1 Fried Cactus Flowers
[Ingredients]
Cactus flowers …………………………………. 600 grams
Shredded ginger ………………………………… 10 grams
Toasted sesame seeds ……………………………. 20 grams
Salt and pepper ………………………………… 10 grams
Walnut slices ………………………………….. 50 grams
Vegetable oil ………………………………….. 850 grams
[Cooking Method]
- Pluck the cactus flowers, wash them clean, blanch in boiling water to remove bitterness, then sun-dry them for later use.
- Heat oil in a pan until moderately hot, then add the cactus flowers. Use chopsticks to gently spread the petals apart, fry until lightly floating, then fry again until golden. Once fried, the centers will naturally form oil bubbles. Remove and drain the oil. Plate and sprinkle with sesame seeds, walnut slices, shredded ginger, salt, and pepper.
[Key Techniques]
Avoid high heat to prevent burning the cactus flowers. Fry slowly in oil heated to a moderate temperature (about 30% hot), and use chopsticks to separate the petals during frying.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, the King of Nanzhao disguised himself to understand the hardships of the people. One day, in a Bai ethnic village during the spring, the king was enchanted by the natural beauty. Following a melodious song, he met a charming shepherdess. After exchanging greetings, she invited him into her home and served him flower cakes made from white azaleas picked two days prior, cooked into a soup. Fried cactus flowers, colorful cabbage, and homemade rice wine were also served. Despite being a simple meal, the king found it incredibly delicious and comforting. He said to the shepherdess, “From now on, come to the palace and cook this dish for me. During the ancestral rites, I will offer these three dishes to our ancestors.” Thus, the fragrant fried cactus flowers and the other two dishes gradually became beloved delicacies among the Bai people.
- This dish, using cactus flowers as the main ingredient, is quite rare. It features a blend of red and white colors, with a crispy and tender texture, making it an excellent dish for spring.
2 Spring Pumpkin Tips
[Ingredients]
Pumpkin tips ………………………………… 600 grams
Walnuts …………………………………….. 50 grams
Green chili peppers ………………………….. 20 grams
Salt ……………………………………….. 10 grams
Radish roots (daikon) ……………………….. 60 grams
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) ……………………. 4 grams
[Cooking Method]
- Wash the pumpkin thoroughly, sprinkle with salt, gently knead to remove excess moisture. Rinse and finely chop the green chili peppers and radish roots, blanch them in boiling water. Roast the walnuts over charcoal until cooked, then shell and chop the kernels.
- Grind the walnut kernels in a mortar, then mix with the pumpkin tips, green chili peppers, radish roots, salt, and MSG. Serve on a plate.
[Key Techniques]
- After blanching the pumpkin tips, avoid squeezing too hard; simply remove excess moisture.
- Be careful not to over-roast the walnuts.
[Flavor Characteristics]
This dish is fresh and delicately flavored, a favorite everyday dish among the Achang ethnic group.
3 Vegetarian Rolled Elbow
[Ingredients]
Spring roll pastry ……………………………… 1 sheet
Sesame oil ……………………………………. 10 grams
Granulated sugar ………………………………. 10 grams
Yam ………………………………………….. 10 grams
Soy sauce …………………………………….. 10 grams
Five-spice powder ……………………………… 5 grams
Shaoxing wine …………………………………. 5 grams
Chicken broth …………………………………. 50 grams
Salt ………………………………………… 10 grams
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) ……………………… 10 grams
[Cooking Method]
- Wash the yam, steam until tender, peel, and mash into a fine paste in a bowl. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, Shaoxing wine, sugar, MSG, five-spice powder, and chicken broth. Mix well.
- Lay the spring roll pastry flat on a clean surface. Evenly spread the seasoned yam paste over the pastry, then roll it into a cylinder shape. Wrap the roll with cheesecloth and tie tightly with a string. Steam until thoroughly cooked, approximately 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove the string and cheesecloth, brush with sesame oil, slice, and arrange on a plate.
[Key Techniques]
When rolling, apply moderate pressure to avoid breaking the spring roll pastry. Control the steaming time carefully; it should be ready in about 10 minutes.
[Flavor Characteristics]
This dish is a classic in Chinese cuisine, resembling a rolled elbow joint in appearance and offering a meaty flavor despite being vegetarian. It pairs excellently with wine.
