Luosifen (Snail Rice Noodles)

What is luosifen?

Luosifen is a Chinese rice-noodle soup and a specialty of Liuzhou, Guangxi.[1] The broth is made by boiling river snails and pork bones for hours with spices.[1] It usually does not contain any snail meat.[1] It is famous for its strong smell, which comes from pickled bamboo shoots.[1]

Where in China is it eaten?

Liuzhou, in Guangxi.[1] Luosifen restaurants have opened in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and abroad.[1] By 2020 there were more than 8,000 restaurants in China specialising in it.[1]

How it is made and eaten

1. Boil river snails and pork bones for upwards of eight hours. The snail meat breaks down and adds a mellow sweetness.[1]
2. Add spices such as black cardamom, fennel seed, dried tangerine peel, cassia bark, white pepper, bay leaf, licorice root, sand ginger and star anise.[1]
3. Cook dried Liuzhou rice noodles, made from aged rice, so they stay chewy.[1]
4. Top with pickled bamboo shoots, fried tofu skin, fried peanuts and wood ear fungus. Pickled green beans, greens and chili oil are also common.[1]
5. In restaurants, diners often choose their own toppings.[1]

What does it taste like?

The smell comes from bamboo shoots fermented in salt water for one to two weeks.[1] Bacteria turn amino acids into compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, which smells like rotten eggs, and skatole.[1] People disagree on whether the smell is mildly sour or overpowering.[1] Chef Zhou Wen says that without the bamboo shoots, "the noodles will lose their soul."[1]

History and culture

Luosifen was created in Liuzhou in the 1970s or 1980s, by combining snail soup and rice noodles, two popular Guangxi dishes.[1] After 1990s layoffs in the city's auto industry, many former workers opened luosifen stalls.[1] It gained wide popularity after appearing in A Bite of China (2012).[1] Small workshops began making instant luosifen in 2014, and it went viral during the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The pickled bamboo shoots are a condiment traditionally eaten by the Miao and Dong peoples.[1]

Where to try it in China

Liuzhou has the original stalls, and specialist restaurants are now found across China.[1]

How to order it

Luosifen is luósīfěn (螺蛳粉). Pickled bamboo shoot is suānsǔn (酸笋). No peanuts is bú yào huāshēng (不要花生).

How much does it cost?

We have not verified a price, so we are not quoting one.

🎥 Watch us find it

We have not published verified footage of luosifen (snail rice noodles) yet. See all our China street-food videos.

FAQ

Why does luosifen smell so strong?

The pickled bamboo shoots produce compounds such as hydrogen sulfide and skatole.

Does luosifen contain snail meat?

Usually not. The snails are boiled into the broth.

Where is luosifen from?

Liuzhou, Guangxi, where it was created in the 1970s or 1980s.

Can I buy instant luosifen?

Yes. Small workshops began making instant luosifen in 2014.

What toppings go on luosifen?

Commonly pickled bamboo shoots, fried tofu skin, fried peanuts and wood ear fungus.