Black-bone Spicy-Sour Chicken

Black-bone Spicy-Sour Chicken

　　Black-bone chicken refers to a breed with black skin, meat, and bones. It boasts high nutritional and medicinal value. Outside the province, it is called "black chicken" and is believed to originate from Taihe County in Jiangxi Province, hence also known as Taihe Chicken or Wushan Chicken. It is raised in both mountainous and plain areas of Yangbi County, especially among the Yi ethnic communities in southern regions such as Wachang, Longtan, and Jijie, where it has been a longstanding tradition. At the same time, there is also a unique traditional cooking method—Black-bone Spicy-Sour Chicken.

　　What makes the Yi-style Black-bone Spicy-Sour Chicken unique is, first, its seasoning: salt, ginger with peel, Sichuan peppercorn, tsao-ko, fragrant litsea leaves, papaya, and glutinous rice liquor powder; second, the quality of the chicken used: most are tender chickens weighing around 2.5–3 pounds, resulting in tender meat that is high in protein, low in fat, highly nutritious, and with minimal side effects.

　　First, the cleaned and chopped chicken is stir-fried in oil until half-cooked, then water is added to make a broth, and the seasonings are cooked together. Thanks to the catalytic effect of the papaya and liquor, the flavors meld during cooking, with particularly prominent sour and spicy notes. The meat is fragrant and the broth rich, greatly stimulating the appetite.

　　Alternatively, "Yi-style Spicy-Sour Chicken" can be prepared without stir-frying, instead by directly simmering it in water. It must be paired with seasonings such as ginger with peel, Sichuan peppercorn, tsao-ko, and kudzu root to remove any fishy taste.

　　Other cooking methods: Black-bone chicken has a strong gamy smell, which can be mitigated by rinsing the chicken pieces with a mixture of liquor and radish juice, then cooking them with seasonings like ginger with peel, kudzu root, Sichuan peppercorn, and tsao-ko to further eliminate the odor. Depending on diners’ preferences, one can choose from steaming, stewing, braising, simmering, boiling, or pot-cooking. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that black-bone chicken helps relieve pain, nourishes liver and kidney, benefits qi and blood, nourishes yin and clears heat, regulates menstruation and invigorates blood circulation, and helps stop excessive menstrual bleeding or vaginal discharge. It is especially effective for symptoms such as women’s qi deficiency, spleen deficiency, kidney deficiency, blood deficiency, menopausal syndrome, and children’s delayed growth and development. Modern medical research indicates that black-bone chicken contains essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, and histidine, which help regulate immune function and delay aging. However, eating too much may cause excessive phlegm, internal heat, or wind agitation. Therefore, those who are overweight or have skin conditions should eat it sparingly or avoid it. It is not suitable for those suffering from severe external illnesses. For healthy individuals, eating black-bone chicken is a delicious dish that is both nutritious and medicinal.

　　Source: Dali Prefecture Tourism Development Administration Committee