Global Times: How Guangxi snack 'snail rice noodles' becomes signature industry to fuel poverty reduction

BEIJING, Feb. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In the bustling alleys of Liuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the aroma of snail rice noodles, or Luosifen, wafts through the air, drawing locals and visitors alike into the myriad of shops that line the narrow streets. The dish of rice noodles boiled with pickled bamboo shoots, dried turnip, fresh vegetables, and peanuts in spiced river snail soup - a little stinky but flavorful - has surged in popularity across China and beyond, becoming a culinary emblem of Liuzhou and a symbol of China's gastronomic culture in the world.

This bowl of Luosifen embodies how over a hundred impoverished villages in Liuzhou triumphed in the battle against poverty before 2020, transforming the city into the vibrant hub it is today, while elevating a local delicacy into a global stage.

In the heart of Liuzhou, the local community has harnessed the potential of snail rice noodles to fill farmers' pockets, forge new pathways out of poverty, and drive industrial development. As the demand for this delicacy skyrocketed, the agricultural sectors supplying its ingredients flourished, becoming a vital engine for revitalizing both the local economy and rural communities.

Chinese President Xi Jinping visited machinery manufacturer Guangxi Liugong Group Co., Ltd., and a food-processing zone for local specialty Luosifen rice noodles on April 26, 2021. He learned about the reform and innovation of enterprises, and the development of the manufacturing industry and distinctive local businesses, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Noting that developing signature industries is a practical measure to boost the real economy, Xi called for more support for private enterprises to help them grow. The snack industry is just a part of China's rural industries, which range from planting and breeding to agricultural product processing and tourism, according to Xinhua.

This dish, once a simple street food, has become a key to industrial advancement and a beacon of hope for poverty alleviation. Farmers now enjoy stable incomes and local job opportunities, while businesses export high-quality, distinctive products overseas. Young entrepreneurs are returning to their hometowns to realize their dreams of success.

Now, under Xi's encouragement, the aspirations of the local community are creating a tapestry of prosperity woven with the threads of snail rice noodles.

A bite of China

To promote Liuzhou's culinary culture and stimulate related consumption, in 2010, Liuzhou launched initiatives to promote Luosifen beyond its local area, and in 2012, Luosifen gained fame through the hit documentary "A Bite of China." Since then, Liuzhou Luosifen has continued to gain popularity, giving rise to a pre-packaged Luosifen market.

In 2014, the first packaged snail noodles were introduced to the market. This local delicacy, once challenging to preserve and transport, began its journey to national prominence.

Today, packaged snail noodles are exported to over 30 countries and regions. Each bowl of snail noodles has generated more than 300,000 jobs, lifted 5,500 impoverished households and 28,000 individuals out of poverty, and stimulated the development of hundreds of thousands of acres of raw material bases, including rice, bamboo shoots, green beans, and black fungus. This has fostered an industrial chain encompassing agriculture, food processing, and e-commerce, Lu Shichang, director of the Snail Noodle Industry Development Center in Liuzhou, told the Global Times.

Although smells stinky, Luosifen has become a favorite for many due to its sour and spicy flavors, as well as the naturally fermented sour bamboo shoots found in the region's caves, which maintain a constant temperature and humidity throughout the year. 

On January 9, Liuzhou celebrated the 10th anniversary of the industrialization of its snail noodles. Preliminary forecasts indicated that in 2024, the total sales revenue of the entire snail noodle industry chain in Liuzhou could reach 75.96 billion yuan ($10.39 billion), according to a press release from the local government.

The rise of the snail noodle industry and its international reach vividly illustrate a distinctive path out of poverty.

In 2017, Leitang village in Liucheng county, Liuzhou, was still grappling with poverty.

Entrepreneur Yao Hanlin, a local District People's Congress deputy, conducted thorough research in the area, and he contemplated a way to help local people escape poverty.

"Why not begin with the raw materials for Luosifen and leverage them to boost rural economic development, tackling the issue of industrial underdevelopment in impoverished areas right from the source?" Yao decided to sign a contract with an integrated cooperative that supports households to develop a 600-acre planting base for large-scale and standardized planting of green beans, the "soul" ingredient of snail noodles, and ensuring a guaranteed purchase to increase farmers' income and alleviating their concerns about unsold produce.

