Soup that attacks nose comes up smelling like roses

A total of 185 new cultural practices and expressions, including the preparation of luosifen, have been inscribed on the latest list of national intangible cultural heritage published by the State Council.

The latest list, the fifth, brought the total number of national intangible cultural heritage practices to 1,557, according to the State Council figures. Liuzhou luosifen, a soup dish dubbed by some people the durian of soup because of its pungent smell, originated in Liuzhou, a city in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. It features rice vermicelli soaked in a spicy broth flavored by river snails and topped with ingredients including pickled bamboo shoots, string beans, peanuts and tofu skin.

The cooking methods of Shaxian delicacies from Fujian province are also on the list.