4 Vegetarian Mixed Garlic with Chili
[Ingredients]
Garlic cloves ………………………………… 200 grams
Roasted and ground Tibetan chili ……………….. 200 grams
Cold water …………………………………… 300 milliliters
Crushed Tibetan dried cheese (bisha) …………… 100 grams
Yak butter residue (snow mountain yak butter residue) . 500 grams
Salt ……………………………………….. 30 grams
[Cooking Method]
- Peel and crush the garlic cloves into a paste. Roast the Tibetan chili until dark red, grind into chili powder. Roast the bisha until fragrant, then crush into coarse powder. Cut the yak butter residue into small pieces.
- Place the garlic paste, chili powder, bisha powder, yak butter residue, and salt into a Tibetan wooden box. Pour in cold water, mix well.
[Key Techniques]
Pay close attention to the roasting process of the Tibetan chili to ensure proper heat.
[Flavor Characteristics]
This dish utilizes ingredients favored by the Tibetan people, such as yak butter residue and bisha, combined with spicy seasonings like garlic paste and chili powder mixed with cold water. It is served in a traditional Tibetan wooden box, presenting a rich Tibetan flavor profile that is tangy, spicy, refreshing, and highly appetizing.
5 Stuffed Snow Pears
[Ingredients]
Snow pears (10) ………………………………. 1500 grams
Ham …………………………………………. 80 grams
Glutinous rice ……………………………….. 50 grams
Napa cabbage …………………………………. 80 grams
Pine nuts ……………………………………. 50 grams
Granulated sugar ……………………………… 100 grams
Lotus seeds ………………………………….. 80 grams
Rock sugar …………………………………… 100 grams
Jujubes ……………………………………… 60 grams
Wet starch …………………………………… 40 grams
Dried persimmon cakes …………………………. 60 grams
Washed sand ………………………………….. 60 grams
[Cooking Method]
- Select snow pears of uniform size, peel them, and slice off a lid from the top. Remove the pear core and replace the lid, securing it with a bamboo skewer. Rinse the pears in clean water.
- Grind the rock sugar into powder. Pit and chop the jujubes. Dice the ham, dried persimmon cakes, and pine nuts. Remove the veins from the napa cabbage and shred finely. Peel and core the lotus seeds, then cook until tender. Wash the glutinous rice and steam until cooked. Combine all ingredients and seasonings in a bowl, steam until fully cooked, then mix with washed sand to form the filling.
- Heat the wok and add the rendered lard, heating until it reaches medium-high heat. Fry the pears until golden, then drain off excess oil. Remove the pear lid, fill with the prepared filling, replace the lid, secure with a bamboo skewer, and steam until thoroughly cooked. Remove the pears and arrange them on a serving plate.
- Heat a pot, strain the steaming liquid from the pears into the pot, add granulated sugar and water, heat until the sugar dissolves. Thicken with wet starch, pour the thickened sauce over the pears.
[Key Techniques]
- After peeling and coring the snow pears, rinse them in clean water to prevent discoloration.
- When steaming the stuffed pears, maintain high heat and steam for approximately 1 hour.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- China is the center of origin for pear plants. The Book of Songs has long recorded their reputation as the “ancestor of all fruits.” Pears are nutritionally rich, containing proteins, fats, minerals, as well as fructose, glucose, sucrose, malic acid, citric acid, carotene, and vitamins B1, B2, and C. Highly beloved for their flavor, they are also used medicinally to treat various ailments, as stated in the Compendium of Materia Medica.
- Stuffed snow pears are a traditional sweet dish among the Bai people. They are clear and translucent, tender and sweet, with a rich pear fragrance. Grown near the Erhai Lake, they are as white as snow, smooth and sweet, surpassing duck pears in culinary use.
6 Bean Soup
[Ingredients]
Dried broad beans …………………………. 150 grams
Cilantro ………………………………….. 50 grams
Tofu ……………………………………… 200 grams
Salt ……………………………………… 20 grams
Bean curd skin …………………………….. 50 grams
Baking soda ……………………………….. 5 grams
Fresh taro ………………………………… 20 grams
Flour …………………………………….. 20 grams
Dried taro ………………………………… 20 grams
Fagara powder ……………………………… 5 grams
Dried shiitake mushrooms …………………… 20 grams
Walnut oil ………………………………… 200 grams
Dried red and green orchids …………………. 20 grams
[Cooking Method]
- Soak the dried broad beans in clean water for 12 hours, peel and segment them. Cook the fresh taro until tender, peel and shred it. Soften the bean curd skin and cut it into thin slices. Cut the tofu into small cubes, wash and shred the dried shiitake mushrooms. Deep fry the dried taro and dried orchids until crispy, then crumble them into small pieces. Wash the cilantro and cut it into sections.
