The Li River is often photographed for its surreal, karst peak scenery, the kind that adorns Chinese paintings and travel brochures. But for those who travel with their palates as their primary guide, the journey from Guilin to Xingping is not just a visual sonnet; it is a deeply flavorful pilgrimage. This is a route where the landscape doesn't just feed the soul; it directly nourishes the plate. The limestone mountains provide unique herbs, the clean river yields sweet fish, and the fertile land between them offers an abundance of produce. To travel from the city of Guilin to the ancient town of Xingping is to embark on a culinary adventure where every bite tells a story of terrain, tradition, and timeless technique.
Your journey begins in Guilin, a city whose name is synonymous with one dish above all others. It’s a bustling, modern city, but its culinary heart beats in humble noodle shops and vibrant night markets.
No food journey here can start without a steaming, aromatic bowl of Guilin Mi Fen. This is not just a dish; it is a daily ritual. The round, chewy rice noodles are the canvas, but the masterstroke is the broth. It’s typically a pork-based stock, simmered for hours with a secret blend of local spices. The defining ingredient is often shan nai, or sand ginger, which gives the broth its distinctive, slightly medicinal, and deeply comforting warmth. Topped with slices of braised pork, a crunchy peanut, a pickled green bean, and a fiery hit of chili sauce, it’s a symphony of textures and flavors—savory, sour, spicy, and umami all in one bowl. Locals eat it for breakfast, and to do as they do is to understand the city's pace: energetic, straightforward, and deeply satisfying.
As dusk falls, the Luoshi Night Market comes alive, a chaotic and glorious assault on the senses. This is where you go to graze and be adventurous. * Snail: Don't be intimidated. Chaoshan cold snail is a local favorite, where the snails are boiled, removed from their shells, and then tossed back in with a pungent and spicy marinade of garlic, chili, and sour bamboo shoot. It’s a dish made for cold beer. * Lipu Pai Gu: Lipu-style fermented taro and pork spare ribs. This dish, originating from a county near Guilin, is a masterpiece of fermentation and steaming. The taro becomes incredibly soft and absorbs all the rich, savory flavors from the pork ribs, which are fall-off-the-bone tender. * Oil Tea: A specialty of the local Dong and Miao minorities, you cha is an acquired taste but a must-try. Tea leaves are pounded, stir-fried, and boiled to create a bitter, aromatic base, which is then whisked with oil, salt, and toppings like puffed rice, peanuts, and scallions. It’s bracing, bitter, and strangely addictive.
The best way to transition from Guilin to Yangshuo and ultimately Xingping is by boat. As you drift down the Li River, the scenery unfolds like a scroll, and the connection between the land and the food becomes undeniable.
You will see them from the boat—fishermen on bamboo rafts, sometimes with trained cormorants. They are harvesting the key ingredient for the region's most famous dish: Li Jiang Pijiu Yu. Beer Fish is not just a recipe; it's a cultural icon. Freshwater fish, typically carp or wànwěi yú from the Li River, is first pan-fried until its skin is crispy. Then, it's braised in a copious amount of local light lager, along with vibrant red chilies, tomatoes, garlic, and yangshuo fermented tofu. The beer tenderizes the fish and creates a rich, slightly sweet, and tangy sauce that is utterly irresistible. Eating this dish while looking out at the very river it came from is a meta-culinary experience of the highest order.
Small villages dot the riverbanks, and their agricultural terraces are the source of the incredible produce you’ll taste. Look for: * Yongfu Tangerines: The hills are often covered with tangerine groves. These are not like ordinary oranges; they are incredibly sweet, fragrant, and easy to peel. A stop at a riverside stall for fresh-picked tangerines is a necessary burst of sunshine. * Bamboo Shoots: The bamboo forests clinging to the karst peaks provide tender bamboo shoots in the spring. They are stir-fried, pickled, or added to soups, offering a crunchy, earthy counterpoint to richer dishes.
Yangshuo is the bustling, sometimes overwhelming, tourist hub. While it’s packed with Western cafes and pizza joints, its culinary soul is still deeply rooted in local flavors, albeit with a more international twist. West Street is the main artery, but the real gems are often in the quieter alleys.
The simple stir-fry is an art form here. Restaurants often display their fresh ingredients, and you can point to what you want. * Stir-Fried Water Spinach (Kong Xin Cai): Cooked with fermented tofu or garlic, this simple green vegetable is a staple side dish, its hollow stems providing a delightful crunch. * Snail-Stuffed Tofu: A more intricate dish where fresh river snails are minced and mixed with pork and herbs, then stuffed into fried tofu puffs and braised. It’s a textural wonder. * Stuffed Li River Snails: For the truly adventurous, this involves sucking the minced pork and snail mixture directly from the shell—a messy but rewarding endeavor.
While sweet and sour pork is found all over China, the Yangshuo version often feels fresher and less cloying. The use of fresh pineapple, a common crop in Guangxi, along with local green peppers, gives it a tropical, bright flavor that perfectly cuts through the richness of the deep-fried pork.
If Yangshuo is the vibrant, noisy present, then Xingping is the quiet, poetic past. This ancient fishing village is the backdrop for the iconic image on the 20 RMB note. The pace slows, and the food reflects a deeper, more preserved tradition.
Wandering the ancient, flagstone streets of Xingping, you'll find food that feels untouched by time. * Xingping Niang Cai: Stuffed vegetables are a specialty. Look for bell peppers, bitter melon, or tofu stuffed with a mixture of glutinous rice, minced pork, and mushrooms, then steamed. It’s a hearty, home-style dish. * River Shrimp: Tiny, sweet shrimp from the Li River are simply stir-fried with garlic and chilies. They are so small and delicate you often eat them shell and all, enjoying a concentrated burst of the river's essence. * Ciba: This glutinous rice cake is a common snack. Pounded until incredibly chewy, it's often served rolled in crushed peanuts and sesame seeds, or pan-fried with sugar. It’s the kind of simple, energy-giving food that has sustained farmers and fishermen for generations.
The ultimate Xingping experience is to enjoy a meal at a family-run restaurant with a terrace overlooking the Li River, right at the spot immortalized on the currency. To sit there, with a plate of Beer Fish, some stir-fried wild greens, and a cold beer, watching the bamboo rafts float by against the silhouette of those majestic peaks, is to understand the complete picture. The food is not separate from the scenery; it is the scenery internalized, a delicious memory that lingers long after the journey ends. The flavors of Guilin's fermentation, the Li River's sweetness, and Xingping's timeless simplicity merge into a single, unforgettable taste of South China.
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Author: Guilin Travel
Link: https://guilintravel.github.io/travel-blog/guilin-to-xingping-a-food-lovers-journey.htm
Source: Guilin Travel
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