Yunnan cuisine
Encyclopedia
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 mushroom
s feature prominently. Another important characteristic of Yunnan cuisine is the wide use of flower
s as food. Two of the province's most famous products are the renowned pu-erh tea
(普洱茶) 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.
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
and Chinese minority cuisines. As the province with the largest number of ethnic minorities
Minority group
A minority is a sociological group within a demographic. The demographic could be based on many factors from ethnicity, gender, wealth, power, etc. The term extends to numerous situations, and civilizations within history, despite the misnomer of minorities associated with a numerical statistic...
, Yunnan has a great variety of food, and it is difficult to make generalisations. Many Yunnanese dishes are quite spicy, and mushroom
Mushroom
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus; hence the word "mushroom" is most often applied to those fungi that...
s feature prominently. Another important characteristic of Yunnan cuisine is the wide use of flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s as food. Two of the province's most famous products are the renowned pu-erh tea
Pu-erh tea
Pu'er, Pu-erh, Puer, also Po Lei or Bolay is a variety of post-fermented tea produced in Yunnan province, China. Post-fermentation is a tea production style in which the tea leaves undergo a microbial fermentation process after they are dried and rolled. This is a Chinese specialty and is sometimes...
(普洱茶) which is traditionally grown in Simao
Simao
Pu'er City is a prefecture-level city in Yunnan Province, China. In 2007, the city of Simao changed its name to Puer city . By doing so, it has had an effect the size of the official Puer tea production area. The urban administrative center of Pu'er is Simao District, which is also the former...
; as well as Xuanwei ham (宣威腿), which is often used to flavour stewed and braised foods in Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
, as well as for making the stocks and broths of many Chinese soups.
Famous dishes
- Guo qiao mi xianGuo qiao mi xianCrossing the bridge noodles is a kind of rice noodle soup from Yunnan province, China. It is one of the most common dishes in Yunnan cuisine.-History:The bridge-crossing noodle's origins are uncertain...
过桥米线 ('Crossing the bridge' or 'Across the bridge' noodles), Yunnan's best known dish. Typically consists of a bowl of chicken stockChicken soupChicken soup is a soup made by bringing to a boil and then simmering chicken parts and/or bones in water, with various vegetables and flavorings. The classic chicken soup consists of a clear broth, often served with small pieces of chicken or vegetables, or with noodles or dumplings, or grains such...
, to which diners add their own selection of paper-thin meat slices, noodlesMixianMi xian Chinese: 米線/米线; Pinyin: mǐ xiàn) is a type of rice noodle from the Yunnan Province of China. It is made from ordinary non-glutinous rice, and it is generally sold fresh rather than dried....
(mixian), vegetables and spices, much like a hot potHot potHot pot , less commonly Chinese fondue or steamboat, refers to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table...
. Ubiquitous throughout the province. - Qi guo ji 气锅鸡 (Steam pot chicken), chickenChicken (food)Chicken is the most common type of poultry in the world, and is prepared as food in a wide variety of ways, varying by region and culture.- History :...
steamed with tonic herbHerbExcept in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
s in a special ceramicCeramicA ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
pot. - Boluo fan 菠萝饭 (Pineapple rice), found in Xishuangbanna and possibly other DaiDai peopleThe Dai peoples is one of several ethnic groups living in the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture , but by extension can apply to groups in Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Burma when Dai is used to mean specifically Tai Lue, Chinese Shan or even...
areas. - Yiliang Roast Duck 宜良烤鴨, crispy skin roast duck similar to Peking duckPeking DuckPeking Duck, or Peking Roast Duck is a famous duck dish from Beijing that has been prepared since the imperial era, and is now considered one of China's national foods....
, 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 liangfenJidou liangfenJidou liangfen is a traditional dish in the Yunnan cuisine of China, made from chickpeas. It is gelatinous in texture and greenish-gray in color, and served in blocks, either cold, fried, or boiled. The dish is particularly popular among the Naxi people, in the region of Lijiang.-External links:*...
鸡豆凉粉, a savoury jelly made from chickpea flourGram flourGram flour is a cereal flour made from ground chickpeas. It is also known as chickpea flour, garbanzo flour, or besan . Used in many countries, it is a staple ingredient in Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cuisines, and, in the form of a paste with water or yoghurt, a popular facial exfoliant in...
. - Shiping doufu 石屏豆腐 (ShipingShiping CountyShiping County is a county, in the Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture in the southern part of the Yunnan province of China. It is located about 240 km from Kunming, the provincial capital. The county has a population of approximately 280,000 and its area is 3,037 km².-Notable...
tofuTofuis a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It is part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and others. There are many different varieties of tofu, including fresh tofu and tofu...
) - ErkuaiErkuaiErkuai is a type of rice cake particular to the Yunnan Province of southwest China.The name literally means "ear piece," a reference to the shape of one of its common forms. It is often served stir-fried with vegetables, and málà , a fiery mixture of dried red chilis, Sichuan pepper, and salt...
饵块 (highly refined and compressed rice cakeRice cakeA rice cake may be any kind of food item made from rice that has been shaped, condensed, or otherwise combined into a single object. A wide variety of rice cakes exist in many different cultures in which rice is eaten, and are particularly prevalent in Asia. The origin of rice cake seems to be...
s) - LufuLufu (food)Lufu is a type of fermented bean curd from Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It is reddish yellow, and has a soft texture and a savory flavor. It is used as a condiment for kăo ĕrkuāi, or made into a sauce for Yunnan-style barbecue and stinky tofu....
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 乳并 (goat's milk cheese, from BaiBaiThe Bai or Baip are one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. They numbered 1,858,063 as of 2000....
cuisine in the area near DaliDali, YunnanDali City is a county-level city in and the seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, northwestern Yunnan province of Southwest China.-History:...
) - RushanRushan (cheese)Rushan is a cow's milk cheese of Yunnan, China. It is traditionally made by the Bai people, who call it nvxseiz, the etymology of which is unclear. It is flat and has a leathery texture. It may be served fried or grilled and rolled up on a stick...
(cow milk cheese)