China's Most Addictive Rice Companion: A Flavor Punch Stronger Than Stinky Tofu!

In the early morning of Mangshi, Yunnan, stepping into any rice noodle shop, you'll witness a surprising scene—locals eating tree bark! Holding a piece of tree root in their left hand and a small knife in their right, they scrape "bark" shavings into a bowl of rice noodles. This ingredient is called "mountain pepper flakes" by the locals.

Mountain pepper flakes, the soul of Mangshi rice noodles.

What does "mountain pepper flakes" taste like? Fragrant, spicy, and stimulating—among the many condiments Mangshi people add to their rice noodles, "mountain pepper" outshines chili, mint, fish mint, fragrant willow, and Burmese coriander, becoming their favorite. To them, rice noodles without mountain pepper are like a sentence without a period—incomplete. With just a few sprinkles, it elevates the flavor of a bowl of rice noodles to another level.

The "mountain pepper" in Mangshi people's hands is actually the root of the Litsea cubeba plant. You may have encountered Litsea cubeba in Guizhou's sour soup. Not limited to Yunnan and Guizhou, this seasoning is ubiquitous across the Southwest and even the Hunan-Hubei region. People love its unique aroma and character, consuming its fruits, leaves, and branches, using it to create endless culinary codes.

Among the many spices of the Southwest, Litsea cubeba holds a particularly special place.

Now, Litsea cubeba has gained increasing recognition alongside Southwest cuisine. Some say China's most "addictive" spice is none other than Litsea cubeba. Beyond the five basic tastes—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty—it carves out its own niche.

Due to its high content of citral and limonene, Litsea cubeba's aroma resembles fresh lemon and lemongrass—refreshing yet with a hint of minty coolness. For first-timers encountering it at the table, its scent is unforgettable: some eagerly pick up their chopsticks, while others immediately pinch their noses in aversion.

Litsea cubeba, the soul of Guizhou's sour fish soup.

Just how "addictive" is Litsea cubeba, this beloved Southwest seasoning?

Mountain pepper? Mountain litsea? Mountain spice?

What exactly is this magical spice, Litsea cubeba?

To find the "true form" of Litsea cubeba, one must look to the forests of the Southwest: south of 34°N latitude in Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan, in sunlit hills and mountains below 3,000 meters, among trees or shrubs, lies the home of the Lauraceae Litsea genus. China alone has about 70 species of Litsea, but only seven or eight are used as edible spices.

Litsea cubeba, the magical spice found everywhere in Southwest forests.

Photo/lzf, Image/Adobe Stock

Finding Litsea cubeba in the Southwest mountains requires some luck. Due to its resemblance, many outsiders mistake it for inedible camphorwood, but locals can instantly spot its enchanting presence among the trees.

Rich in citral and limonene, Litsea cubeba, as a famed Southwest spice, has a character entirely its own. Its aroma alone is irresistible, and when combined with other ingredients, it unlocks endless possibilities. Ordinary ingredients, enhanced by Litsea cubeba, gain new dimensions—removing gaminess, adding fragrance, or cutting through greasiness. Litsea cubeba can elevate any dish with unique layers of flavor.

Litsea cubeba's aroma pairs well with any food.

Litsea cubeba's flavor is so extraordinary that it stands out even among the Southwest's rich spice repertoire. It appears in various forms across Southwest cuisine—whether as shavings from its branches in rice noodles, seeds from its fruits in dipping sauces, or as extracted Litsea cubeba oil in countless dishes.

Litsea cubeba roasted chicken, a recent innovative dish from Guizhou.

Litsea cubeba is like a brush, wielded by Southwest people to write different culinary answers.

Cooking hotpot, making dipping sauces, mixing cold dishes...

The magical ways to eat Litsea cubeba are beyond your imagination!

The wildness of Southwest China lies in its ingredients and seasonings.

