People who take a tour to Chuxiong city never forget to taste the food there. As a city having various Chinese ethnic minorities, the local food is different from the one in other places. All the foods in Chuxiong city local culture of ethnic minorities, and all the materials are from this place. It is the creation of local people and the work of human wisdom. This article will take you into the local life to discover the stunning food in this Yunnan city.All the foods talked about below are the representatives of local food and the essence of local food culture. They are also the top recommended ones to tourists who will be or have been in Chuxiong city.

Mutton

Chuxiong  The Yi ethnic people in Chuxiong take mutton as a household dish to treat guests. When they are preparing mutton hotpot, no condiments except salt are added in the caldron. But assorted spices will play their role on the dining table such as Chinese prickly ash berries (Huajiao, huā jiāo), cayenne, coriander, onion, ginger and mint. The sheepy odor is smartly and completely concealed for appetite.

(Picnic-style mutton hotpot of Chuxiong)

In most of Yi ethnic communities, mutton is a must for festivals and celebrations. If you go there some day, you will be definitely invited to a meal. Besides mutton, you'll be served home-brewed liquor. What a meal!

Roasted Pig

Yuanmou pig roast along with a local flavor is the traditional cuisine, raw materials, which use lean pig, get it clean and then, coated with a variety of condiments, baked on charcoal fire until cooked skin yellow flesh.

Cold Chicken

The cold chicken has been a name card in food for travelers to Yuanmou.

The cooking method of the cold chicken in Yuanmou County differs from other places in Yunnan. When a spring chick is killed and well cleaned. The local people put the whole chick into the pot and scald it with heated water. The water is heated but not boiled. When the skin wrinkles, take it out and cut it into slice. The cold chicken is ready when the seasonings are prepared for gingering up. The meat tastes sweet and fresh.

As a branded product in Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, it has enjoyed a history of nearly one hundred years. And it is a must-choice for tourists to the county. 

Barking Deer Jerky

Ehydration is all about removing water from food. Doing this helps to preserve the food (bacteria need water) and concentrate flavor. It’s a common misconception that you need heat to dehydrate food. But low humidity, not heat, is the driving force behind dehydration. Warming the air surrounding the food helps keep it dry, but if the air doesn’t move, the food will stay wet. So when dehydrating food in the kitchen, make certain that air can freely circulate around it.

Sidenote: You can achieve the same preservation of dehydration by leaving the water in food but making it unavailable to bacteria. Just add substances like sugar and salt, which bind to water molecules and lock them away. Lox (salt-cured salmon) and salted butter are safe to keep at room temperature for this reason—but unsalted butter is not!