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Xiangxi Prefecture refers to the western mountainous area. As this area is rich in mountains, it has abundant mushrooms and fungi. The mountain dwellers also make smoked and cured meats that are salty, fragrant, hot and delicious. Representative dishes are steamed cured meat, Double Ninth Festival fungi and deep-fried loach, all of which have special flavours.

What to eat in Xiangxi?

Local people in Xiangxi are adept in making various kinds of game, bacon and brawn with firewood and coal. And they are fond of much salty, spicy and sour food. For your information, their way of making salted meat are unique, first salting away then curing the meat. Actually, you can try such Xiangxi cuisine as Duck in Qianzhou, lichen, fern, Huiguo meat (twice-cooked pork often with chili seasoning), tofukasu, sour cabbage soup.The food in Fenghuang is very spicy, and you'd better tell the waiter or waitress that you don't want too much chili in your dishes when ordering your food. 

Duck Stewed with Duck Blood and Sticky Rice 

Duck stewed with duck blood and sticky rice is one of the most distinctive dishes in Xiangxi, if not, in Fenghuang. How to make it? First, soak the sticky rice in the water, then put it in a bowl. Second, kill the duck and let its blood dropping in the rice so that the two can mix together. When the blood clots, steam it before setting it aside and cutting it into patches. Next, fry it with vegetable oil. Now stew the duck until it is well-done, and at this time place the blood and rice in the duck and add some condiments to it. When the dish is golden, you can try it immediately! It is indeed a rare delicacy that will impress you most!

Fenghuang Pickled Radish

Fenghuang Pickled Radish is really popular among Fenghuang people, regardless age and gender. They love to eat pickled radish with red pepper juice. Every family in Fenghuagn has their own way to pickle radish, and the recipe is kept as their family's secret. A fairly made pickled radish is tasted sweet, a little sour, fragrant and spicy.

Tofu in Pickled Vegetable Soup

Tofu in Pickled Vegetable Soup is a traditional dish of Miao ethnic people. The vegetable used to be pickled are usually the radish leaves and cabbage. They are firstly dried in the wind for two days. After they have become yellow, they are cut up into small pieces and pickled by boiled rice water and sour soup in a jar for 24 hours. As the pickled vegetable has done, Miao people boil some water with the pickled vegetable and tofu with wild shallot, red pepper and some other season, and then the soup is done. The soup is light yellow and it is more of a "melt in the mouth" taste, which will enhance people's appetite and good for health.

Pickled Fish in Miao Ethnic Style

It is the traditional famous food which has brought national fame to the Miao ethnic people in Fenghuang County. Miao ethnic people have a tradition to breed fish in rice paddy. After harvest, Miao ethnic people discharge the water in the rice paddy and then catch the fish easily which is the main ingredient of the dish. The fish is pickled in altar after eviscerated with salt, pepper and a specially-made soup for three days. And then, Miao people put some sticky rice power and sweet corn power on the fish and continue to pickle it for half a month. When the pickled fish has done, flesh of the fish is delicate and has special taste and the fishbone is softened.

Liu Xiaoqing's Rice Tufu

Liu Xiaoqing is one of the most famous actress in China. She once acted as a peasant woman to live on saling Rice Tufu on the Movie <Furong Town> in 1986. After the move was pot on in China in 1980s,  Wangcun Town, the former name of Furong Town had been known widely by Chinese so that lots of people came here to visit. And nowadsy, the name of Wangcun has beeb recalled as Furong Town. Furong is a kind of flower to plants widely in Hunan Province. So Furong Ancients is also named Lutos Ancient in English. It is  must-do to taste Liu Xiaoqing's Rice Tufu while you tour in Furong  Ancient Ancient, John told me and he invite me warmly to have a bowl of Rice Tufu at the site of No.133 Restaurant. Five Yuan per bowl, It is cheaper and very nice. Really, any once should not miss this!

Where to eat in Xiangxi?

There are many fantastic snack stalls and restaurants lining its streets in Furong Ancient Town,Fenghuang Ancient Town and Jishou City. There are small hotpot, rice noodles, tofu grills, meat grills, and pickled fish in Miao ethnic style and Fenghuang pickled radish for extremely reasonable price. Night market and street is really popular in Fenghuang. The main night market of Fenghuang stretching from the post office of the county to the East Gate lies a lot of special snack stalls. Besides, Dashi Restaurant is well-known in Fenghuang County, featured pickled cabbages, dish made from lichen, preserved ham and fried wild mushroom.