- Heat a wok and pour in the walnut oil, heat until it’s 70% hot. Stir-fry the broad beans until cooked through, then pour in boiling water and baking soda. Cook until the soup turns milky white. Remove the broad beans with a slotted spoon, drain excess water, and mash them into a fine paste. Return the paste to the soup, add the fresh taro, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, and bean curd skin. Cook until everything is tender. Stir in the flour to thicken the soup, then season with salt, Fagara powder, and cilantro. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with dried taro and dried orchid crumbs.
[Key Techniques]
Cook the broad beans with a small amount of baking soda to soften them, but be careful not to use too much to avoid an excessive alkaline taste, which could affect the dish’s quality.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- Yunnan has a long history of cultivating broad beans, and they are used in a variety of dishes. Broad beans, also known as fava beans or Buddha beans, were historically imported into Yunnan from abroad, earning them the name “Hu Dou” as recorded in Taiping Yulan. During the Ming Dynasty, seeds of exceptional quality were brought back from Yunnan, known as “Buddha Beans.”
- Bean soup is a traditional soup dish among the Bai people in Dali, Yunnan. Made with broad beans, it is simple yet delicious, offering a delightful vegetarian option.
7 Honey Glazed Jew’s Ear
[Ingredients]
Dried Jew’s ear mushrooms ……………………. 400 grams
Rock sugar ………………………………….. 150 grams
Pigeon eggs …………………………………. 12
Honey ……………………………………….. 80 grams
Cherries …………………………………….. 12
[Cooking Method]
- Rinse the dried Jew’s ear mushrooms thoroughly after soaking them in water. Place them in a bowl with rock sugar and 300 grams of water. Steam over high heat for 15 minutes. Crack the pigeon eggs into 12 small teaspoons and steam them for 5 minutes.
- Heat a wok over high heat. Pour in the liquid from steaming the Jew’s ear mushrooms, add honey, and heat until the honey melts into a glaze. Arrange the Jew’s ear mushrooms in a serving dish, garnish around the edges with the steamed pigeon eggs and cherries in a cross pattern. Pour the honey glaze from the wok over the dish.
[Key Techniques]
Soak the dried Jew’s ear mushrooms in warm water, remove any sand particles from the roots, then soak them in clean water until ready to use.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- Jew’s ear mushrooms are primarily found in the rivers and streams of the Jinsha River basin in Yunnan. They are called “yellow wood ear” due to their golden color, or “brain ear” because of their resemblance to a brain. Being wild-harvested, their production is limited. They are rich in protein and trace elements, making them a nutritious supplement and highly valued as a “famous mountain delicacy.” They are abundant in counties like Lijiang, Weixi, and Zhongdian.
- Honey glazed Jew’s ear is a traditional sweet dish among the Hui people in Yunnan. The Jew’s ear mushrooms are simmered in a syrup of sugar and honey, resulting in a smooth and refreshing texture. The mushrooms are tender and glutinous, while the pigeon eggs are tender and fresh, offering health benefits such as calming the mind and nourishing the heart.
8 Pan-Fried Purple Rice-Stuffed Lotus Root Slices
[Ingredients]
Fresh lotus root …………………………….. 500 grams
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) …………………… 2 grams
Purple glutinous rice ………………………… 100 grams
Salt and pepper ……………………………… 4 grams
Minced chicken ………………………………. 500 grams
Egg whites ………………………………….. 3
Fresh lotus leaf …………………………….. 1
Cornstarch (wet) …………………………….. 60 grams
Salt ………………………………………… 8 grams
Peanut oil …………………………………. 100 grams
[Cooking Method]
- Steam the purple rice until cooked. Peel and boil the lotus root until tender, then slice into 3mm thick slices. In a bowl, combine minced chicken with salt, MSG, 1 egg white, and 300 grams of wet cornstarch. Mix well and add cooked purple rice, stirring evenly. Spread an even layer of the purple rice mixture onto each lotus root slice, forming pairs to create stuffed lotus root. Mix 2 egg whites with 30 grams of wet cornstarch to make a batter.
- Heat a frying pan over high heat and add peanut oil, heating until it reaches 70% hot. Dip each stuffed lotus root into the egg batter and fry until both sides are golden brown.
- Blanch the lotus leaf in boiling water, place on a serving plate, and arrange the stuffed lotus root slices on top. Serve with a side of salt and pepper.
[Key Techniques]
According to the “Dietary Records of Suixiju,” “Lotus root should be fat, white, and sweet. It is best eaten fresh when tender and cooked when mature.”
