Find your soup
How to read the result
Variant profile
鱼酸汤 uses fermented rice + tomato + chili for a bright, drinkable sourness. 红酸汤 is rice-fermented and tomato-heavy — redder, deeper. 糟辣酸 has fermented chili paste — more pungent. 米酸 is the oldest, most aggressive — rustic and strong.
Where authentic
Kaili and Mojiang (south of Kaili) are the ancestral homes of sour soup. Village versions use fermented jars that are 5+ years old. Guiyang urban restaurants tone it down for tourists. If you want the real thing, drive south.
Stomach warning
Sour soup on an empty stomach can upset sensitive digestions. Eat a bowl of rice first. The hot pot version is the most aggressive — locals drink it but new visitors sometimes don't recover for a day.
What this tool can't tell you
- The exact age of a particular restaurant's fermentation jar. Older = deeper sour.
- Whether the soup base is fresh that day. Stale broth tastes vinegar-flat.
- Whether the chili oil on top is fresh or yesterday's. Fresh looks bright red; old is darker.
- Restaurant-specific blends. Every chef has a secret recipe.
Common questions
Is sour soup alcoholic?
Can I get a non-spicy version?
Is sour soup a meal or a soup starter?
Sources & reference data
Sour-soup variant taxonomy from Guizhou Food Culture Yearbook 2024; authenticity assessments based on chef interviews in Kaili and Mojiang 2025.