Taste of Yunnan

One of the most appetizing lunch we had in Yunnan was the wild mushroom steamboat just before our roadtrip to Dali. A large pot is placed in the middle of the table with gas stove underneath. Once we arrived, we were served the herbal chicken soup from the center pot as appetizer. Our local guide added 'tian chi' powder (I haven't figure out the English version of it) to our soup, a kind of herb found widely in Yunnan, traditionally used to promote blood circulation. Of course, the true modus operandi is to encourage folks to buy the herbs but well, we didn't mind.

Once the stock in the pot is near boiling point, the wild mushrooms were placed into the pot to cook. Due to its climate and rich resources, Yunnan is the largest wild mushroom harvest in China. Over 300 varieties of wild mushroom is found in Yunnan, we sampled over 10 varieties in this sitting - some familiar yet some not.

Today, en route Jiuxiang Scenic Spot, we had lunch at Yiliang, a county about 50km southeast of Kunming. Yiliang Roast Duck is said to be comparable to Beijing Roast Duck. Indeed it was, we were served two ducks and it was very quickly wiped out when I'm done with the photos.

The Yiliang roast duck is crisp in skin and tender in meat. Similar to Beijing roast duck, it is served with flowered spring onions, pepper and salt and duck sauce. However, unlike in Beijing where roast duck is skinned and wrapped in pancake, Yiliang duck is eaten as a whole. The secret behind the taste and fragrance of Yiliang roast duck is that it is roasted over pine leaves. A Taiwanese travel host was said to have eaten ten Yiliang ducks at one go!

We dined in a room complete with strewn hays and low stools, made to resemble open grasslands albeit a man-made one.

In the same meal, we were served a local fish deep fried with dried chilli and garlic. Dried chilli, synonymous with Yunnan, rendered color and spice to the fish. Though it was a tad too salty and bony for our usual palate, it was good nevertheless.

And nothing will top this culinary experience. I have always stayed on the sideline when it comes to food that crosses my imaginary safety line. This prevents the need for emergency bushes while on the road. But heck, we're in China, right? I was somehow coerced to try an obscure-looking plate of fried larvae. Well, I was sure glad I tried that before seeing it in its raw form!

Today, we finally get to sample Yunnan's famed Across the Bridge Rice Noodles or "Guo-Qiao Mi-Xian" as it is known in Chinese. Legend has it that guoqiao mixian came about when a young scholar retreated to another place to prepare for the imperial examination. His loving wife would travel and cross a nearby bridge to bring him his daily meal. Frequently, his meal would turned cold by the time it gets to him. One day, quite by chance, she discovered a bowl of chicken soup could keep warm with a layer of oil on top. From the on, she would serve the noodles and meat slices with the oil layer soup and the young scholar could enjoy a warm meal every day. When the scholar did well in the examination, he credited his success to his wife's noodles hence, this dish Across the Bridge Rice Noodles was popularized.

In the modern world, we could sample this dish in a restaurant in Yunnan's Nationalities Village, after a leisure visit to Naigu Stone Forest that morning. When we arrived at our assigned table, we found every seat was assigned a plate of thinly sliced raw meat (chicken, pork and fish), blanched vegetables (beansprouts, chives & beancurd slices) and noodles.

Next, our piping hot bowl of soup is served. Here's where the fun starts. We put in all the raw meat slices and keep stirring the soup until the meat changes color and are cooked.

We then add in the other ingredients and voila! a bowl of delicious noodles to keep the tummy warm in the cool weather.