"Great Salvation"

Great Salvation

　　"Great Salvation" is a famous local snack from Tengchong County in Yunnan Province. It is made from high-quality rice shaped into rice cakes, sliced, then stir-fried with fresh meat, ham, eggs, mushrooms, pickled chilies, and other ingredients. The dish is soft, fragrant, and refreshingly delicious. Legend has it that during the late Ming Dynasty, Emperor Yongli Zhu Youlang, fleeing from Wu Sangui, sought refuge in Tengchong. Exhausted and starving, the villagers offered him their local delicacy — stir-fried rice cakes. After tasting them, the emperor praised the dish endlessly, saying it had saved his life. Hence, the name "Great Salvation." On Guanghua Street in Kunming, near the intersection with Zhengyi Road, there is a specialty store called "Tengchong Rice Noodles." The first floor is a food court, while the upper floor offers private seating. The store offers various types of rice cakes, including stir-fried and soup versions, as well as combo meals.

　　　Rice noodles and rice cakes are widely popular rice-based foods throughout Yunnan. However, in terms of quality and fame, Tengchong’s rice noodles and rice cakes are unmatched. Among these, the long-renowned imperial delicacy "Great Salvation" — stir-fried Tengchong rice cakes — stands out with its exceptional combination of color, aroma, taste, and texture, captivating diners lucky enough to taste it.

　　　　The people of Tengchong have refined rice into rice noodles and rice cakes for at least three to five hundred years. Legend has it that when the Southern Ming Emperor Zhu Youlang (Emperor Yongli) fled westward after defeat, he once ate a large bowl of stir-fried rice cakes at a farmer’s home. Beyond satisfying his hunger, he found the flavor unforgettable and couldn’t help but exclaim that it had "saved his life." Since then, "Great Salvation" became both a title for Tengchong’s stir-fried rice cakes and a general term for its rice noodles and cakes.

　　　　Tracing back to its roots, the most renowned rice noodles and rice cakes come from Hujiawan, a suburb east of Tengchong city. Their premium products are made with extremely strict ingredient selection and meticulous craftsmanship. The standout features are their softness yet firm “bite,” their ability to stay intact even after prolonged cooking, and their readiness to eat after a brief blanching, all while offering a delicate, glutinous texture.

　　　　Tengchong rice noodles and rice cakes can be prepared in a variety of ways: stir-fried, grilled, or boiled. "Great Salvation" is made by cutting rolled rice cake slices into triangular or diamond-shaped pieces, then stir-frying them in a spicy wok with fresh meat slices, ham, eggs, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, pea shoots, and a range of spicy seasonings. The dish bursts with vibrant colors and flavors, offering a smooth and tender bite without being greasy, making it irresistible. Alternatively, rice cakes can be cut into flat rounds, grilled over charcoal until golden, then mixed into a thin pea flour batter seasoned with cardamom, star anise, sesame oil, and chili oil to make “Pea Flour Pancakes.” For a quick meal, fresh meat, broth, vegetables, and rice noodles are swiftly cooked in a small pot — known as “Small Pot Rice Noodles.”

　　　　Today, this local specialty — Tengchong rice noodles — has expanded far beyond the Gaoligong Mountains and can be found in cities like Kunming, Beijing, and many other metropolises, where it enjoys great popularity among diners. Its newer product line — "Yun Teng Instant Rice Noodles" — won the titles of "Yunnan Consumers' Favorite Product" in 1994, 1995, and 1997, as well as the "Outstanding Product Award" at the 3rd China Township Enterprises Export Commodities Exhibition in 1997.