A famous snack from Liuzhou in Guangxi province, called luosifen – also known as river ‘snail rice noodle’ in English – is notorious for its pungent odour. First, chewy rice noodles are tossed in boiling water before being added to a broth made of river snails, pork bones and spices that usually include cinnamon, star anise, clove and ginger. Other toppings like minced pork, tofu skin, crunchy peanuts and bamboo shoots are added to the noodles, along with a glug of chilli oil for a kick.