonings (vinegar, chili oil, scallions, coriander, etc.) according to personal preferences.
How to Plan a Guangxi Food-Focused Trip
Guangxi is rich in many natural marvels and cultural experiences. Most of its popular destinations, like Guilin, Yangshuo, Nanning and Beihai, offer not only great foods but also memorable travel experiences. For foodies, it is easy to combine food discoveries with many other immersive experiences to maximize your experience. For example, when you have a Guilin tour with us, our travel consulatant can help you custimzie a trip with classic Li River cruise, Longji Rice Terraces, Yangshuo biking and plenty time at local’s favored food streets. If you like, we can also arrange a food class.
Suggested tour
For tours to Nanning, Beihai, our itineraries also leave plenty of time and flexibility for you to discover and enjoy local delicacies based on your preferences and tastes. Our professional local guides can also offer insider’s advice.
Recommended tour
Travel Tips for Food Lovers
- Best timeto visit: Spring(April to May) and autumn(September to October) Reasons: Suitable temperature, low precipitation, and the best scenery).
- Local customs:
- Zhuang people often greet guests with oil tea.
- Local ethnic minorities welcome guests with a long table banquet, where guests can enjoy a light drink as a sign of respect and are not allowed to leave the table at will.
- No loud noises are allowed when entering the ancestral halls of ethnic minorities. Hats must be removed and loud noises are prohibited.
- Payment tips: Mobile pay (WeChat/Alipay) is commonand widely accepted, while cash can be used for some small stalls.
- Safety note:Many local foods, such as Luosifen, have a strong smell — try outdoors if you’re sensitive.
FAQs About Guangxi Cuisine (Schema Ready)
Q1: What is Guangxi famous for in food?
Guangxi is famous for its sour, hot and delicious special food. Some of the classic Guangxi dishes include Liuzhou Luosifen, Nanning Lemon duck, Yangshuo beer fish, Lipu Taro Looped Meatt, Five-Color Sticky Rice, Zhuang Bamboo tube rice, Liuzhou Sticky Rice Dumplings, Guilin rice noodles, Miao Dong sour fish and other delicious dishes full of national and regional characteristics.
Q2: What does Luosifen taste like?
Luosifen smells bad, but its taste is sour, hot, fresh and refreshing. The combination of the sour and refreshing taste of sour bamboo shoots, the spicy taste of chili oil, and the fresh and mellow taste of bone soup, together with elastic tooth Rice noodles make the dish tastes flavorful and powerful.
Q3: Is Luosifen healthy?
The soup base is rich in pork bone collagen, and the sour bamboo shoots are also rich in probiotics after fermentation. The dried tofu skin and peanuts provide an appropriate amount of fat and protein, and pepper can remove moisture from our bodies. As long as the amount of edible and red oil can be controlled, Luosifen is simply a nutritious and delicious staple food.
Q4: Where to eat authentic Guangxi food?
You can go to some unremarkable street-side restaurants and the popular stalls at the night markets in Guangxi. The food there is usually the most authentic.
Q5: Can vegetarians enjoy Guangxi food?
Guangxi also has many delicious vegetarian options for you to choose from, such as Guilin Nun’s Vegetarian Noodles, Guilin Tofu Skin, Buddha’s Delight, Stir-Fried Banana Heart with Vegetables, Cold Mixed Houttuynia Cordata and so on.
Travel with China Xian Tour to Discover the Flavors of Guangxi
The “sour, spicy and fresh” flavors of Guangxi cuisine, along with its diverse cooking techniques and ingredients, are all manifestations of the rich cultures and natural beauties.
If you want to know more about this charming destination, you can contact China Xian Tour to customize your perfect Guangxi tour.
Our professional travel consultants will formulate the itinerary and route all based on your interests. We will guarantee you an immersive exploration of local food, culture and landscapes!
