Nanning residents love to snack, and legion munchies are available from street corner vendors, hole-in-the-wall stands and snack restaurants. Teahouses often offer snack buffets of dimsum or pickled fruits and vegetables to complement the flavor of the tea, much like eating olives or cheese offsets the pungency of wine. And let us not forget zongzi, rice and dates wrapped in bamboo leaves and most voraciously eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival. Spicy noodles with minced beef and garlic, called Lao You Mian ("Old Friend Noodles"), is perhaps the quintessential Nanning nibble.

The best places in Nanning to sample local food are the lively and scrumptious stalls at Zhongshan Lu, the night markets at Hangzhou Lu and Chaoyang Lu, and the rows of cheap restaurants directly across from the Nanning Hotel. Head to the northern end of Hangzhou Lu and find a sprawling fruit market where you can buy dozens of ripe, tropical fruits no matter what the season.

Lao You Fen  (Old Friend Noodles) 老友粉

Fried River Snails (Shao Luoshi) 炒螺蛳

Eight-Treasure Glutinous Rice Pudding (Babao Fan)八宝饭

Rolling Rice Flour (Juantong Fen)卷筒粉

Ganlao Rice Flour (Ganlao Fen)干捞粉

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Lao You Fen  (Old Friend Noodles) 老友粉
Like so many other unusually-named dishes, a provincial folktale explaining the origins of the recipe is responsible for this odd moniker. According to legend, many years ago, there was an old man who used to patronize Mr. Zhou’s Teashop every day like clockwork. One day, the old man caught a cold and did not show up at the shop. Concerned, Mr. Zhou whipped up a bowl of noodles, mixing in chopped garlic, fermented beans, chili, minced beef, peppers and bamboo stalks and sent them over to where the old man was laid up in bed. The old man, thankful for Mr. Zhou’s kindness, gobbled the noodles right up. As he was eating, the potent spices caused the old man to sweat profusely, his pores opening up like floodgates, and his cold was soon dispelled. Lao You Mian is now popular not only for its blast of spices, but for its medicinal properties.

Shu’s Laoyoufen Restaurant
The average price is about RMB10 per person.
Add: Qixing Lu, Nanning
Tel: 0771-5883546

Fried River Snails (Shao Luoshi) 炒螺蛳
River snails are one of Nanning’s most beloved snacks. Prior to frying, snails are marinated in vinegar and ginger to give them their succulent flavor. Most locals like to consume this local delicacy by the bucket. Best way for you to eat them is to use a toothpick to scoop out the meat.

Eight-Treasure Glutinous Rice Pudding (Babao Fan)八宝饭
Eight-Treasure Glutinous Rice Pudding is one of the best popular snacks in Nanning. Ingredients include glutinous rice, edible oil, mung bean, lily, lotus seed, white nut, honeyed jujube, Rubiaceae (herb) and candied melon. This sweet delicacy is a great snack to eat while strolling the streets of Nanning.

Rolling Rice Flour (Juantong Fen)卷筒粉
Rolling rice flour is local snack loved by many. Its flavor comes from its ingredients including rice dough, minced meat, green garlic, sauces and sesame oil.

Ganlao Rice Flour (Ganlao Fen)干捞粉
Ganlao rice flour is one of the famous treats in Nanning. Its fame comes from the combination of its ingredients including rice dough, barbecued pork, minced meat, green minced garlic, fried peanut, sauces and sesame oil; all which are mixed and cooked to perfection to give it its fragrance, crisp, sweet and sour taste.

Xianchi Restaurant
It is the oldest famous restaturant that specializes in serving Ganlao Rice Flour.
Add: 242 Zhongshan Lu, Nanning
Tel: 0771-2623512

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