What to eat

Nanning cuisine shares many similarities with that of Cantonese cuisine. It is particular about the freshness, tenderness and the nourishment of the dishes. Most tourists are much fonder of the special snacks, which are also popular among the locals. Hereunder is the introduction of some of the special Nanning snacks for your convenience.

Lao You Fen (Old Friend Rice Noodles)
Fen is made by steaming the rice liquor in bamboo boxes. The steamed liquor then becomes a whole cake and can be cut into different shapes. Fen can be eaten with different ingredients, resulting in many varieties of Fen food.
Lao You Fen is the most famous Fen dish and has over 100 years of history. Legend has it that an old man went to Zhou Ji Teahouse everyday and made friends with the Boss Zhou. One day he was not able to go because of a cold. Boss Zhou made a bowl of hot Fen especially for his old friend. That Fen dish had so many flavors including garlic, fermented bean, pepper, beef and sour bamboo shoots that it helped the old man recover quickly. From then on, Lao You Fen became popular for its multi-flavors and cold-busting abilities.

Ba Zhen Fen (Eight Treasures Rice Noodles)
This is another Fen food worthy of a taste. It is said to be the imperial food in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). More than eight treasures from land and sea are used as the Fen's ingredients creating a variety of tastes, hence its name.

Shao Ya (Roasted Duck)
Most tourists in China may be more familiar with Beijing Roast Duck which is the quintessential symbol of all northern China duck dishes. Actually Nanning Roasted Duck is representative of all southern China duck dishes. Different from Beijing ducks, Nanning roast ducks are made of local fatty ducks and special ingredients. The duck meat is still together with bones and skin, appearing as a brightly golden color. The meat is amazingly tender and even the bones are more delicious than ever thought possible.

Suan Ye (Fermented Fruit or Vegetable)
Nanning locals prefer sour food. Suan Ye has been popular for centuries. The locals soak some fruits such as pineapple, pawpaw, mango, olive and wild peach in a mixture of vinegar, pepper and sugar. Some use vegetables as materials such as tender cabbages, carrots, broccoli and lotus roots. The fermented fruit or vegetable tastes both sweet and sour as well as a little hot. This is also a good way to preserve food.

Additionally, Nanning has various kinds of porridges. Corn Porridge, Fish Head Porridge, Preserved Egg and Lean Pork Porridge, Glutinous Rice Porridge are some of the most popular ones. The locals eat such porridges all the year round. Mo Shang Porridge House is a traditional and the most renowned place to enjoy porridges. It is located on Ce Bian Jie out of Cang Xi City Wall.