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The tangy aroma of fermented chili peppers might truly be considered the soul of Guizhou cuisine.
Guizhou, with its humid climate, has naturally developed the exquisite art of “fermentation.” Using rock sugar and baijiu as the foundation, it creates the delicate structure of “zao zui”—a flavor profile that’s both heady and mellow. Fresh chili peppers, ripe and enticing in July and August, are swiftly chopped into tiny pieces, then enhanced with salt and young ginger to elevate their flavor complexity. After sealing them in jars for a month or two, the pungent aroma of chili is infused with a gentle sweetness and subtle tanginess. As the saying goes, “Guizhou cuisine may change with the seasons, but zao chili remains steadfast.” This treasured condiment pairs beautifully with nearly every ingredient: simmered fish with zao chili, stir-fried fatty intestines with zao chili—when paired with proteins from meat, they become tender and irresistibly fresh; when used in vegetarian stir-fries or cold salads, they bring a refreshing, crisp liveliness to the dish.
Guizhou, with its humid climate, has naturally developed the exquisite art of “fermentation.” Using rock sugar and baijiu as the foundation, it creates the delicate structure of “zao zui.” Fresh chili peppers, ripe and irresistibly fragrant in July and August, are swiftly chopped into tiny pieces. Then, salt and young ginger are added to elevate the flavor profile. After sealing them in jars for a month or two, the pungent aroma of chili is enriched with a gentle sweetness and subtle tanginess—just as the saying goes: “Guizhou cuisine changes with the seasons, but fermented chili peppers remain constant.” This treasure jar of seasoning can almost be paired with virtually any ingredient: whether it’s used to cook spicy fish in fermented bean paste, stir-fry fatty intestines with fermented bean paste, or combined with the protein in meat, it yields a tender and flavorful dish; when used to stir-fry vegetables or make cold salads, it imparts a refreshing, crisp, and zesty flavor.
With such a rich variety of chili recipes, the connection to delicious cuisine lies in bowl after bowl of “dipping sauce.”
Dipping sauce—also known as “zhan shui”—is a must-have for Guizhou folks. Whether they’re enjoying hot pot or barbecuing, every meal invariably includes one or two dishes that simply wouldn’t be complete without a dipping sauce packed with chili peppers. Here, everyone is a seasoned chili connoisseur, and pairing the right food with the right sauce is an art in itself. Get it wrong, and you’ll surely end up making a fool of yourself!
Just how meticulously do Guizhou people prepare their dipping sauces? Take “douhua” (tofu pudding) as an example. Douhua is a purely vegetarian dish, and its dipping sauce absolutely must have a hint of oiliness and savoriness. Of course, chili oil is the star ingredient in the dipping sauce. When frying it, add some minced pork; then toss in a bit of soy sauce and salt, and you’ll have a mouthwatering sauce ready to go. When enjoying douhua with rice, be sure to add extra salt to the dipping sauce—otherwise, the slippery surface, coated with oil, won’t absorb the flavor well and will make it hard to eat your rice.
The people of Zunyi love douhua noodles—besides the douhua itself, they also soak the noodles in soy milk. With the help of the flavorful broth, the challenge of achieving a well-seasoned taste is easily solved. But to add texture and depth to the dish, you can’t skip the dipping sauce. Without it, the noodles and tofu would become uniformly soft and lose their distinct layers. A little bit of minced ginger, chopped green onions, crispy yellow soybeans, sesame oil, cilantro, and diced chicken—when all these ingredients are combined, the result is truly full of delightful texture and aroma with every bite.
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