Earthen Pot

Earthen Pot

　　Legend has it that in the late Yuan Dynasty, the imperial court sent a minister to guard the border in Tengchong. Upon arriving at the frontier, he noticed that the meals delivered daily to the soldiers were always cold. So, the minister thought about how to provide the border guards with hot meals. He asked local artisans to make earthen pots for cooking, which were convenient and hassle-free, allowing the soldiers to enjoy warm food even over long distances. From then on, the Earthen Pot became one of Tengchong’s signature dishes.

　　Unlike ordinary hot pots made of metal, the Earthen Pot is made from a type of local clay in Tengchong. An even bigger difference lies in its unique cooking method. The base is a rich bone broth made from chicken and fresh pork ribs. The dish features an abundance of greens, complemented by more than ten ingredients such as taro, yam, white radish, carrots, fried stinky tofu, yellow bamboo shoots, yellow strips, crispy pork, and pork skin. Because the pot is made of clay, it absorbs the aroma of the ingredients while preserving their original flavors.

　　There is a specific order to layering the ingredients in the Earthen Pot. First, add the pre-cooked soup and vegetables seasoned with salt, MSG, and tsao-ko powder into the earthen pot. Then, layer the crispy pork, bamboo slices, and yellow strips in sequence, spreading them evenly across the pot. Finally, place the egg rolls on top and garnish with chopped scallions—your delicious Earthen Pot is now complete.