Pine pollen is a dual-purpose flower pollen variety in China's medical treasury, serving both as food and medicine. As a traditional Chinese medicinal ingredient, its use as both food and medicine spans thousands of years. It has been recorded in historical medical texts from as early as the 2,400-year-old "Shennong Bencao Jing" to today's "Chinese Pharmacopoeia." Among the public, it is revered as a "miraculous medicine" due to its extraordinary efficacy...
Treehead vegetable is a wild plant grown in the mountainous areas of Yangbi, Yongping, Yunlong, and Heqing counties in Dali Prefecture. Shaped like Chinese toon, it is the umbrella-like tender tip of a thorny vine tree—plump, tender, and usually harvested in spring. The cooking method for stir-fried treehead vegetable with ham is simple. First, blanch the treehead vegetable in boiling water to remove its bitterness, then rinse…
Women of the ethnic group are skilled at making small embroidered fabric sachets. The craft of making Zha Bu is meticulous, using brightly colored fabrics. They are first sewn into basic shapes according to design, then filled with aromatic herbs such as mugwort leaves, and finally intricately embroidered. Their rustic shapes and vibrant colors offer strong decorative appeal. Every year during the Dragon Boat Festival in May, they sell small fabric items such as bracelets, sachets, and…
"Delerumzi Soup," also known as "Mother and Son Reunion Soup," is a unique snack from the Bai ethnic group in Jianchuan. It is made by cooking "broad bean mother stems with leaves and bean sprouts," and is also fondly referred to as the deeply affectionate "Mother and Son Reunion Soup." "Delerumzi" is a term in the Bai language, referring to broad bean mother stems, leaves, and sprouts. These are specially harvested and dried during the Beginning of Spring season...
White azalea flowers have long been gathered and consumed by the Bai people. When farmers venture into the mountains to haul dried pine needles for bedding and manure, chop firewood, collect pine cones, or engage in other such activities, they often pick the flowers along the way. On their way down the mountain, women carry heavy baskets on their backs, and tucked into their waists are large bundles of white azalea blossoms.
In Chinese, the root of waterweed is called “chun,” and soup made with waterweed is called “chun geng.” The specialty waterweed from Jianhu Lake in Jianchuan is called “kong wuci” in the Bai language, also known as “hollow vegetable.” Waterweed belongs to the green algae family, with stems four to five feet long that float on the water’s surface. They are soft and crisp, with flowers at the top of the stems enclosed in bracts, each containing four or five white, four-petaled blossoms—very beautiful. The waterweed grows its stems first, then its leaves, which are tightly curled and not fully unfurled, with pointed tips. It can be harvested in spring, winter, and autumn to make soup. The soup has a bright color, the waterweed is fresh and green, and the taste is delicious and tenderly smooth. In summer, care should be taken when cleaning it, as snails and leeches may be hidden among the leaves and are not easily noticeable.
Hospitality is a cherished virtue of the Bai people in Jiānchuān. Whenever distinguished guests arrive from afar, they are treated to a lavish banquet known as Tǔbāwǎn. This traditional feast has a long history. Legend has it that it originated as a state banquet used by Duan Bái Wáng, the king of the Dali Kingdom, to entertain sixteen kings from neighboring South and Southeast Asian countries. Since most of these nations practiced Buddhism, the dishes were thoughtfully arranged with a mix of meat and vegetarian options…
The papaya used in "Papaya Chicken" is tangy and delicious. From mid-spring when the flowers fall and fruits set, to mid-autumn when the papayas ripen and drop, they can be eaten raw dipped in sugar, salt, or sauce. Most are made into licorice-salted papaya or honey-glazed papaya, which stimulate saliva production, soothe coughs, whet the appetite, and strengthen the spleen—greatly loved by the young, middle-aged, and elderly alike. Papaya is also used to make wine, offering medicinal benefits such as relaxing tendons, dispelling dampness, and relieving muscle cramps. Therefore, in Yunlong County, Dali Prefecture, this sour and fragrant papaya is used to cook chicken for disease prevention, health improvement, and entertaining guests from afar. It helps relieve fatigue, strengthen muscles, and invigorate the stomach. The chicken used in Papaya Chicken must primarily be about 1,500g of young chicken. After slaughtering, plucking, and cleaning, it’s cut into small pieces, stir-fried in hot fragrant oil, then seasoned with salt and boiled in water until 70% cooked. Peeled and shredded papaya is added and simmered until the chicken becomes tender and juicy, then pepper powder and tsao-ko powder are added to finish. The resulting Papaya Chicken has a clear, pure flavor with tangy, aromatic broth and meat, completely free of greasiness. It leaves you with a boosted appetite and a pleasant, refreshed feeling all over.
