Dushan Stinky Vinegar

Dushan Stinky Vinegar

　　Dushan Stinky Vinegar is a specialty of Dushan County in Qiannan Prefecture, Guizhou Province. Known as one of the "Three Acidic Delicacies of Dushan" alongside Hydrochloric Acid and Shrimp Acid, Stinky Vinegar gets its name from the extraordinarily pungent smell it emits while being cooked — so strong that an entire street can catch a whiff. It’s truly infamous.

　　The fermented stinky vinegar dish has a mildly sour and uniquely fragrant taste that’s surprisingly appetizing. The process of making stinky vinegar begins with creating a "starter" — this involves boiling meat or fish, allowing it to cool, then sealing it in a jar for several months. To cook stinky vinegar, just scoop out a small bowl of the starter and simmer it together with a small pot of meat dishes. A signature dish is stinky vinegar cooked with pork intestines — a taste you’ll never forget.

　　Oh, and one more thing — you really have to try stinky vinegar in Dushan. Outside of Dushan, it's almost impossible to find, and even if you do, it won’t be authentic.