Guizhou Food: A Taste of Mountain People's Wisdom

In October 2025, a food documentary titled Feast of Guizhou was released in Thailand. It records Michelin two-star chef Chumpol Jangprai's culinary journey through Guizhou. The documentary was also picked up by international media. Many viewers comment that it made them "want to book a flight to Guizhou immediately."

In the film, Chef Chumpol noted more than once that some flavors in Guizhou share similarities with Thai cuisine, particularly the sour and spicy profiles. Yet, the preparation methods are entirely different. This reflects the thousand-year-old wisdom of Guizhou's mountain dwellers. They used fermentation in place of scarce salt as a means of survival.

I work in Guilin. Thanks to the convenience of high-speed rail (just 1–3 hours away), Guizhou's ethnic culture and food regularly draw us there for long weekends. In the following sections, let me guide you through the unique flavors of Guizhou.

Sour Soup: The Soul of Guizhou Cuisine

Sour Fish Soup

Sour beef hotpot

In Guizhou, you'll frequently encounter dishes made with sour soup, such as sour fish soup and sour beef hotpot. Why the people of Guizhou love sour soup so much? It all comes down to a story of "using sourness to replace salt."

This tradition dates back to ancient times. In the remote mountains of Guizhou, transportation was extremely difficult, and the local Miao ancestors suffered from a severe shortage of salt and medicine.

They devised a clever solution: fermenting their rice-washing water with wild tomatoes from the mountains and adding a medicinal herb called mujiangzi (mountain pepper) to create a sour soup.

This soup could serve as a salt substitute. Dishes cooked with this sour soup were both flavorful and healthy. It solves the salt shortage while helping prevent illness.

In Miao villages, sour soup is not only delicious. Its colors also carry special meanings:

yinyang pot

Red Sour Soup: Made by fermenting rice water with tomatoes and red chilies. Its bright red color symbolizes celebration and joy. It is always served during festivals, weddings, and happy occasions.
White Sour Soup: Fermented from rice water alone. Its light color represents elegance and mourning. It is used to show respect for the deceased when an elder passes away.

Today, many sour fish hotpot restaurants offer both types of broth. If you enjoy spicy food, you can order the red sour soup. If you prefer a milder taste, you can opt for the white version. And you can also have a "yinyang" pot with both sides.

During my visit in Guizhou, my personal favorite is the red sour soup. It becomes even more appealing with colorful ingredients added to the pot. To keep your meals varied, you can alternate between sour fish soup and sour beef hotpot on different days.

Sour Fish Soup & Sour Beef Hotpot: Fresh fish or beef is cooked in the sour broth along with tofu, bean sprouts, and seasonal vegetables. Following the local way of eating, you can start by drinking a bowl of the original soup to appreciate its flavor. Then enjoy the fish or beef, and finally cook other ingredients hotpot-style.

Where to Eat:

For the most authentic sour soup experience, consider these options:

In Kaili, the birthplace of sour soup, try "Lianghuanzhai/亮欢寨" or any of the many time-honored sour soup hotpot restaurants for the most traditional flavor.
In Guiyang, reliable chain brands like "Lao Kaili Sour Fish Soup/老凯里酸汤鱼" have multiple branches and offer consistent quality.

Diversed Breakfast Options: A Month of Breakfasts Without Repetition

While traveling in Guizhou, you can always have breakfast at your hotel. But I recommend spending at least a few mornings trying local breakfast spots recommended by our guides.

Whether at a street-side cart or a decades-old packed eatery, the calls of vendors, and the contented sounds of diners create a vivid, bustling morning scene. You'll see breakfast shop owners busy at work. Steam rises from the stoves as customers line up, waiting for their orders.

For less than $2, you can enjoy an authentic local breakfast. It is an experience you won't find in hotel dining rooms.

