Guangnan Bagan Chicken

Guangnan Bagan Chicken

　　Bagan Chicken is a unique traditional delicacy of the Zhuang people in Guangnan County, Wenshan Prefecture, and is considered one of Yunnan’s culinary highlights. “Bagan” is a Zhuang term meaning sour soup — a tangy broth made from red leaf mustard or wild greens. To prepare Bagan Chicken, cleaned chicken pieces are first cut into small cubes and marinated with seasonings. Various prepared seasonings are then added to a pot, poured with the sour soup; once boiling, greens and lard are added, followed by chicken pieces after cooking for one to three minutes. The soup is ready to serve once it boils. You can also cook it with vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, and kelp. Bagan Chicken is known for its sweet, savory, and uniquely tangy flavor — rich yet not greasy, appetizing, and easy to digest.

　　“Bagan” means sour soup in the Zhuang language. Thus, Bagan Chicken is essentially “Sour Soup Chicken.” According to the Guangnan Prefecture Annals, Bagan Chicken originated in the Song Dynasty and became especially popular during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Originally a famous dish served at celebratory banquets hosted by officials, it was also offered as the premier delicacy to superiors and even imperial officials. With its long history and noble origins, it has recently surged in popularity, appearing on streets across many cities — full of “Bagan” flair and taking the culinary scene by storm.

　　The most critical part of making Bagan Chicken hotpot is preparing the sour soup well. To do so, a wild vegetable called “fine-leaf celery” is mixed with red leaf mustard, scalded with boiling water, and then soaked in rice water for three to five days, resulting in a reddish, tangy broth. For Bagan Chicken, locally free-range chickens are often used — preferably about 1.5 kilograms, such as crowing roosters or hens about to lay eggs. After slaughtering and cleaning, larger bones are removed to make the broth. The chicken meat is deboned, sliced, or cut into small chunks with bones, then marinated with seasonings like ginger juice, scallion juice, starch, salt, soy sauce, and cooking wine. The greens are cleaned, boiled briefly in hot water, and then cut into sections. Next, over ten seasonings — including garlic sprouts, shredded ginger, pepper, cardamom, and chili — are added to the pot, followed by the sour soup.

　　Once it boils, add the greens and lard, and cook for one to three minutes before adding the chicken slices. Once the soup boils again, you can start eating while cooking more. You can also cook it with vermicelli, water chestnuts, wood ear mushrooms, tofu, kelp, and other ingredients. Those who enjoy spicy food can prepare a bowl of chili dip. The Bagan Chicken hotpot offers a colorful mix of green and white elements, delicious and not greasy. Moreover, it maximizes the release of protein and calcium, making it nutritious and easy to absorb. Even the last bite of chicken remains tender and flavorful without being overly rich — all thanks to the “Bagan” soup. The citric acid in the sour soup reacts rapidly with the proteins in the chicken during heating, forming an anti-aging agent that prevents the food from becoming tough during boiling.

　　If you visit Guangnan, not trying this Bagan Chicken would be a missed opportunity.