Adrien Brill displays a stinky mandarin fish pizza he made. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Zhang Jun)

Stinky mandarin fish pizza has become a surprise hit in rural China, but the chef behind this unlikely fusion isn't a local cook; it's an American who has made east China's Anhui Province his home.

Adrien Brill has lived in China for 16 years, winning over both Chinese and foreign visitors with his creative fusion dishes in Nanxinan village, which sits along the Xin'an River in Huangshan.

Even on a sweltering summer afternoon well past lunch, customers continue streaming into Brill's pizza shop. Almost all are there for one reason: to try the famous stinky mandarin fish pizza.

Brill arrived in Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2009 at age 18, teaching English before enrolling at Sichuan University to study Chinese.

Outside of class, he started a band with friends. At a music festival, he met his future wife, Qiu Tong, a Huangshan native. On his first visit to Huangshan in 2015, Brill fell in love with the local food, especially stinky mandarin fish. He ate it almost weekly and soon learned to make it himself.

In 2021, Brill, who had settled in Huangshan, was invited to join a stinky mandarin fish cooking competition. "I knew I couldn't beat the local masters at the traditional dish. So why not try something different: stinky mandarin fish pizza?" he said.

The fusion wasn't simple. "It's not just tossing fish on pizza. The trick is blending the flavors," Brill said.

Adrien Brill bakes a stinky mandarin fish pizza. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Zhang Jun)

Brill brushed the crust with rich broth from the fish to deepen the taste, then added pickled onions and tomatoes to balance the flavors with a tangy note.

The fusion pizza was an instant hit, inspiring Brill to open his own shop.

Brill's kitchen centers around a large oven where he and his team slide pizzas in and out, perfectly baked in 90 seconds: crisp outside, soft inside.

In 2021, Brill began sharing cooking videos on social media, showcasing both his fusion creations and traditional Western dishes like pasta.

Over time, he was drawn deeper into Chinese culture, with his videos showing him picking mugwort, celebrating Chinese New Year, joining fish lantern parades and helping villagers with autumn harvests.

"The mountains, the rivers and the warmth of the people here heal me every day," Brill said. After 16 years in China, he now sees himself as part of the country.

In 2023, Nanxinan village officials renovated 10 vacant buildings and partnered with a commercial operator to create a food-themed tourism district. They invited Brill to open his restaurant as part of the development. In August 2023, Brill officially opened his shop.

Compared with well-known tourist spots like Hongcun and Xidi villages, Nanxinan had long been quiet.

"Back then, hardly anyone came here. My shop had just three tables: more like a workshop for testing recipes," Brill recalled. In those early days, he spent mornings teaching English at a local university.

To his surprise, the tiny three-table restaurant quickly gained attention. Visitors who had watched his videos came to taste the stinky mandarin fish pizza and to meet the man behind the viral dish.

After a month, Brill expanded the shop, adding more tables and opening a terrace where diners could enjoy pizzas with views of the Xin'an River.

Nanxinan, with a history of more than 1,100 years, is famous for tofu making. The village is home to over 20 tofu workshops, employing over 200 people and generating more than 30 million yuan ($4.19 million) annually.

Inspired by this, Brill began testing tofu pizzas. He found the creamy texture of furry tofu a perfect match. Soon, his furry tofu pizza became another bestseller.

In June, Brill took his creation to Italy, the birthplace of pizza, to compete in an international contest. There, he impressed judges with his unique recipe and shared photos of the furry tofu-making process, introducing the flavors and culture of Huangshan to the world.