Steam Pot Chicken

Steam Pot Chicken

　　Steam Pot Chicken is a unique and premium delicacy exclusive to Yunnan. It is widely renowned both in China and abroad for its special cooking method, tender chicken, delicious broth, original flavors, aromatic scent, and high nutritional value.

　　As early as the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, Steam Pot Chicken had been circulating among the people in the southern Yunnan region, boasting a history of about two hundred years. Jianshui County in southern Yunnan has a long history of producing pottery with simple, unique designs. A local man named Yang Li creatively crafted a special type of steamer pot with a central spout, which he named the "steam pot." Beneath the steam pot, a soup pot filled with water is placed. Chicken pieces are then put inside the steam pot and cooked purely by steam. The resulting broth is condensed from the steam, preserving the original flavors, with tender meat, fragrant aroma, and clear, delicious soup — truly remarkable. Since then, Steam Pot Chicken has gradually gained fame far and wide and become highly praised.

　　In 1947, a restaurant specializing in Steam Pot Chicken opened on Fuzhao Street in Kunming. To attract customers, the restaurant improved the cooking method by adding premium medicinal herbs native to Yunnan such as "Notoginseng," "Cordyceps," and "Gastrodia elata" to the dish, making the chicken soup even more flavorful and sweet. This enhanced not only the nutritional and therapeutic benefits but also gave it a distinctive taste, showcasing the rich nutrition and health-boosting advantages of Steam Pot Chicken. Later on, Notoginseng Steam Pot Chicken, Cordyceps Steam Pot Chicken, and Gastrodia elata Steam Pot Chicken became uniquely nourishing and famous Yunnan dishes. This Steam Pot Chicken eatery was named the “Cultivating Righteous Qi” Hall. After the liberation, the “Cultivating Righteous Qi” Hall was rebuilt into the “Dongfeng Restaurant,” which specialized in various kinds of Steam Pot Chicken.

　　The cooking method of Steam Pot Chicken is unique and meticulous, requiring careful attention to three important aspects: ingredient selection, cooking process, and the preparation and combination of herbs, to achieve the best results. The dish uses the famous Wuding plump hen or capon, which is slaughtered, plucked, cleaned, and cut into pieces. Fine salt, ginger slices, and scallion bundles are added before placing the chicken into the steam pot. Then, a sand pot that can hold five kilograms of water (adding some pork bone marrow inside is even better) is used. The steam pot is placed on top of the sand pot, with the contact area sealed using white cotton paper and flour paste to prevent air leakage. The sand pot is cooked over high heat for four hours until the meat becomes tender and easily separates from the bone. Remove the scallion bundle and ginger slices, and the delicious dish is ready to be served.

　　When making Notoginseng, Cordyceps, or Gastrodia elata Steam Pot Chicken, it is essential to master the preparation and usage of the herbs. Notoginseng is a premium medicinal herb unique to Yunnan, with internal components similar to ginseng. It not only provides nourishment but also has good therapeutic effects for coronary heart disease. The way to enjoy Notoginseng Steam Pot Chicken is to fry the notoginseng in oil, grind it into fine powder, and consume it with the steam pot chicken broth, which yields the most noticeable effects. Alternatively, an appropriate amount of cooked notoginseng powder can be added to the broth when the steam pot chicken is nearly done before serving. Cordyceps is another valuable traditional Chinese medicine produced in Yunnan. When used to cook Steam Pot Chicken, it is first rinsed in water, dried, lightly fried in oil, and then placed in the steam pot along with the chicken for cooking. The flavor is fragrant and slightly sweet, and the dish is nourishing, helping to moisten the lungs, strengthen the kidneys, and treat conditions like tuberculosis-related coughing, blood deficiency, and weakness due to old age. Additional nourishing herbs such as Gastrodia elata and Chinese yam can also be added to the Steam Pot Chicken, creating various types of nourishing and uniquely beneficial dishes.