Description
A 'pungent' noodle dish from Liuzhou, Guangxi, currently driving Chinese youth crazy. 'Luosi' means river snail. An intensely umami broth brewed from snails and pork bones is topped with sour, stinky 'Suan Sun' (fermented bamboo shoots) and massive chili oil. Despite smelling like 'natto mixed with an open sewer', its addictiveness is inescapable.
Restaurants serving Luosifen (Guangxi Snail Rice Noodle)
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Rice noodles
- Snail broth
- Pork bone broth
- Suan Sun(fermented bamboo)
- Fried tofu skin
- Peanuts
- Chili oil
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- (Snail Broth) Smash mud-purged river snails and fry heavily with garlic, ginger, chilies, and spices to kill odor.
- Boil the fried snails with pork bones and water for hours to brew the special 'Luosi Soup'.
- Boil thick rice noodles separately.
- [The Odor Source]: Lightly fry 'Suan Sun' (bamboo shoots long-fermented in brine). *This produces the violent ammonia odor and exquisite sourness.
- Place noodles in a bowl and flood with snail soup.
- Top with a mountain of fried Suan Sun, fried tofu skin rolls (Fu Zhu), peanuts, wood ears, and greens.
- Drizzle heavily with ultra-spicy red chili oil and black vinegar. *Actual snail meat is rarely included in the bowl; it's purely for the broth.
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Violent odor/sourness of fermented bamboo and intense snail umami、タニシの強烈な旨味
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Making it from commercial instant packets (like Haohuanluo) is most realistic
Pairing
Cold Wang Lao Ji (Sweet herbal tea) / Cola
Trivia
Comparable to Durian or Natto, eating it in dorms/offices draws immense rage as the smell clings to clothes for days. However, popularized by Mukbang videos, instant Luosifen packets caused a massive social phenomenon and sold out nationwide.
Eating tips & etiquette
The instant it's served, the fermented odor filling the room will make you frown. But muster the courage to slurp: the unbelievably deep seafood umami of the snails, pork depth, and chili heat violently explode in your mouth. Dunking the crispy tofu skin and peanuts into the broth miraculously converts all 'stench' into 'umami aroma'.
Allergen
Soybeans, Peanuts, Wheat