Anhui cuisine

Last verified May 2026 · China Visit Guide editorial

Origins and character

Anhui cuisine (徽菜, Huī cài) is named for the historical Huizhou region of southern Anhui — a mountainous area historically known as much for its successful merchants as for its cooking. Huizhou merchants (徽商) were among the most active commercial operators in imperial and early modern China, controlling significant portions of the salt trade, banking, and long-distance commerce. Their wealth funded the construction of the ornate whitewashed villages — Hongcun, Xidi, Nanping — that now have UNESCO World Heritage status, and it also funded the development of an elaborate household cooking tradition.

The cuisine reflects the mountain geography directly. Southern Anhui — the Huangshan massif and its surrounding valleys — is rich in bamboo, wild mushrooms, mountain herbs, freshwater fish from fast-flowing mountain streams, and highland tea. Northern Anhui, the flat Yangtze-Huai River plain, is wheat-growing territory with a different food culture. The eight-cuisine classification focuses on the southern, mountain-based Huizhou tradition.

The defining characteristic of Anhui cooking is its relationship with preservation and fermentation. Huizhou's mountain geography historically meant that many fresh ingredients were unavailable in winter; the tradition of curing, drying, smoking and fermenting developed as a practical response. Hairy tofu (毛豆腐) — fresh tofu allowed to develop a white mould coating before cooking — and stinky mandarin fish (臭鳜鱼) — fresh-caught mandarin fish lightly fermented before braising — are the two most distinctive examples of this preservation-as-transformation approach.

The flavour register leans toward salty, rich and umami-forward. Anhui cooking uses oil more liberally than Cantonese or Zhejiang cooking, and its braised dishes tend toward a heavier, darker result than the refined southern styles. The sweetness that characterises Jiangsu is largely absent.

Signature ingredients and techniques

*Hairy tofu (毛豆腐, máo dòufu): Fresh tofu is set out in a cool, humid environment for three to five days, during which a white Mucor* mould grows across the surface — a soft, fine grey-white fuzz that resembles fur. The tofu is then pan-fried, producing a crisp exterior that contains a hot, custard-like interior. Seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, chilli paste and scallion. This is among the most distinctive fermented food preparations in Chinese cuisine, and is essentially limited to the Huangshan-Tunxi area.

*Stinky mandarin fish (臭鳜鱼, chòu guì yú):* Fresh mandarin fish is traditionally left to ferment — either lightly salted and left in a ceramic pot, or repeatedly rinsed and re-salted over several days — until it develops a strong smell. It is then braised in soy, Shaoxing wine, ginger and chilli. The smell during cooking is confronting; the flavour of the finished dish is complex, deeply savoury and far more subtle than the aroma suggests. The dish divides visitors; residents of Anhui regard it as the defining expression of their cuisine.

Wild mushrooms: Huangshan is surrounded by forests that yield multiple varieties of wild mushroom, including the fragrant dried shiitake (香菇) and the local stone mushroom (石耳, a lichen with a slightly mineral flavour). These appear in braised pork dishes, vegetable stir-fries and soups.

Bamboo shoots: Spring and winter bamboo shoots from the Huangshan hills are used fresh, dried and fermented. The freshness of spring bamboo — available for about three to four weeks in spring — is a seasonal highlight; dried bamboo shot (笋干) provides flavour year-round.

Huangshan ham (徽州火腿): A cured ham similar in style to Jinhua ham but produced in the Huangshan area, used as a flavouring ingredient — small quantities are added to braises and soups to contribute depth rather than being eaten as a primary ingredient.

Oil usage: Anhui cooking uses more oil than the southern schools, particularly in stir-frying. The oil becomes part of the sauce and should not be seen as excess; it is a structural element.

Sub-styles within Anhui cuisine

Huizhou style (徽州菜): The core tradition centred on the Huangshan-Shexian area. Strongly fermentation-oriented, heavy on preserved ingredients, built around the mountain village pantry. This is what is referred to as the canonical Anhui cuisine.

Wannan style: The broader southern Anhui tradition, which overlaps with Huizhou but extends to include the Yangtze riverside cooking of Xuancheng and Wuhu, where freshwater fish from the Yangtze takes a more prominent place.

