There is a well-known saying in Guizhou that "Culinary delights lie in Zunyi". A great number of local specialties feature wild vegetables. For example, Dragon Claw Shredded Pork uses bracken, a wild fern growing on Guizhou’s mountains, as the so-called "dragon claw". Another classic dish is stir-fried cured pork with heartleaf houttuynia, an herb also used in traditional Chinese medicine. Nevertheless, Zunyi’s snacks are even more popular than its signature dishes.

Most local snacks here boast a history of over a century, including mutton rice noodles, tofu curd noodles, Zunyi egg cakes and yellow glutinous rice cakes. Each bite leaves a lingering pleasant aftertaste.

It is said to date back to the Guangxu reign of the Qing Dynasty. Originally a plain vegetarian noodle, it was served by a charitable family for pilgrims visiting Xiangshan Temple and sold at a modest profit. Many locals shared recipes to perfect its flavor. By the Republic of China era, it had evolved into the authentic Zunyi tofu curd noodles and gained immense popularity.

This dish stands out for its unique ingredients and eating method. High-grade flour mixed with a proper amount of native alkali is repeatedly kneaded and stretched by hand to make thin, translucent wide noodles that stay firm yet tender after boiling. The soup base is pure soybean milk, topped with soft fresh tofu curd. A side dish of chili sauce is served separately, available in vegetarian and meat versions. The vegetarian sauce contains five secret seasonings, while the meat version is enhanced with diced lean pork, diced chicken, peanuts, dried tofu skin and dried shrimps. Diners mix the noodles and tofu curd with the chili sauce before eating, enjoying an irresistible savory taste.

Yaxi cold jelly differs from versions elsewhere in two ways. First, it is made from dried peas. Similar in appearance to Guiyang rice tofu, it has exceptional chewiness and resilience. Second, it uses simple seasonings: only garlic sauce, specially made sweet soybean paste and chili oil. The light and refreshing look alone is enough to whet one’s appetite.

Features: The jelly is crisp, springy and smooth. The seasonings deliver a spicy, fragrant and slightly sweet flavor with a rich soybean paste aroma.

Unlike red oil glutinous rice and Zhenfeng glutinous rice, this dish is paired with a thick pea soup simmered from dried peas and chicken broth. It is also mixed with specially cured fermented meat or preserved soy meat.

Features: The glutinous rice is soft and fragrant; the meat is tender and crisp, rich in oil yet never greasy. The soup is savory and full-bodied.

Originating from Yunnan, cross-bridge rice noodles have been adapted into a distinctive Guizhou style in Zunyi. All seasonings are blanched in a pot and placed into a large soup bowl before serving, while the rice noodles are heated separately in a small bowl. Diners then add the noodles to the soup and enjoy them with a personal dipping sauce.

Features: The soup is fresh and the noodles piping hot, with the dipping sauce offering a spicy, aromatic and refreshing taste.

Zunyi is one of China’s major chili producing regions. Suiyang pointed pepper ranks among China’s seven most famous chili varieties. It gets its name because its pods grow straight upward toward the sky. After harvesting and sun-drying, the peppers turn bright glossy red with a translucent hue. They were exported to Southeast Asia as early as the 1950s, and are now sold to Japan, the United States and other countries.

Mutton rice noodles can be found across Guizhou, yet the version in Zunyi enjoys nationwide fame. Noodle shops line every street and alley in the city, always packed with diners.

This delicacy became well-known as early as the mid-Qing Dynasty. Everyone who tries it sings its praises. Local people are extremely fond of mutton rice noodles, especially in winter — a bowl of steaming hot noodles warms the whole body.

A local custom holds that on the Winter Solstice, people of all ages in the city will have a bowl of mutton rice noodles, believing it will keep them warm throughout the winter.

With a history dating back to the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty, these egg cakes have a heritage of more than a hundred years. Small and dainty, they are shaped like flat drums, with 35 to 40 pieces per jin.

Soft, fluffy and elastic, they taste mellow, sweet and fragrant, with no fishy aftertaste or greasiness. The cakes are reddish-brown on the outside and golden yellow inside, plump and glossy with an inviting aroma. Renowned for superior quality, delightful flavor, rich nutrition and unique taste, they are a local specialty not to be missed.