Sour and Spicy Guangxi Cuisine

THE cuisine of Guangxi Zhuang Au- tonomous Region comprises urban delicacies found in Nanning， Guilin， Liuzhou， Wuzhou cities， and dishes from ethnic minorities like Zhuang， Yao， Jing， and Dong. The cuisine inherits from the culinary style of the people who migrated from the Central Plains to South China， and also combines the cooking skills from the imperial court that had been spread to Guangxi in the late Northern Song Dynasty （960-1127）， as well as the culinary skills from feudal officials private chefs in the Ming （1368-1644） and Qing （1644-1911） dynasties.

Owing to the humid weather in Guangxi， locals prefer to eat sour food to clear away heat and dispel the dampness in their bodies. Strolling on the streets and alleys of Nanning， rows of transparent glass cylinders are often seen at the roadside snack stands， with colorful fruits and vegetables marinated inside. A whiff of the sour smell comes to ones nose making the mouth water. The hot and sour taste of Guangxi cuisine blends with various vegetables and condiments， making them feel fresh and appetizing.

The history of eating sour food in Guangxi started from the construction of the Lingqu Canal during Qinshihuang， or the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty， more than 2，000 years ago， when the pickle-making technique was introduced to Guangxi by chefs from Sichuan. Because of the high temperature and humidity， the preparation skills were modified， and gradually a unique sour-foodmaking technique was invented in Guangxi： fresh fruits and vegetables are cut into slices or bulks， and marinated in vinegar for a certain time during which the sour taste soaks into the food.

Guangxi cuisine is fresh and sweet， slightly spicy， tender， and crisp. It often uses tropical fruits like pineapple and lemon， seasoned with lemon juice and pickled pepper. Lemon Duck is a distinctive delicacy of the Wuming County in Nanning City. Chop the cleaned duck into blocks， stir-fry till it is medium done， add in sliced pickled pepper， pickled ginger， lemon， smoked plum， ginger and mashed garlic， stew for a few minutes till the meat is medium done， and then sprinkle with salt and sesame oil. The crisp and succulent duck meat， sour， spicy， no grease， and with a strong taste of lemon， is alluring to diners. The pickles used in the dish can remove the fishy odor and soften the flesh， making it refreshing without being greasy.

The beautiful natural scenery in Guangxi with the crystal blue sky and clean water is instrumental in the fresh fragrance of Guangxi cuisine too. The Lijiang River， the main wa- terway in Guilin， is always clean enough to have the bottom visible. The mandarin fish grown in this river is known for its tender and smooth taste， and the steamed version of the fish is the best choice to preserve and enjoy its original flavor. Clean the fish and cut slightly on each side of its back， sprinkle with salt and cooking wine， marinate for a while. Place shredded scallion onto the plate and the marinated fish above； add sliced pork meat， scallion， and shredded wax gourd onto the fish. Steam the fish on a high flame， sprinkle with hot oil， add in the soup together with wet starch， and then add some sesame oil.