A specialty of Yunnan — the rhododendrons of Cangshan Mountain — are abundant in quantity and superior in quality, ranking first in the country. They are quite famous nationwide. Specialty Culture: Legend has it that in the ancient Shu Kingdom, there was an emperor named Du Yu, who was deeply in love with his empress. Later, he was maliciously harmed by someone and died a tragic death. His soul transformed into a cuckoo bird, which cries daily in the empress’s...
The unique color, aroma, and taste of Yunlong Ham have long been renowned both at home and abroad. Anyone who has tasted Yunlong Ham is left with an unforgettable, deliciously rich flavor and a lingering aftertaste that brings deep satisfaction. “Winter Solstice Festival, slaughter the big pig” is a long-standing folk saying, meaning that this season is the ideal time to butcher the New Year’s pig — when the pigs are plump and…
Xizhou Baba, also known as Pòsū, is a delicious wheat flour baked flatbread renowned for its color, aroma, and taste. It is a popular snack in both urban and rural areas of Dali, with the traditional version from Xizhou’s Bai ethnic group being the most famous. Wheat flour is the main ingredient, and the dough preparation is quite particular — the right amount of alkaline is added, the dough is kneaded thoroughly, then layered with essential oil, and sprinkled with chopped scallions, Sichuan peppercorns, and salt...
Rice cakes are exquisitely made and fall into two main categories: dry cakes and water cakes. To make dry cakes, first soak high-quality white rice until soft, then press and grind it into powder. Next, mix the powder with mint, orange peel juice, and brown sugar, and grind it finely. Sift the mixture through a fine sieve into a steamer basket, then carefully slice it into small pieces using a thin knife—each piece about 2 inches wide, 1.5 inches tall, and 0.5 inches thick. Steam them over high heat until cooked. Water cakes are made from high-gluten flour…
In the Caojian area of Yunlong County, Dali Prefecture, there is a uniquely delicious sweet pear. The fruit is round with thin skin, deep yellow in color, and has thick, juicy flesh. What makes it special is that after the pears ripen, they are picked and kept warm under straw for over half a month. During this time, the pears naturally undergo a process of saccharification, becoming much sweeter. When cut open, the flesh inside turns completely jet black—hence the name “Blackheart Pear.”
Yunlong County was awarded the title of "China's No. 1 Walnut County" in the "China High-quality Fruit Base and Advanced Fruit Industry Exemplary Selection" event, organized by the China Fruit Marketing Association under the authorization of the Ministry of Agriculture. The county earned this recognition due to its large walnut planting area, high yield, and significant output value. In recent years, Yunlong County has made full use of its advantages and actively promoted industrial...
Yunlong wild black fungus was once one of the county’s major agricultural and sideline products. It is known for its thick, plump, and sugar-rich lobes, making it a famous specialty of Yunlong County. The black fungus boasts a delicious taste and high nutritional value, containing protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates, as well as various vitamins and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron…
Yunlong County adheres to a market-oriented approach and focuses on efficiency, closely integrating administrative decisions, market guidance, demonstration effects, and farmers' planting intentions. It has mobilized mountain communities to actively develop the traditional Chinese medicinal materials industry. This year, it has completed 1,500 acres of artificial cultivation and developed over 1,000 acres of safflower. The cumulative planting area across the county has…
The main table grape varieties grown in Binchuan include Red Globe, Victoria, 624, and Thompson Seedless. A rational combination of early-, mid-, and late-season varieties has been initially established. The "Xingqiao" brand of grapes has been registered and certified as a national pollution-free agricultural product. In 2008, Binchuan was recognized by the China Fruit Marketing Association...
The Black Waist Jujube is produced in Zhouguan Village, Zhoucheng Town, Binchuan County — a provincial-level historic and cultural town. The fruit hits the market in early July and is known for ripening early, having a bright color, dense clusters, a crisp and tender texture, being sweet and delicious, as well as highly nutritious. It has long been hailed as the “King of Vitamin C.” In 2007, it passed the “Certification of Origin for Fresh Black Waist Jujubes” and...
Cold fungus is a unique wild edible mushroom found only at Jiufeng Mountain, a sacred Buddhist site in China. Its exquisite flavor surpasses that of any other edible mushroom, including chicken-of-the-woods and fragrant mushrooms. Its culinary value far exceeds that of China's currently exported matsutake, morel, and boletus mushrooms, making it the crown jewel among fungi—exceptionally refined and a true delicacy unique to Jiufeng Mountain. Rich in anti-cancer compounds…
In recent years, Yunlong County has adhered to a "five-pronged" development approach—scaling up, standardizing, going eco-friendly, building a brand, and emphasizing uniqueness—to vigorously promote standardized and large-scale pig farming, strengthen animal disease prevention and control, enhance livestock product quality and safety oversight, and work towards increasing overall livestock production, the proportion of standardized farming, and the level of industrial management. These efforts aim to comprehensively advance the development of plateau and mountainous livestock farming, further consolidating and strengthening the role of the livestock industry as a pillar sector.