Libo Sour Fish Soup

Libo Sour Fish Soup

　　There is a local saying in Libo: “If you don’t eat something acidic for three days, you’ll walk unsteadily.” The “acidic” here refers to the sour soup used in Libo Sour Fish Soup. Anyone who has tried this dish is sure to be captivated by its unique flavor — the tangy soup paired with fresh fish is simply irresistible. After enjoying the fish, you can also cook other ingredients in the broth, making the experience all the more delightful. Libo Sour Fish Soup is one of the most representative ethnic dishes of the Miao people, and you simply must try it when you visit Libo. Legend has it that in ancient times, there lived a beautiful maiden named A’Na on the Miao Mountains. She was not only strikingly beautiful, skilled in singing and dancing, but also adept at brewing wine with a delicate fragrance reminiscent of orchids and as clear as mountain spring water.

　　Young men from hundreds of miles around came to court her. To each suitor, the maiden would offer a bowl of her homemade wine. Those who failed to win her favor would find the wine tasting unusually sour, leaving a chill in their hearts, yet they were reluctant to leave. As night fell, with the gentle sound of lusheng flutes and the echoes of mountain songs, the young men would call out to the maiden from outside her house with ballads. She could only reply over the fence, singing: “Sour soup, oh sour lad, oh sour lad, listen to your girl bring you warmth; the betel nut in March bears no fruit, the orchid in September gives no scent, affection turns mountain spring into fine wine, but indifference turns fine wine into sour soup...” This legend shows that the consumption of sour soup has a long history. Originally, the sour soup was made from the dregs of brewed wine, but later it was prepared using hot rice soup that underwent natural fermentation, along with many other methods. Some small restaurants outside the province also make “sour soup” using Libo’s pickled chili combined with tomatoes, white vinegar, and citric acid.