Quail Soup

Quail Soup

　　Quail soup is considered one of the finest among various kinds of bird soups. The Wa people love to drink quail soup. Whenever any Wa person sees a live quail, they will blurt out: "I’d be happy if I could have a sip of spicy quail soup!" And indeed, quail soup is delicious—its flavor is rich, savory, and sweet. No wonder an ancient Wa folk song sings: "Water dropwort soup is as bland as water, but quail soup is endlessly delightful!" Whenever the Wa catch a quail, the first thing they think of is making soup. Few choose to roast, stir-fry, or cook it into congee. So, how is quail soup made? What are the ingredients? Typically, it’s prepared in this way: instead of plucking the feathers directly, they singe them over flaming leaves, then remove the roots clean before roasting the bird briefly until the meat turns yellow. Next, the internal organs are taken out. The meat is not rinsed with water but cut into chunks and put into a pot to boil with clear water. A few fresh betel leaves are washed and gently rubbed in the palm of the hand before being added to the pot along with the quail meat. Finally, an appropriate amount of sour bamboo shoots, salt, chili, and ground Sichuan pepper are added. It’s best to use a generous amount of chili, as this makes the broth aromatic and mouthwatering.