Wanbei (northern Anhui) style: The flat-land northern tradition, more similar to Jiangsu and Shandong in its wheat-based staples, heavy use of garlic and scallion, and preference for strongly flavoured preparations. Less associated with 'Anhui cuisine' in the canonical classification.

Hefei style: The provincial capital's cooking is a blend — incorporating elements of the Huizhou tradition with the practical cooking of a large administrative city. More accessible than the pure mountain style, and the strongest place to find a wide range of Anhui dishes in a single city.

Canonical dishes

Hairy tofu (毛豆腐) — As described above: mould-cultured tofu pan-fried and dressed. Found in street stalls in Tunxi and the Huangshan tourist villages. One of the signature items of Anhui food tourism.

Stinky mandarin fish (臭鳜鱼) — The most famous Anhui dish; the fermented-then-braised mandarin fish that is the benchmark by which Huizhou cooking is often judged. Requires advance ordering at some restaurants because the fermentation process takes time.

Bamboo and pork braise — Chunked pork belly braised with dried or fresh bamboo shoot, wood ear mushroom and ginger in a dark soy sauce, until the pork is soft and the bamboo has absorbed the braising liquid. The quintessential Huizhou mountain-cooking combination.

Steamed meat with rice flour (粉蒸肉) — Pork belly coated in ground glutinous rice mixed with five-spice and soy, then steamed in a bamboo basket for an hour. The rice flour absorbs the fat and creates a dense, aromatic coating. Shared with Hunan (which uses a spicier version) but common across the Yangtze corridor.

Tofu with three whites — A Huizhou-specific preparation of tofu braised with bamboo shoot, silver mushroom and sliced ham; the three whites (bamboo, mushroom, tofu) create a light, delicate contrast with the strong ham flavour.

Hefei signature noodles (合肥面条) — The everyday noodle of Hefei: wheat noodles in a pork broth, topped with a mix of ingredients that varies by shop. Less well-known outside the province but a reliable morning staple throughout Anhui.

River fish preparations — Whole freshwater fish — carp, mandarin fish, crucian carp — stewed in clay pots with bamboo, ham and a handful of seasonings. The long, slow cooking of the fish in these preparations concentrates the broth and produces a flavour entirely unlike the quick-cooked fish of the southern cuisines.

Where to eat in major cities

Tunxi (Huangshan city): The Tunxi Old Street (屯溪老街) is the most concentrated location for Huizhou food — vendors selling hairy tofu, stinky mandarin fish restaurants, local preserves and mountain-ingredient shops line both sides of the historic commercial street. The street is tourist-adjacent (it sells antiques and craft goods as well as food) but the food itself is the genuine article. For hairy tofu specifically, the street stalls that cook them fresh on griddles are the source.

Hefei: The provincial capital has a broader range of Anhui cooking than the mountain areas. The Chenghuangmiao area (城隍庙) and the streets around Xiaoao Square have concentrations of Anhui-style restaurants serving the full range of the provincial tradition, including the Huizhou specialities alongside the more accessible Wannan-style preparations.

Outside Anhui: Anhui restaurants are uncommon outside the province. The cuisine's heavy reliance on specific mountain ingredients makes it difficult to transplant convincingly. Stinky mandarin fish in particular is found almost exclusively in Anhui and in a handful of specialist restaurants in Shanghai and Hangzhou with direct supply chains.

Etiquette and dining culture

Anhui dining culture reflects the province's historical merchant tradition — formal, with attention to quality of ingredients and correct sequence. A Huizhou banquet has specific dishes that signal prosperity and celebration: stinky mandarin fish, whole braised ham, sea cucumber (imported via the merchant trade routes). The stinky mandarin fish is typically served without announcement; first-time visitors who smell it and are unsure whether it has gone off may need reassurance.

The mountain village restaurant experience — particularly in Hongcun and Xidi — can feel staged for tourism, but the food itself in the better establishments is genuinely Huizhou: simple, ingredient-led, with the fermentation and preservation tradition as its backbone.

Related cuisines: [Zhejiang cuisine](/food/zhejiang) shares the Yangtze-region freshwater fish and bamboo traditions. [Jiangsu cuisine](/food/jiangsu) shares the geographic border and some preparations. [Fujian cuisine](/food/fujian) shares the fermented seafood tradition.