The Fifth National List of Representative Elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage (非物质文化遗产) of China was announced, adding 185 items to the list, including the skills of making luosifen.

Luosifen, or river snail rice noodles, is a dish known for its special smell in the southern Chinese city of Liuzhou. Combining the traditional food of the Han people with that of the Miao and Dong ethnic (民族的) groups, luosifen is sour, spicy, salty, hot and even smelly after being boiled.

Originating in Liuzhou in the 1970s, luosifen served as an inexpensive street snack that people outside of the city knew little about. In 2012, luosifen appeared in a hit Chinese food TV program, A Bite of China. After that, it became a household name.

The development of the Internet, especially the boom of e-commerce, has brought this Chinese local food passion to a new level. Luosifen often shows up in videos by food bloggers. One of the most influential (有影响力的) bloggers has 15.5 million followers on social media. Her video of how to make luosifen has gained millions of views on the websites abroad.

The development of the Internet allowed luosifen to be well received. According to data from main e-commerce platforms, the turnover of luosifen in 2021 was 15 times more than that of 2020, with the number of buyers growing 9 times year on year.

As luosifen becomes more and more popular, the local government is trying to establish the official international position of this unique fine food. Authorities in Liuzhou City have applied for UNESCO’s recognition of luosifen as an intangible cultural heritage.

There are always the same number of restaurants on The Top 100, but every year offers more — more quality, more variety, more surprises. What never changes is how a restaurant gets on the list — wonderful food well served in an inviting setting, among which are some Chinese restaurants.

Long Island Pekin

Long Island Pekin reminds us of the first Chinese foods many of us fell in love with: the roast duck and pork, the lo mein and fried rice, the steamed dumplings and pot stickers. There are more, than a dozen dumplings and buns to start the meal, three types of noodles and then meats roasted in the “hung oven”， including Peking duck.

New Fu Run

New Fu Run has been serving the cuisine of Dongbei in Great Neck since 2017. Dongbei cooking tends to be earthier than Cantonese and not as spicy as Sichuan. Treat your taste buds (味蕾) to a cold starter of country-style beef with cucumber and the signature dish — Cumin Lamb Chop. Longing for something more familiar? Call three days in advance and New Fu Run will’ prepare a three-course meal based on Peking Duck.

Splendid Noodle

It’s always a splendid occasion when there’s a chef twisting, pounding and swinging ropes of wheat noodles in the air. The most sought-after Chinese noodle houses have an open kitchen where the acrobatics (杂技) are on display. The Stony Brook shop offers this wavy noodle as well as a couple cold noodle dishes in light sesame sauce.