Mint, coriander, lemongrass, fish mint... They may not be the stars of the table, but they control the taste buds of diners. Among them, Litsea cubeba has an exceptionally high "appearance rate": in pre-meal cold dishes, there might be chicken feet marinated with it; when eating a bowl of brine tofu, you encounter it again in the dipping sauce; a pot of sour fish soup arrives, and its aroma still lingers in the fiery red broth.

Left: Guizhou sour fish soup; Right: Enshi cold mixed Litsea cubeba.

Whether as a star or a supporting role, Litsea cubeba is incredibly versatile.

Tasting food in Southwest China is like listening to a Litsea cubeba symphony—bright and dark, rising and falling, with varied flavors.

For Guizhou natives far from home, when talking about hometown flavors, besides fish mint, it’s Litsea cubeba.

In the morning, the streets and alleys of Guizhou are filled with the aroma of rice noodles, where could the essential seasoning "Litsea cubeba oil" be missing? At night, various hotpots dominate the late-night snacks, and how could the enticing aroma of Litsea cubeba be absent from the dipping sauces?

In Guizhou, Litsea cubeba is also present in various rice noodles.

Authentic Guizhou sour fish soup is incomplete without the divine touch of Litsea cubeba.

Discerning Guizhou sour fish soup chefs use Litsea cubeba oil extracted through cold immersion at room temperature to preserve its flavor to the fullest. A few drops into the pot, and the aroma fills the entire kitchen, instantly adding a refreshing and invigorating note to the boiling sour soup, enhancing the fish’s freshness with an extra layer of crispness.

Among the ingredients for making sour fish soup, Litsea cubeba is the most important.

At restaurants serving sour fish soup, you don’t even need to step inside—just passing by the door, you can smell the aroma of Litsea cubeba. Some connoisseurs can tell if the dish is authentic just by a whiff.

Litsea cubeba fruits resemble Sichuan peppercorns, inspiring some to adapt the "green peppercorn sea bass" recipe into a "Litsea cubeba oil-drizzled sea bass." After steaming the fish, garnish it with Litsea cubeba, pour hot oil over it, and the fruit releases a cool aftertaste starkly different from peppercorns, adding a refreshing crispness to the tender sea bass that keeps you coming back for more.

Litsea cubeba oil-drizzled sea bass—Litsea cubeba boasts endless creative uses.

The fruiting season of Litsea cubeba is short, and fresh fruits are hard to preserve, with their flavor fading quickly. So, during summer and autumn, large harvests are immediately processed to retain their essence—turned into oil, salted into pickles, or dried as a household spice.

Beyond the fruit itself, Litsea cubeba leaves and flowers are also used in cooking. Guizhou locals habitually toss a few leaves into stews to remove gaminess and enhance aroma. When the flowers bloom in spring, they’re picked and pounded with chilies into a paste, creating a Guizhou-style chili sauce.

Litsea cubeba oil—Guizhou’s magical spice.

Some say Guizhou historically lacked salt, so flavor-enhancing spices like Litsea cubeba became deeply embedded in every corner of its cuisine. It’s in sour soups, dipping sauces, and homemade fermented beans—always a few drops of oil or a couple of leaves. Litsea cubeba takes many forms on Guizhou tables, and the locals’ understanding and use of it truly lead the way in Southwest China.

Yunnan rice noodles boast countless ways of preparation, such as cross-bridge rice noodles, small-pot rice noodles, eel rice noodles, free-range chicken rice noodles, and roasted pork rice noodles. Spending just a month in Yunnan allows one to enjoy a different rice noodle dish every meal. Among them, the rice noodles from Dehong share the deepest bond with litsea cubeba, which locals consider the essence added to their noodles.

Dark brown litsea cubeba stems stand on the condiment table, creating a striking visual contrast with other green, yellow, and red ingredients. To extract their flavor, one must use a knife to shave off bits as needed, embodying a rugged, wild beauty.

Litsea cubeba stems of varying thicknesses in a Yunnan market.

