Mother and Son Reunion Soup

Mother and Son Reunion Soup

　　"Delerumzi Soup" is also called "Mother and Son Reunion Soup"

　　"Delerumzi Soup" is a unique snack from the Bai ethnic group in Jianchuan, made by cooking "broad bean mother stems with leaves and bean sprouts." It is also affectionately known as the deeply sentimental "Mother and Son Reunion Soup." "Delerumzi" in the Bai language refers to the stems, leaves, and sprouts of broad beans. These are specially collected and sun-dried during the Beginning of Spring season. When it's time to eat, they are first briefly boiled to soften them, then gently squeezed to remove excess juice. The sprouts are then rinsed, drained, and soaked in clean water for several hours. First, diced cured pork is used to stir-fry the broad bean sprouts for a while, then water (preferably well water) is added and brought to a boil. Next, the "Delerumzi" is finely chopped and added to the bean sprout soup, where it is cooked until ready to serve. The "Mother and Son Reunion" soup has a unique flavor—fragrant, delicious, tender, and even offers a cooling and detoxifying effect. Broad bean tips are only edible in Jianchuan, a trait linked to the area’s unique climate due to its special geographical location. Legend has it that this dish was once even presented as tribute to the imperial court in Beijing.

　　There is also a folk legend about the origins of "Delerumzi Soup": It is said that when Zhuge Liang led his southern campaign, his soldiers arrived in Jianchuan. Strictly adhering to the strategy of "winning hearts and minds," they were prohibited from randomly picking vegetables from local residents’ gardens. As a result, the soldiers resorted to boiling "Delerumzi" (broad bean leaves) in soup to stave off hunger—and found it surprisingly delicious. Unexpectedly, the broad bean seedlings from which the "Delerumzi" had been picked grew even more vigorously than before, yielding a bumper harvest that year. Ever since, locals have continued to pick "Delerumzi" every year, a tradition that persists to this day. Moreover, only the broad bean tips from Jianchuan are edible—even those from nearby Eryuan, which borders Jianchuan, are not suitable for consumption. This is due to Jianchuan’s unique climate, shaped by the cold air masses from the Yulong Snow Mountain in Lijiang. With a relatively long frost period—about 150 days—broad bean seeds must be sown in holes about the size of a teacup. Once sprouted, the seedlings stay hidden within these holes. As the local saying goes, "They don’t grow an inch in March." But when the weather warms around the Beginning of Spring, they grow rapidly—"three inches in a single day." Picked at the right time, they are ready to eat.

　　Source: Dali Prefecture Tourism Development and Management Committee