Eating in Hongcun means Huizhou cuisine — the mountain-influenced cooking of southern Anhui, built around preserved ingredients, strong flavors, and braised preparations. The village's restaurants are concentrated near the main entrance and along the lanes leading to the Moon Pond; quality varies, but the cooking is generally honest and the dishes are genuinely regional.
The dish most identified with the area is Huizhou hairy tofu — bean curd that has been deliberately fermented until a white mold develops on the surface, then pan-fried until crisp outside and creamy within. The smell is intense, the taste is remarkable. Stinky mandarin fish (chouxiyu) — river fish salted and fermented for several days — is another Huizhou specialty that provokes strong reactions; it is absolutely worth trying once. Bamboo shoot dishes are excellent in spring when the fresh shoots are at their peak.
Guesthouses inside the village typically include a home-cooked dinner option for staying guests — this is often the best value and most genuinely local meal available.