Guizhou Food Guide: Unlock Authentic Flavors & Local Dining Experiences

Want to unlock Guizhou’s sour, spicy, fresh and fragrant authentic flavors in one go? This practical food guide is tailor-made for you! Focusing on must-try dishes like sour soup fish and silk dolls, it includes popular dining spots, transport routes and budgets, covering everything from food culture to ordering tips. Whether you’re a food lover or casual traveler, it helps you explore efficiently and fully experience the unique charm of Guizhou’s cuisine.

A Comprehensive Guide to Guizhou’s Classic Cuisine

Sour and Spicy Soul: Iconic Guizhou Flavors

Sour Soup Fish

As Guizhou’s culinary “business card”, sour soup fish is famous for its sour, spicy, fresh and fragrant taste, with hand-fermented sour soup as the core. It comes in white (fermented rice pulp, light sour) and red (fermented tomatoes + chili, rich spicy) varieties, paired with tender rice flower fish or longsnout catfish that absorb the soup, refreshing and appetizing. Must-order side dishes: tender tofu, bean sprouts, fern cake (full of flavor after soaking up soup); the dipping sauce is key—blended with roasted chili, litsea cubeba oil, houttuynia cordata, minced garlic and chopped green onions, spicy and numbing.

Recommended Restaurants: Laokaili Sour Soup Fish (Shengfu Road Store, Guiyang) – authentic old Guiyang flavor, clean environment, thoughtful service; Lianghuanzhai Sour Soup Fish (Kaili Headquarters) – long-fermented sour soup, fresh live fish, true Qiandongnan taste.

Ordering Tips: Choose white sour soup if you can’t eat spicy; mild spicy is quite stimulating; cook fish for 3-5 minutes to avoid overcooking; add a little litsea cubeba oil for the first try (unique flavor).

Silk Doll (Sihuawawa)

Also known as “vegetarian spring rolls”, this iconic street food gets its name from wrapping shredded side dishes in thin rice pancakes. The pancakes are thin as cicada wings yet tough; side dishes include shredded radish, cucumber, kelp, bean sprouts, bracken, dried tofu, etc., refreshing and non-greasy. The dipping sauce (sour, spicy, appetizing) is crucial—choose tomato, fermented tofu or chili oil based on taste. Eat by wrapping favorite sides in pancakes, pouring sauce, and enjoying in one bite.

Recommended Restaurants: Silian Red Soup Silk Doll (Penshichi Store, Guiyang) – fresh, complete sides, diverse dipping sauces; Xiaoshu Ice Powder Silk Doll (Gufu Street Store, Anshun) – authentic Anshun flavor, better pancakes, served with ice powder to relieve greasiness.

Ordering Tips: Try a small wrap first to test the sauce; sides are refillable for free; pair with ice powder or mung bean soup to balance sourness and spiciness.

Salted Sour Cabbage Braised Pork

A signature home-cooked dish, the key is salted sour cabbage—pickled greens fermented with rock sugar and chili, sour-sweet and savory. Fatty and lean pork belly is fried golden, layered with the cabbage and steamed until tender and non-greasy. The cabbage absorbs meat juice, making it a perfect rice accompaniment.

Recommended Restaurants: Guiyang Home-style Restaurant (Xingguan Road Store) – authentic home cooking, great value; Zunyi Laoxieshi Traditional Cuisine (Honghuagang Store) – homemade fermented cabbage, tender braised pork, true Zunyi flavor.

Ordering Tips: Best with rice; adjust sourness in advance; pair with greens to balance oiliness.

Street Delights: Must-try Snack Collection

Qingyan Pork Knuckle

The signature snack of Qingyan Ancient Town, made from local pork knuckles via blanching, braising, frying and re-braising. It has a bright red color, soft and chewy skin, tender meat infused with marinade, served with a special dipping sauce (chili powder + Sichuan pepper + salt), spicy and satisfying.

Recommended Restaurants: Wangwanma Pork Knuckle (Main Street Store, Qingyan Ancient Town) – century-old craft, long braising time, rich taste; Zhuangyuan Ti (North Gate Store) – large portion, great value, vacuum-packable as a souvenir.

Ordering Tips: Sold by piece (whole or cut); vacuum-packed for 3-5 days; pair with ancient town rose candy for sweet-savory flavor.

Tofu Balls

A classic Guiyang street snack—local tender tofu mixed with chopped green onions, minced ginger and salt, kneaded into balls and fried golden crispy. Crispy outside, tender and juicy inside, with a flavorful dipping sauce (sour radish diced + houttuynia cordata + soy sauce + vinegar + chili) to relieve greasiness.

Recommended Restaurants: Leijia Tofu Balls (Shengfu Road Store, Guiyang) – time-honored brand, authentic dipping sauce; Tieqian Kao Rou Tofu Balls (Erqi Road Snack Street Store) – pairs well with grilled meat, unique flavor.

Ordering Tips: Let balls cool for 30 seconds (hot when fresh); adjust houttuynia cordata in sauce; pair with ice powder or mung bean soup to reduce heat.

Zunyi Lamb Noodle

A signature breakfast famous for “fresh soup, tender meat, smooth noodles”. Local black goat meat (tender, no mutton smell) is simmered for over 6 hours with angelica and dahurian angelica root; wide or thin rice noodles are chewy, topped with lamb slices, offal, chopped green onions, coriander and chili powder, spicy and warming.

Recommended Restaurants: Xiazi Zhangliu Lamb Noodle (Huichuan Store, Zunyi) – authentic Xiazi Town flavor, large lamb portions, fresh soup; Zunyi Laoxieshi Lamb Noodle (Honghuagang Store) – century-old craft, smooth noodles.

Ordering Tips: Add extra meat/offal for more flavor; add less chili powder if sensitive to spice; free soup refills available.