Thursday, October 28, 2010

Food in Yunnan




Yunnan cuisine is an amalgam of Han Chinese and Chinese minority cuisines. As the province with the largest number of ethnic minorities, Yunnan has a great variety of food, and it is difficult to make generalisations. Many Yunnanese dishes are quite spicy, and mushrooms feature prominently. Another important characteristic of Yunnan cuisine is the wide use of flowers as food. Two of the province's most famous products are the renowned pu-erh tea(洱茶) which is traditionally grown in Simao; as well as Xuanwei ham (宣威腿), which is often used to flavour stewed and braised foods in Chinese cuisine, as well as for making the stocks and broths of many Chinese soups.

Like examples:
Guo qiao mi xian 过桥米线 ('Crossing the bridge' or 'Across the bridge' noodles), Yunnan's best known dish.Typically consists of a bowl of chicken stock, to which diners add their own selection of paper-thin meat slices, noodles (mixian), vegetables and spices, much like a hot pot. Ubiquitous throughout the province. Qi guo ji 气锅鸡 (Steam pot chicken), chicken steamed with tonic herbs in a special ceramic pot.  Boluo fan 萝饭 (Pineapple rice), found in Xishuangbanna and possibly other Dai areas.Yiliang Roast Duck 宜良烤鴨, crispy skin roast duck similar to Peking duck, but honey is used to crisp and colour the skin. It is roasted with pine branches and needles, which imparts a unique flavour on the duck. Jidou liangfen 鸡豆凉粉, a savoury jelly made from chickpea flourShiping doufu 屏豆腐 (Shiping tofu) Erkuai 饵块 (highly refined and compressed rice cakes). Lufu 卤腐, a type of fermented bean curd, typically used as a condiment or made into sauces. It is reddish yellow in colour, with a soft texture and a savory flavor. Rubing  (goat's milk cheese, from Bai cuisine in the area near Dali). Rushan (cow milk cheese).