Adding shaved litsea cubeba powder to breakfast rice noodles is as routine as squeezing toothpaste when brushing teeth—a daily necessity that spices up their lives. Some Dehong natives even bring a litsea cubeba stem to college, shaving it over noodles in the cafeteria for the quickest way to transport themselves back home.

Yunnan people utilize litsea cubeba in every way imaginable—some crush it to dress beef or pig ears cold. In Kunming’s Zuanxin Market, litsea cubeba is ubiquitous, with multiple stalls advertising "litsea cubeba chicken feet." Fresh litsea cubeba, stems, oil, and charred pepper-litsea blends are all available. Whether for cold or hot dishes, it’s a staple in Yunnanese kitchens.

Litsea cubeba chicken feet in a Kunming market.

Some locals call litsea cubeba the "enchanting stick"—a human-exclusive catnip. Its lemony freshness is irresistibly intoxicating.

Litsea cubeba dipping sauce is their ultimate tribute to this mountain gift. Crushed into submission and mixed with charred peppers, mint, cilantro, and more, it makes even shoe leather taste divine. Any ingredient, meat or vegetable, boiled and dipped, instantly gains a mesmerizing complexity.

Litsea cubeba: the soul seasoning of southwestern dipping sauces.

On Yunnan tables, 1+1 equals infinite possibilities—one food paired with one dipping sauce yields endless flavors. The boundaries of dipping sauces are stretched endlessly wide, with litsea cubeba as a key player.

Unlike Yunnan and Guizhou’s dazzling litsea cubeba dishes, Hubei’s Yichang locals show restraint, favoring it raw in cold salads.

Yichang’s litsea cubeba ripens in early spring, its green pods brimming with seasonal freshness. Rare and prized, early batches cost 4–10 yuan per liang (50g). To Hubei natives, eating it raw honors this spring gift; cooking it would be sacrilege.

Garlic slices tossed with raw litsea cubeba—a clash of bold, primal flavors.

The fresher the litsea cubeba, the more intense its aroma. The cold salad approach is bracing: cool minty notes rush up the nose, followed by lingering spice at the tongue’s root, with an oily slickness left behind. One bite feels like swallowing spring whole.

Excess spring harvests are jarred—Hubei people preserve time and flavor this way. Litsea cubeba chili paste becomes their weapon against time’s march.

Litsea cubeba chili paste: Hubei’s soul spice.

Photo/PAOPAOANFANG, Image/IC

Broadening our view, litsea cubeba appears nationwide.

Sichuan and Chongqing also adore it, especially near Guizhou. Noodles, dumplings, or stir-fries get a drop of litsea oil for instant elevation. Yi-style Sichuan spicy chicken even uses dried litsea twigs for a cooling hint.

Cantonese enjoy litsea fish, where it plays a supporting role—tossed fresh into hot oil for flavor and garnish. Fujianese brew its flowers and fruit into tea for summer relief. A Guangxi netizen shared that some even use it for foot soaks—proof of its unexpected versatility.

In the southwest, there is also chili powder flavored with Litsea cubeba.

Modern cuisine has also taken notice of this ancient spice. Some bakeries have incorporated Litsea cubaba and meat into bagels, creating Litsea cubeba beef bagels; some mixologists have used Litsea cubeba in cocktails, opening up entirely new flavor profiles. No matter how it is presented, those familiar with it can instantly detect its presence—still as enchanting and intoxicating as ever.

For people in the southwest, Litsea cubeba is the taste of home, a culinary synesthesia, and a fluid sense of flavor. Many southwesterners who leave their hometowns for distant places pack Litsea cubeba in their luggage—some carry a stalk of it, some tuck away a jar of pickled Litsea cubeba, and others bring along a bottle of Litsea cubeba oil. Wherever they go, the scent of Litsea cubeba follows. To them, it represents the flavor of their homeland, evoking familiarity, comfort, and a sense of rootedness.

Litsea cubeba: a taste of home you can carry with you.