[Flavor Characteristics]
Purple rice is a specialty of Yunnan, coming in two types: purple indica and purple glutinous. It has uniform grains, a dark purple color, and a sweet fragrance, making it a popular delicacy and nutritional supplement. Lotus root, whether raw or cooked, is known for its ability to clear heat, generate fluids, cool blood, stop bleeding, and tonify the spleen and stomach, promoting blood circulation and healing. Pan-fried purple rice-stuffed lotus root slices combine the aromatic and chewy texture of purple rice with the crispy appeal of lotus root, creating a delightful dish cherished by the Hui people of Yunnan for entertaining guests.
9 Dried Winter Bamboo Shoots with Beef Jerky Threads
[Ingredients]
Fresh winter bamboo shoots …………………….. 600 grams
Cornstarch (wet) ……………………………… 20 grams
Beef jerky threads (Yu Ba Si) …………………… 100 grams
Green onions (cut into sections) …………………. 10 grams
Salt ………………………………………….. 5 grams
Chicken or duck fat/oil ………………………… 20 grams
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) ……………………… 5 grams
Peanut oil ……………………………………. 300 grams
White pepper powder ……………………………. 10 grams
Beef broth …………………………………… 150 milliliters
[Cooking Method]
- Peel and remove the roots from the fresh winter bamboo shoots, clean thoroughly, and cut into fine shreds. Blanch them in boiling water until fully cooked, then remove and rinse with cold water to cool. Fry the beef jerky threads in warm peanut oil until crispy, then remove and drain excess oil.
- Heat chicken or duck fat/oil in a wok over high heat until it reaches medium-high heat. Stir-fry the green onions and white pepper powder until fragrant. Add the bamboo shoots and pour in the beef broth, salt, and MSG. Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the fried beef jerky threads and mix well. Thicken with wet cornstarch, drizzle with a bit of sesame oil, and transfer to a serving plate.
[Key Techniques]
When using bamboo shoots in cooking, winter bamboo shoots are preferred, followed by spring bamboo shoots. Summer bamboo shoots, also known as whip bamboo shoots, are used less frequently.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- The Hui people in Yunnan have a wide distribution. Around the time of the Cold Dew season, households often slaughter well-fed and robust cattle for their meals. The finest quality beef jerky, known as “Yu Ba,” is chosen from the cattle. High-quality beef jerky is thick, plump, chestnut-colored, dry yet tender, moderately salty, fragrant but not overpowering, and has an elegant and rustic taste. It can be used in various dishes and can be preserved for 2 to 3 years.
- Dried winter bamboo shoots with beef jerky threads is a traditional Hui ethnic cuisine in Yunnan. The winter bamboo shoots are fresh and sweet, blending perfectly with the savory and aromatic beef jerky threads, creating a delightful culinary experience that is both fragrant and flavorful.
10 Stinky Tofu Beef Soup
[Ingredients]
Stinky tofu ………………………………….. 300 grams
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) …………………….. 3 grams
Beef broth …………………………………… 400 milliliters
Ground black pepper ……………………………. 3 grams
Green garlic shoots ……………………………. 600 grams
Chili paste …………………………………… 20 grams
Salt …………………………………………. 10 grams
Rapeseed oil ………………………………….. 30 grams
[Cooking Method]
- Cut the stinky tofu into 3.5 cm square pieces. Trim the yellow leaves from the green garlic shoots, wash them thoroughly, and slice diagonally.
- Heat rapeseed oil in a wok over high heat until it is 50-60% hot. Fry the stinky tofu on both sides until golden brown. Add the green garlic shoots, toss briefly, then pour in the beef broth, salt, MSG, and ground black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with chili paste before serving.
[Key Techniques]
This is a soup dish, where stinky tofu is ideally paired with beef broth and complemented by green garlic shoots to achieve an authentic flavor.
[Flavor Characteristics]
- Stinky tofu is made by fermenting regular tofu with microbes, resulting in a white or yellowish fungal growth on its surface, which emits a distinctive odor due to the breakdown of proteins. Despite its “stinky” reputation, there’s a saying that goes, “Stinky tofu smells bad but tastes good.” Naturally fermented stinky tofu is smooth, without residue, and melts in your mouth, offering a unique and intense flavor profile.
- Stinky tofu beef soup is a traditional dish among the Hui ethnic group in Yunnan. Its uniqueness lies in the skillful combination of ingredients, resulting in a distinct flavor that is both popular and enjoyed especially during the harsh winter months. It is particularly favored in northeastern and western Yunnan.