Here are some breakfast options you can try:

Noodles: The Star of Guizhou Breakfasts

Guizhou beef noodles

Changwang Noodles

Lamb Rice Noodles

Guizhou boasts dozens of rice noodle varieties (reportedly over 40), allowing you to eat a different kind every day for over a month. This diversity is a perfect example of the blend of northern and southern Chinese culinary cultures. Why is this the case? The answer lies in Guizhou's history and geography.

Located central-western China, Guizhou bridges the wheat-based food culture of the north and the rice-based civilization of the south. This unique position naturally endowed Guizhou's cuisine with both northern and southern influences.

Historically, starting from the Ming Dynasty, large-scale northern soldiers and migrants brought noodle-making techniques. At the same time, local and neighboring ethnic groups had long mastered rice cultivation and processing. As a result, both wheat noodles and rice noodles flourished here.

The people of Guizhou didn't simply adopt northern and southern styles. They reinvented them using local ingredients and seasonings.

They cooked northern-style noodles in local sour soup, chili oil, and rich dipping sauces. And they infused southern-style rice noodles with local peppers, beef, lamb, and spices. That's why every city in Guizhou offers its own unique taste noodles and rice noodles.

Among all the rice noodles I've tried in Guizhou, here are my top three recommendations. My personal favorite remains the lamb rice noodles. Its rich, flavorful broth with tender meat creates an unforgettable taste experience.

Changwang Noodles – The most popular breakfast in Guiyang's noodle shops. Known for its rich toppings and unique flavor, the name comes from chang (pig intestines) and wang (blood pudding). The taste is spicy, savory, and rich but not greasy.
Lamb/Beef Rice Noodles – The key to its deliciousness lies in the original broth made from lamb or beef bones and a variety of secret spices. You can customize the flavor with chili oil, Sichuan pepper, and other condiments.
Tofu Pudding Noodles – Made with fresh soft tofu and wide wheat noodles. It is served with a dipping sauce of scallions, minced garlic, chili oil, and soy sauce.

Where to eat:

For the most authentic Changwang Noodles, time-honored noodle shops in Guiyang are the top choice. Nanmenkou Changwang Noodles/南门口肠旺面 and Jiangjia Changwang Noodles/蒋家肠旺面 are local classics, with long queues every morning.

Zunyi Xiazzi Lamb Rice Noodles/遵义虾子羊肉米 has branches all over the city. It is a convenient and genuine option.

Siwawa: A Fun DIY Dish

Siwawa

In Guizhou restaurants, you'll often come across a dish called "Siwawa" (literally "Thread Baby"). Behind its name and form lies a poignant chapter of Guizhou's migration history and local wisdom.

Legend has it that during the Ming and Qing dynasties, many migrants arrived in Guizhou. Some impoverished or war-affected families had to give their newborn children to wealthier households to raise.

At the moment of parting, the birth parents would place a piece of homemade rice wrapper inside the baby's swaddling clothes. This was done in the hope that by eating their family's rice wrapper, the child would never forget their biological parents.

The appearance of the rice wrapper wrapped around shredded vegetables also reminded the parents of their own child. Hence, it was named "Siwawa" (literally "Thread Baby," with si sounding identical to the word for "思" – to miss or remember).

To eat it, you take an assortment of over a dozen common vegetables, such as radish, cucumber, and fish mint, sliced as thin as threads. And then pair them with a bowl of tangy and spicy dipping sauce.

This way of eating is both deeply ceremonial and highly interactive, as you wrap the fillings by hand. It is a must-try in your trip in Guizhou.

Sticky Rice: One of Guizhou's Signature Breakfasts

Sticky rice ball

Colorful sticky rice

In Guizhou, sticky rice is one of the most common breakfasts. It also embodies the ancestral wisdom of local survival.

In Guizhou's mountainous terrain, glutinous rice became a reliable staple for early inhabitants due to its resilience in poor soils and cold climates. Once steamed, sticky rice is easy to carry and resists spoilage. It is ideal for farming and hunting in the hills.

