Chicken mushroom is a prized edible fungus that is a specialty of Yongping. It is known for its plump body, tender and delicious flesh, rich in nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and protein, and boasts an exceptionally sweet and savory flavor. There are many types of chicken mushrooms, including black-skinned, green-skinned, white-skinned, yellow-skinned, and grass-skinned chicken mushrooms. Among them, the black-skinned variety…
Rolled rice noodles are made from high-quality rice, offering rich nutrition and a unique flavor. The making of rolled rice noodles is very meticulous: first, premium rice is selected, thoroughly rinsed with clean water, and soaked for an hour. Then, using a traditional hand-turned stone mill, the rice is ground into a smooth rice batter. Next, a strong fire is lit, a pot is set up, and with a small wooden ladle, the rice batter is scooped and poured into a flat-bottomed steaming bowl…
The scientific name of boletus is Boletus edulis, which is the most comprehensive and highest-yielding wild mushroom variety among Yongping's forest understory specialty resources. Boletes are a general term for fungi in the Boletaceae and Strobilomycetaceae families. Except for a few varieties that are toxic or bitter and inedible, most can be consumed. The cap of the bolete is flattened and hemispherical, …
Shanyang has a hot climate, which is very suitable for growing tropical fruits. The crystal pomegranate is a specialty fruit of Shanyang, known for its thin skin, crystal-clear and plump seeds, large size, juicy flesh, and deliciously sweet and sour flavor that is refreshingly cool. Its appearance is as graceful as a lantern, with a skin that is white tinged with red, and each fruit weighs about 200–400 grams. The crystal pomegranate…
Locals in Shanyang commonly refer to bean pudding as “youban” (oil pudding). When freshly made, the bean pudding hasn’t yet been cut — it comes in one large cake-like piece or is sliced into strips. Glossy and gleaming, it gives off a strong rustic aroma, hence the name “oil pudding.” In Shanyang, most areas grow rice, fava beans, and peas. During their leisure time, people grind premium rice, fava beans, or peas into powder...
Fermented tofu from ShanYang is also a unique delicacy of Yongping, with each household guarding its own exclusive production technique and many intricate details. It is often deep-fried before eating—though it may give off a pungent smell at first, once tasted, it reveals a richly fragrant, crispy, moist, sticky, and smooth flavor. Sometimes it is also cooked in a soup with tender pea shoots and other green vegetables, resulting in a distinctive and delicious taste. …
The beef cattle industry is a traditional sector in Nanjian County and one of the most promising and advantageous areas within animal husbandry. The county boasts abundant mountainous and grassland resources, with no industrial pollution across its entire territory, making it an ideal location for developing animal husbandry and a natural setting for producing high-quality, eco-friendly beef products. Beef cattle farming has minimal restrictions, consumes little grain...
Nanjian County is located in the valley area along the southern edge of the Hengduan Mountains in western Yunnan, in the southern part of Dali Prefecture. The county covers a total land area of 1,731.63 square kilometers, 99.3% of which is mountainous. Annual precipitation is 988.19 mm, with 2,428 hours of sunshine, and an average annual temperature of 18.19 degrees Celsius. The soil is mostly sandy and...
Nanjian Crispy Rice and Bean Flour…
White-skinned garlic is a major agricultural product unique to Yongping County and serves as one of the key ingredients in the renowned locally produced "Yongping pickled chili and pickled garlic." It is primarily grown in areas such as Gufu, Pudu, and Shangcun in Longjie. These locations generally sit at elevations between 1,750 and 2,260 meters, featuring cool climates, abundant rainfall, fertile soil,…
Magnolia is the most historically cultivated ornamental tree species in Yongping and also the most representative one. It is a renowned early spring flower throughout the province, named for its large, white blossoms and orchid-like fragrance. Magnolia is one of the most precious and rare flowering plants in China. Guo Moruo once praised: “Towering on the branches are elegant blooms like white lotuses, their fragrance reminiscent of orchids and magnolia...”
Yongping chestnuts, commonly known as chestnuts, have fragrant, delicious kernels that are rich in nutrients. They can be eaten raw, roasted, boiled, or used in cooking. When used to stew chicken or meat, they emit a rich aroma and deliver a mellow flavor, making them a local delicacy served to honored guests. Delicacies such as chestnut paste mooncakes and chestnut paste cakes made with them offer unique flavors and are great gifts…
Yongping Big Chunk Chicken, renowned for its unique flavor and way of eating, has gained increasing fame in recent years, becoming another local delicacy following the popularity of Braised Chicken. The name “Big Chunk Chicken” comes from two aspects: the chicken itself is large, and the meat is served in big chunks. It uses authentic free-range chicken as the main ingredient, and the selected chickens must be fully grown, appearing big and sturdy...
Fermented black beans are one of the traditional seasonings used earlier in cooking by the people of Yongping. Due to the influence of commercial culture, those made by folk producers in ShanYang and BoNan are particularly well-known. The method of making fermented black beans involves first washing and soaking soybeans, then steaming them. After cooling, koji mold, a small amount of flour, and other ingredients are added to a vat for fermentation...
“What delicacies can compare? The whole house is filled with the aroma of Fried Chicken Truffle.” Nanjian’s famous specialty dish, Fried Chicken Truffle, is made primarily from wild chicken truffles foraged in the mountainous areas of Nanjian. Combined with a variety of other seasonings, it is meticulously stir-fried in fragrant oil to create a flavorful condiment dish. With its enticing aroma and delicious taste, Fried Chicken Truffle is a popular choice for home meals, hotel banquets, hosting guests...
The boiled walnut industry is a traditional and advantageous sector in Nanjian County, as well as one of its four pillar industries. Over the years, successive county Party committees and governments have attached great importance to the development of the boiled walnut industry. Following the development approach of “adapting to local conditions, unified planning, relatively contiguous planting areas, and household-based cultivation,” they have adhered to the principle of “rational layout, scaled advancement, standardized planting,…”
The Wuliangshan Black-Bone Chicken is a high-quality local breed, primarily distributed in Nanjian County of Dali Prefecture and Jingdong, Zhenyuan, Mojiang, and Jinggu Counties of Pu'er City. Yang Qingquan, director of the Nanjian County Bureau of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, explained that the breed features black skin, meat, bones, and internal organs. It is highly resistant to coarse feed, robust against diseases, and genetically stable. The chicken meat...
On the southwestern border of China lies a mountainous agricultural county predominantly inhabited by the Yi ethnic group — the Nanzhang Yi Autonomous County in Dali Prefecture. If you happen to glance at a map, you’ll easily notice that Nanzhang County sits at the convergence of the Wuliang Mountains and the Ailao Mountains. This area was once home to the ancient Tiger Clan, who worshipped the mother tiger — the ancestors of the Yi people. The region features rugged mountains, rapid rivers...
Every time I return to Dali and have some free time, I like to visit Nanjian. This small place doesn’t have any world-famous attractions, nor has it produced any renowned families or figures, yet I often find myself thinking of this unassuming little county. I remember in 1988, a friend brought us a bucket of Nanjian pea…
Pan-fried Milk Cake Slices is a traditional and famous dish of the Yi people in Yunnan. The preparation involves cutting the milk cake into pieces, then pounding chicken and fat into a paste, mixing it evenly with egg whites, minced scallions and ginger, MSG, and wet starch until it becomes shiny and turns into chicken paste. Next, brush the milk cake slices with an egg white batter, spread the chicken paste on top, flatten it, and arrange ham and cucumber peel strips in floral patterns on the chicken paste. Then...