Milk Fan of Bai Ethnic People

"Milk fan" is a traditional solid dairy product peculiar to the Bai nationality. It is mainly produced in Dengchuan of Eyuan County and has the shape of a fan. So, it is named as "milk fan" or "Dengchuan milk fan."

Although tasteful, milk fan is not complicated to make. The making process is: first ferment the milk into acidophilus milk and heat it in a boiler to a temperature of 70 to 80 degrees Celsius; then add some fresh milk and stir it with a wooden spoon. The acidophilus milk and the fresh milk flocculate and then agglomerate. Take the agglomerate out, knead it and then pull it into a thin piece that is about 20 centimeters long and 8 centimeters wide. Last, pull the two ends of the piece a little thinner and longer, and dry it with the two ends rolled around two slender bamboo rods. The distance between the two rods is about 16 to 17 centimeters and there can be more than 10 milks fan drying on them. After drying, the two-layer milk fans can be loosened and then taken off. As a tasteful food, milk fan is also rich in fat, protein, lactose and many other nourishing ingredients. Milk fans can be stored for a long time and are portable. The Bai people often entertain their guests with a dish prepared with milk fans, or give it to people as presents.

There are various ways to cook milk fans. Cook eggs with fresh milk and put some milk fans and rock candy, and then you have what is called "fresh milk, egg, rock candy, milk fans." If you cook eggs with brown sugar and milk fans, you will have milk fan poached eggs. You can also cook other dishes with milk fans, such as "fried milk fan chips," "braised sanxian (three kinds of fresh food) milk fans," "deep-fried milk fans," and "steamed stuffed bun with milk fan inside," and many others. To conclude, milk fans are sweet when eaten raw, fragrant and spicy when fried, soft and tasteful when cooked, refreshing when steamed, and excessively aromatic when baked with some salt. Whichever cooking method you take, milk fans are always palatable and have a strong aftertaste.