Luosifen: From Street Food to Global Sensation

LIUZHOU, Sept 3 (TNA) – The city of Liuzhou is celebrating the global success of its signature dish, Luosifen noodles. What began as a local delicacy has transformed into a cultural symbol for the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, attracting food enthusiasts from around the world and now sold in over 20 countries.

Luosifen is a renowned dish from Liuzhou, known for its bold and distinctive flavor—a complex mix of spicy, savory, and sour with a unique, fragrant aroma. The dish features rice noodles, similar to Thai rice vermicelli, but chewier and softer and topped with pickled bamboo shoots, sour long beans, roasted peanuts, crispy fried tofu skin, and parboiled cabbage.

Optional additions include fried Chinese sausage or collagen-rich braised chicken feet. The essential element is the soup base, which is made by simmering river snails, pork bones, and Chinese herbs for 4 to 5 hours to create a rich and fragrant broth.

The dish’s immense popularity led to the development of instant Luosifen in 2014. This innovation quickly turned it into one of China’s most sought-after online foods, paving the way for its global expansion. Today, over 40 companies in Liuzhou produce instant Luosifen, exporting nearly 4 million packets daily to more than 20 countries and regions worldwide.

Liuzhou has positioned itself as the central hub for the Luosifen industry, distributing the product both domestically and internationally. In 2024 alone, the Luosifen industry generated a staggering 75.96 billion yuan (approximately $10.46 billion USD), with instant Luosifen sales accounting for 16.9 billion yuan (approximately $2.33 billion USD).

Li Jiajun, General Manager of Guangxi Luobawang Food Technology Co., Ltd., the first company to receive export certification for the U.S. and European markets, revealed that Luobawang is also actively expanding into Southeast Asia. Malaysia and Singapore are key markets due to their large Chinese populations who appreciate the dish’s spicy and sour flavors. The company also exports to Thailand, primarily to the southern region, and is developing halal-certified products to cater to a wider audience. -810 (819) (TNA)