At the table
Serve cooked fish and a little sour broth into your bowl. Check each bite for bones. Ask about the chili level when ordering; dipping sauces are optional.
Contains fish and may contain small bones. The broth can be very hot. Ask about added stock and dipping-sauce ingredients if you have dietary restrictions.
The moderate chili-heat estimate describes a red sour-soup version, not every kitchen. White rice-water sour soup can be milder; added chilies and dips change the heat. Fish species, vegetables and aromatic seasonings, including mujiangzi fruits, vary.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Red sour soup differs from Kaili's milder white soup, which is fermented from rice water. Fish species and garnishes vary.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Sour and chili-spiced.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Fish in liquid broth.
- How it’s made
- Simmer fish in sour soup.
Red sour soup differs from Kaili's milder white soup, which is fermented from rice water. Fish species and garnishes vary.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Guizhou.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有凯里酸汤鱼吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Two sour soup bases for Kaili sour-soup fish
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
In Kaili, sour-soup fish takes its character from a fermented soup base. White sour soup is made from fermented rice water and has a milder taste; red sour soup can use tomatoes, chilies, Sichuan pepper and herbs for a richer one. In southeast Guizhou, Miao fermentation traditions form part of the wider story of the region’s sour foods. Fish and seasonings vary by kitchen.