"The stinkier the better!" -- A case study on the reinvention of river snail noodles and the transformation of taste in China

Abstract

This article uses luosifen – river snail rice noodles that originated in Liuzhou, China – as a lens to explore the relationship between food production and the breakthrough processes that prompt young urbanites in contemporary China to acquire new and exotic tastes. Although snail noodles, famous for their stinky smell, have recently gained recognition as a national intangible cultural heritage, the consumption of snail noodles in China today is actually a reinvented tradition developed from those of the Zhuang and Han ethnic groups. The current popularity of snail noodles results from neoliberal consumerism, advancements in food packaging and technology, and new ways for consumers to engage each other in social relationships created by social media, all in the context of rapid social change and urbanization. The Liuzhou local government’s strategy of transforming snail noodles from modern street food into exotic culinary heritage has opened up new forms of cultural and social capital.