Guilin Water Chestnut Juice

Guilin Water Chestnut Juice is the most popular "natural sweet drink" on the streets, pressed from fresh water chestnuts (bíqí), sweet, refreshing, with a faint earthy fragrance. To make it, water chestnuts are washed, peeled, cut into pieces, put into a juicer with a little water, blended, filtered, and served—with optional sugar or ice. The juice is milky white, light-textured, with tiny crunchy water chestnut bits. Its sweetness comes naturally from the fruit, needing little added sugar, making it thirst-quenching and healthy. Growing in paddy fields, water chestnuts have cooling properties, ideal for dry seasons. At markets or near scenic spots in Guilin, vendors often make it on-site with juicers; the fresh aroma spreads as the machine runs, attracting passers-by. A glass of iced water chestnut juice pairs perfectly with spicy Guilin rice noodles, balancing the heat. Foreigners will enjoy the pure natural sweetness, finding it like "crunchy sweet juice"—one of the drinks that best showcase the original taste of Guilin's local ingredients.