Fenghuang's food is a mix of Miao, Tujia, and Hunanese cooking, with the tourist-oriented restaurants in the old town concentrating on visual appeal and catering to group tours. The better food is in the lanes slightly away from the main commercial streets, or at small places recommended by hostel staff. Sour fish soup (suantang yu) is the local specialty: river fish cooked in a broth made with fermented vegetables and rice wine, sharp and complex. Blood tofu — tofu made with fresh pork blood, braised with chilli — is another Fenghuang staple worth trying if you are feeling adventurous.
For quick meals, the street food stalls near the stepping stones and along the north bank sell grilled corn, sticky rice cakes, and various fried preparations. Prices at restaurants in the old town run ¥40–80 per person; street food costs ¥5–15 per item.