Wild Delicacies of the Ailao Mountains in Spring

Wild Delicacies of the Ailao Mountains in Spring

　　　　　　Sweetleaf, thistlehead, and goat's milk plant are wild vegetables favored by the ethnic peoples living in the main peak area of the Ailao Mountains, long enjoying the reputation of “mountain delicacies.” Since they are all harvested and consumed in spring, they are collectively known as the “Three Spring Delicacies of the Ailao Mountains.” Sweetleaf thrives in moist environments, growing near rocks and water. The main peak region of the Ailao Mountains features undulating peaks, misty valleys, and deep ravines—conditions that are ideal for the growth of sweetleaf. According to the *Xinping County Annals*: “Sweetleaf, also called pearl vegetable, is green in color, a wild woody plant that sprouts tender leaves only after blooming. Picked and used in soups, it has an exceptionally sweet and delicious taste.” In the beautiful and enchanting scenery of the Ailao Mountain region during early spring, whether you visit any village, the hospitable Yi, Hani, and Kucong people love to serve guests with fragrant and tasty sweetleaf soup. The sweetleaf has a faint fragrance, and the soup is fresh and sweet. As spring arrives and the air turns dry, causing chapped lips, sweetleaf soup is often found on the dining tables of the ethnic peoples in the Ailao Mountain region, helping to replenish body fluids and stimulate appetite. Adding some fresh meat or cooking it with fresh tofu or eggs makes the flavor even better. Thistlehead grows in the shrubbery of the main peak area of the Ailao Mountains. It is a woody plant about three inches long, purple-red in color, and named for its spiny surface. According to the *Xinping County Annals*: “Thistlehead resembles the buds of evergreen plants. It is edible and has a pleasantly bitter taste.” In early February, when the mountain vegetation turns green again, the thistlehead trees begin to sprout. The local Yi, Hani, and Kucong people pick them and bring them to market for sale. After shaving off the spines all over the thistlehead with a small knife, it is blanched in boiling water for seven or eight minutes, then cut into short pieces and stir-fried with fermented black beans for three to five minutes before serving. It has an exceptionally fragrant taste and also helps clear internal heat and stimulate the appetite. Goat’s milk plant is a vine plant named for the milky sap inside its body. When spring arrives and all things flourish, the goat’s milk plant spreads its green vines and leaves across the Ailao Mountains. People cut down the plant along with its vines and leaves using sickles, then pick the leaves and fruits, wash them, mash the leaves finely, mix them with sweet rice wine made from glutinous rice, add a little salt, and place the mixture in a jar. After half a month, it is ready to eat. It tastes “slightly sour and mildly sweet,” with an aromatic fragrance that sets it apart among the “Three Spring Delicacies of the Ailao Mountains.” (Yuxi)