The dreamy taste of sour bamboo shoots

Chen Wei's dream of opening a restaurant chain in Beijing featuring a specialty from his hometown is coming true.

The specialty, called luosifen or rice noodles boiled with snail soup, has become one of the most sought-after dishes in the capital city, after the hit documentary A Bite of China listed sour bamboo shoots, a main ingredient of the dish, as the flavor of Liuzhou, in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

In South China, people put bamboo shoots in a big ceramic jar, with water. Then, they seal the jar. A few weeks later, the bamboo shoots sour and can be used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes.