GUIYANG, March 15 (Xinhua) — A bowl of bitter and spicy fish soup bursting with taste on the tongue, paired with colourful glutinous rice, made Thai chef Chumpol Jangprai really feel proper at dwelling throughout his go to to southwest China’s Guizhou Province.
At Lianghuanzhai, a bitter soup-themed restaurant in Kaili City within the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou, Chumpol discovered the craft of creating bitter soup fish from Wu Duqin, an heir of the nationwide intangible cultural heritage of Kaili bitter soup fish-making strategies. He additionally tried his hand at getting ready the dish himself.
In the kitchen, Chumpol fastidiously examined the components, tasted the unique broth and discovered every step of the cooking course of. Invited by Wu, he sampled a white bitter soup that had been fermented and preserved for greater than 40 years, with rice water added every day to take care of its wealthy flavour.
“What surprised me is that Thailand has fish mint and green onions, which are exactly the same as those in Guizhou. Even the white sour soup is very similar to the rice-fermented sour base used in Thailand’s tom yum soup,” Chumpol mentioned.
Guizhou delicacies has lengthy celebrated bitter flavors. An area saying goes, “Without sour food for three days, one can hardly walk steadily.” Among the Miao ethnic group, the traditional fermentation strategies used to make bitter soup date again greater than a thousand years.
According to Wu, Kaili bitter soup is available in two sorts. White bitter soup, made out of fermented rice water, has a light style, whereas crimson bitter soup, ready with tomatoes, chili peppers and spices comparable to Sichuan pepper and herbs, affords a richer taste.
Chumpol additionally sampled five-colored glutinous rice, dyed with pure plant extracts comparable to dragon fruit and gardenia flowers, symbolizing a great harvest.
During his 18-day journey throughout greater than 4,000 kilometers, Chumpol explored a variety of native delicacies throughout Guizhou, from bitter soup fish in Kaili to mutton rice noodles in Xingyi, cave hotpot in Libo and pan-grilled dishes in Zhijin. The shared desire for bitter and spicy flavors, deeply rooted in each Guizhou and Thai cuisines, created a pure culinary resonance.
The journey later impressed a meals documentary titled TASTEPERIMENT * GUIZHOU, capturing his exploration of the province’s culinary traditions and cultural landscapes.
The documentary aired in October 2025 on a Thai TV channel throughout prime time, attracting greater than 24 million viewers. It additionally caught the eye of over 700 worldwide media retailers, serving to introduce Guizhou’s distinctive flavors to a worldwide viewers.
Screenings of the documentary have reached Thai lecture rooms, together with Rajamangala University of Technology Suvarnabhumi, the place college students shared their impressions. Many famous the similarities between Guizhou’s bitter soup and Thai dishes, whereas others expressed curiosity in visiting the province after being captivated by its landscapes and ethnic tradition.
Chumpol believes that the similarities in components, flavors and cooking strategies between Guizhou and Thai cuisines will assist him introduce Chinese culinary ideas to Thai college students and meals fanatics, whereas additionally paving the way in which for the institution of Guizhou delicacies eating places in Thailand.
In 2025, the entire output worth of Kaili’s bitter soup business chain reached 8.154 billion yuan (about 1.14 billion U.S. {dollars}), up 221 p.c yr on yr. Wu mentioned her restaurant has attracted guests from nations together with Thailand, Japan and the United States, with annual income reaching 60 million yuan in 2024.
Chumpol, who visited Guizhou once more in August 2025, mentioned he was drawn not solely by the meals but additionally by native rice wine and conventional Chinese medication. With direct flights connecting Bangkok and Guiyang, journey between the 2 locations has turn out to be more and more handy.
He famous that culinary exchanges transcend cooking strategies, reflecting shared cultural knowledge amassed over time. He mentioned he hopes to see extra Chinese eating places in Thailand and extra Thai eating places in China, serving to to additional promote cultural exchanges between the 2 nations.