Yunnan Food

Yunnan Province with its mild climate and abundant rainfall is home to a large variety of plant and animal species, making the ingredients used in Yunnan Cuisine very diverse. Yunnan Cuisine, often referred to as Dian Cuisine, has its own unique style because of its geographic location, diverse local plant and animal species and numerous ethnic minority groups. Many ethnic minority groups are located in Yunnan Province and they have each added their own cooking styles to Yunnan Cuisine, making it a beautiful mix of many different styles of cooking and preparation styles. The characteristics of Yunnan cuisine are a moderate balance of sour and spicy, tender and sweet. Yunnan Cuisine strives to keep the original taste of each of its ingredients.

Steamed-pot Chicken (Qiguoji):
Yunnan's Steamed-pot Chicken, can only be found in Yunnan. It is unique for its steaming pot, which was invented by Yunnan residents. The dish became famous during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Emperor Qianlong on his tour of Yunnan tasted the dish and spoke highly of it. The chicken is boiled in the special steaming pot which has an opening in the center. Rare medicinal herbs native to Yunnan are added to the pot. The chicken is tender and the soup is delicious. Steamed-pot Chicken is also very nutritious and local residents claim that the soup has many medicinal qualities.

Bridge-crossing Rice Noodles (Guoqiaomixian):
This specialty of Yunnan Province is extremely popular with locals and visitors alike. There are many legends about how this dish got its name, but the most common states that a man in ancient China was imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. His wife brought him dinner every night by crossing a long bridge. By the time the food got to her husband it was cold, so the wife devised a new dish that used a fat chicken, so the oil in broth would coat the noodles, keeping them warm. The dish caught on and it got the name Bridge-crossing Noodles because in honor of the dutiful wife. The dish is essentially a rich soup made of meat, with rice noodles, and spices. The most soup broth is made by boiling a fat chicken and pig soup bones, but many other ingredients can be added or substituted. Other meats used in the preparation of the broth are chicken, pork, liver, fresh fish, ham, and cuttlefish. After the broth is p0repared, rice noodles are added to the bowl, followed by vegetables, chili oil, ground peppers, sesame oil, and salt. The finished dish is wonderful, and is what most locals eat for breakfast.

Yunnan's famous Steamed-pot Chicken

Bridge-crossing Noodles

Xuanwei Ham:
Also known as Cloud Ham, Xuanwei Ham is one China's three most famous ham dishes. It is known for its fragrance, appearance, and fantastic taste. The ham is slightly salty and sweet, without an oily taste. It is one of visitor's to Yunnan Province's most popular dishes.

Mushrooms:
Yunnan Province is blessed with the perfect climate and amount of rainfall for growing mushrooms. Yunnan is home to many species of edible mushrooms such as cow liver mushroom, and monkey head mushrooms. Each type has a unique taste and is extremely nutritious. Mushrooms are a favorite of Yunnan locals. Visitors to Yunnan should try the local mushroom hotpot.

 

Yunnan's mushrooms

Yunnan cuisine (滇菜, pinyin: Diāncài; or 云南菜, pinyin: Yúnnán cài) 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.

Famous dishes
 
Ingredients used for dishes in YunnanBoluo fan 菠萝饭 (Pineapple rice, found in Xishuangbanna and possibly other Dai areas)

Guoqiao mixian 过桥米线 ('Crossing the bridge' or 'Across the bridge' noodles, Yunnan's best known dish. Consists of a bowl of chicken stock to which diners add their own selection of paper-thin meat slices, noodles, vegetables and spices, much like a hot pot. Found throughout the province.)

Qi guo ji 气锅鸡 (Steam pot chicken, chicken steamed with tonic herbs in a special ceramic pot)

Pu'er cha 普洱茶 (Pu-erh tea, traditionally grown in Simao)
Yiliang Roast Duck 宜良烤鴨 crispy skin roast duck similar to Peking duck but uses honey on to crisp and colour the skin and roasted with pine branches and needles, which imparts a unique flavour on the duck.
Shiping doufu 石屏豆腐 (Shiping tofu)
Erkuai 饵块 (highly refined and compressed rice cakes)
Rubing 乳并 (goat's milk cheese, from Bai cuisine in the area near Dali)
Rushan (cow milk cheese)