Additionally, farmers received industry subsidies from the local government for cultivating green beans. A successful model of cooperation among cooperatives, enterprises, and farmers was then founded and expanded to wider regions.

Farmers selling green beans to the company on pre-packaged Luosifen saw their annual income increase by over 10,000 yuan per household. In just two years, most villagers in Leitang had successfully escaped poverty. Beyond the financial benefits, the villagers take pride in knowing that their sour green beans have traveled across oceans alongside the snail noodles. Many villagers also found employment right in their own communities, said Yao.

Yao still vividly remembers the moment President Xi visited and his inspiring words.

"Everyone could feel his high regard for the development of local specialty industries and rural revitalization efforts. His words deeply moved us and strengthened our resolve to use the snail noodle industry to help more people achieve prosperity," Yao told the Global Times.

The "spillover effect" of the Luosifen industry has also brought significant benefits to the ethnic minority communities in the Miao and Dong villages of Guangxi, a region known for its rich cultural diversity.

"Both rice farming and snail raising are lucrative ventures, and with government subsidies, we feel more confident about our path to prosperity," shared Wei Yaoke, a villager from a minority ethnic group who has successfully lifted himself out of poverty in 2019.

"In recent years, whenever people mention Liuzhou, they immediately think of snail rice noodles. Many have traveled to Liuzhou specifically for a bowl of noodles, which is a remarkable achievement for the city," remarked Yao. "A simple bowl of noodles has not only revitalized a city, but also enriched the lives of its people."

A bowl of Liuzhou snail noodles weaves together the threads of rural prosperity, Lu told the Global Times.

As President Xi has said that the revitalization of industries is the top priority of rural revitalization, years of exploration have proven that activating the internal motivation for poverty alleviation hinges on developing strong industries. Without industry, there is no stable economic foundation for true poverty alleviation. In China's poverty alleviation practices, industrial development has become one of the most dynamic models, Lu emphasized.

Entrepreneurs bring fresh innovations

The booming Luosifen industry has drawn many young entrepreneurs back home, leveraging e-commerce benefits and new technologies to showcase their "hometown flavors" on the global stage.

Mo Qinji, a millennial born in Liuzhou, became a technician in a manufacturing company in South China's Guangzhou after graduation. During his years away, a bowl of Luosifen became a nostalgic link to home, inspiring him to merge his expertise with local delicacies.

Five years later, he decided to quit the job and returned to hometown in November 2012 to start a business in manufacturing and selling Luosifen, seizing the opportunity in the new e-commerce landscape. The surge in online Luosifen sales prompted him to continuously improve production lines and supply chains. Mo's factory operates a fully automated packaging line, researched and developed by his team over a year.

Mo stressed that the achievements of local poverty alleviation are the result of collective efforts and coordinated strength.

"In the past, farmers often grew crops based on high market prices, only to see prices drop once the crops were overly harvested, leading to increased poverty and reluctance to plant. However, products like Luosifen integrate various agricultural ingredients, providing a stable industry that prevents crops from going to waste," Mo explained to the Global Times. "For instance, if green beans are harvested and the market price is high, say 2.5 yuan per kilogram, farmers can sell them to wholesale markets or buyers to secure better income. However, if market prices decline, they can sell their beans to Luosifen processing factories for pickling, or even pickle them independently to generate profits from initial processing. This serves as a sort of insurance mechanism for local farmers."

Mo said that an increasing number of young people in the local area are gradually shifting from being beneficiaries of poverty alleviation in rural areas to becoming emerging forces in rural revitalization.

Mo reminisced about how, after returning to Liuzhou from work in Guangzhou, he would eagerly rush to the nearest stall, savoring every bite of his favorite dish and wishing he could take some home. Now, he has turned that dream into reality. The ambitions of merchants like Mo to elevate Liuzhou's Luosifen from humble street carts to global acclaim align perfectly with China's commitment to poverty alleviation and rural revitalization.

In Mo's factory, hundreds of workers bustle about. The busy assembly line is leading them toward a better future - one that belongs to both the company and the whole industry, and perhaps serves as a model for the future of many more rural areas in China.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202502/1328399.shtml 

SOURCE Global Times