This photo taken on April 28, 2026 shows a bowl of Luosifen at a rice vermicelli restaurant in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Known for its pungent smell, Luosifen is an iconic delicacy of Liuzhou. It features rice vermicelli soaked in a spicy broth nicely flavored with river snails, topped with ingredients such as pickled bamboo shoots, string beans, peanuts, and fried tofu skin. In 2021, it was included in the fifth batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage list.

The distinctive smell and taste of Luosifen come from its pickled bamboo shoots. Li Ren, 39, is a smell evaluator for pickled bamboo shoots. He can judge the ripeness and quality of pickled bamboo shoots using olfaction and other supporting methods, thereby performing essential quality checks for these fermented ingredients. Li believes that there is no absolute data-driven standard for defining the optimal smell of pickled bamboo shoots. The assessment can only be made based on years of experience and a sharp olfactory sense. With consistent persistence and craftsmanship, Li is helping to preserve the authenticity of Luosifen while bearing witness to the growth of the local economy. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Li Ren records the fermentation status of pickled bamboo shoots in different stages at the pickled bamboo shoots workshop of a Luosifen company in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Li Ren records the fermentation status of pickled bamboo shoots in different stages at the pickled bamboo shoots workshop of a Luosifen company in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Li Ren smells pickled bamboo shoots at the pickled bamboo shoots workshop of a Luosifen company in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Li Ren checks the condition of pickled bamboo shoots at the pickled bamboo shoots workshop of a Luosifen company in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Li Ren checks the condition of pickled bamboo shoots at the pickled bamboo shoots workshop of a Luosifen company in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Li Ren smells pickled bamboo shoots to identify their fermentation status at an office of a Luosifen company in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Li Ren checks the sourness of pickled bamboo shoots at the laboratory of a Luosifen company in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)

Li Ren (R) invites a customer to try the smell of pickled bamboo shoots at an office of a Luosifen company in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 1, 2026. (Xinhua/Cao Yiming)