At the table
Mix from the bottom so the sour greens, chili and sauce reach all the rice. Ask for less chili before the bowl is dressed if you prefer a gentler version. Enjoy it on its own or with other cold dishes; check the meat topping when ordering.
The usual meat-sauce version is not vegetarian or vegan. The dish name does not specify which meat is used. Peanuts may be added, and sauces may contain soy or wheat; confirm the actual sauce and shared utensils if you have allergies. Omitting the visible meat topping alone does not establish that all seasoning is plant-based.
Local preparations use dried fermented greens, with celery, bean sprouts, cilantro, chili and meat sauce among the toppings. Crushed peanuts are common in photographed servings. The pickle, sauce recipe, meat species and vegetable mix vary by seller. This mixed-rice version should not be confused with a bowl centered on red sour soup.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Local preparations use dried fermented greens, with celery, bean sprouts, cilantro, chili and meat sauce among the toppings. Crushed peanuts are common in photographed servings. The pickle, sauce recipe, meat species and vegetable mix vary by seller. This mixed-rice version should not be confused with a bowl centered on red sour soup.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Tangy, salty and chili-hot, with rich meat sauce, fresh herbs and nutty peanuts. The amount of chili and sour greens changes the balance from bowl to bowl.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Soft rice grains with chopped preserved greens, crumbly meat sauce and crunchy peanut pieces. Celery and bean sprouts add crispness in some versions; the dressing moistens the rice.
- How it’s made
- Prepare cooked rice and the separate cooked meat topping, chop the sour greens and arrange them with chili, herbs and other prepared vegetables over the rice. Mix the toppings through before eating. Cold rice is used in local cold-dish shops; this is assembled rice rather than a stir-fried rice dish.
Local preparations use dried fermented greens, with celery, bean sprouts, cilantro, chili and meat sauce among the toppings. Crushed peanuts are common in photographed servings. The pickle, sauce recipe, meat species and vegetable mix vary by seller. This mixed-rice version should not be confused with a bowl centered on red sour soup.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Yunnan.
About this regional connection
Yunnan: Wenshan liangpin cold-dish shops, markets and night stalls.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有酸菜饭吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
A rice bowl from Wenshan’s cold-dish shops
Wenshan’s liangpin shops serve dressed rice alongside cold rice noodles and other prepared dishes. Sour-greens rice also appears at local markets and night stalls. Its appeal lies in combining a plain rice base with sharp pickles, chili and a varied set of toppings.