This ancient staple also carries shared seasonal rituals and emotional memories across Guizhou's ethnic groups. During major festivals such as the Miao New Year and Sisters' Meal Festival, colorful sticky rice is offered to ancestors and nature as a sign of respect.

In cities like Guiyang, a warm serving sticky rice is the beginning of everyday life. You could see many vendors at the corners of street selling sticky rice. They skillfully toss and mix the rice with soy sauce, lard, chili, crispy pork bits, scallions, and a dozen other ingredients. This is a good way to experience local life in your trip.

Visit the Night Market to Experience the Passion of Guizhou

Guiyang Erqi Road

Qingyan Braised Pork Hock

Love Tofu Pudding

Unlike the fast-paced lifestyle of other major Chinese cities, most urban areas in Guizhou maintain a slow-paced quality of life. With less pressure and shorter commutes, young people have more free time to enjoy their evenings.

Night markets perfectly meet their expectations. As dusk falls, neon signs mingle with the flames rising from sizzling woks. The air fills with the aroma of sour soup, scent of grilled meat, and the fragrance of fish mint. The calls of vendors, the laughter of diners, and the clatter of pots and pans create a lively soundtrack. Here, you can experience the most authentic nightlife in Guizhou.

During my trip through Guizhou, the night market in Guiyang gave me the deepest impression. Here are the two that I visited:

Guiyang Qingyun Road Night Market: A city landmark where decades-old establishments stand alongside trendy viral food stalls. It is the perfect place to taste the best of Guizhou.
Guiyang Erqi Road Snack Street: This hundreds-of-meters-long street brings together the finest snacks from across the province.

In these two markets, I sampled a wide variety of local snacks, and here are my top recommendations:

Love Tofu Pudding: The grilled tofu was commonly eaten by young couples on dates in Guiyang. So it earned the romantic name "Love Tofu Pudding." To prepare it, rectangular tofu blocks are grilled on an iron plate until the skin turns crispy and golden. Before eating, you use a small spoon to open the tofu. Then add a savory dipping sauce made with fish mint, chili, and soy sauce.
Qingyan Braised Pork Hock: A signature dish from Qingyan Ancient Town. The pork hock is braised for hours over a low flame with a blend of over ten herbs and spices.
Rose Iced Jelly: Need to cool down after spicy street food? Try a bowl of rose iced jelly, Guizhou's most popular summer dessert.

Sip a Cup of liquor-Flavored Coffee in the City of Coffee Champions (Guiyang)

Guiyang cafe

Guiyang doesn't grow a single coffee bean, but it is known as China's "Coffee Champion City". And Guiyang is home to over ten champion baristas. Why?

The reason lies in its unique environment and culinary culture. The city's relaxed pace of life provides baristas with an "ideal laboratory" to focus on honing their craft.

More importantly, the diverse and intense flavor experiences inherent in the local food culture have fostered an exceptional openness to creative coffee innovations. This environment encourages baristas to experiment boldly.

Just as Hu Ying captivated the world with her baijiu-infused specialty drink. Ultimately, this rich culinary diversity forms the perfect breeding ground for champions.

The charm of their cafés lies in their distinctive character and laid-back atmosphere. You can sip creative specialty drinks like "fish mint or Moutai liquor-flavored coffee" in a champion barista's studio.

Recommended Cafés in Guiyang:

Duide Coffee (located in Datang Dongyuan Plaza): Run by Hu Ying, champion of the World Brewers Cup. Known for exceptional quality and innovative concepts, it's so popular that queues can stretch up to two hours during peak times.
Captain George (Taiping Road/Wenchang Pavilion branch): A favorite among local coffee lovers.

Explore Guizhou with China Highlights

Want to experience the most genuine local dishes from across the province? Book a customized Guizhou tour with us! Our experienced local guides and professional drivers will take you to hidden culinary gems. Contact us now and begin your colorful journey through Guizhou!