Dali Erkuai

Dali Erkuai

　　Erkuai is a distinctive local delicacy, and the version found in the Dali area has an especially unique flavor. Early in the morning, as you walk along the streets, you’ll often see small street stalls with a wire mesh placed over a brazier, beneath which glow hot chestnut charcoal embers. The vendor flips over thin white round cakes as they roast—these cook quickly and emit a tempting aroma; these are the Erkuai cakes. The vendor then places the cake on a plate for the customer to customize with their preferred toppings. Some enjoy wrapping a youtiao (Chinese fried dough stick) inside the Erkuai, while others prefer tearing the roasted cake into small pieces and dipping them in hot bean flour soup. This is the popular Dali street breakfast known as Shao Erkuai.

　　Erkuai can also be made into shredded form, called Erkuai si (shredded Erkuai). Two well-known varieties of boiled Erkuai si are Pa Rou Erxian (braised meat Erkuai si) and Cui Xiang Erxian (crispy aromatic Erkuai si). For Pa Rou Erxian, chicken breast or pork leg is first braised until it reaches a mashed texture, then deboned and set aside. Chicken broth serves as the base, into which the cooked meat is added, along with seasonings such as scallions, coriander, chili peppers, and pickled vegetables. Then, the cooked Erkuai si is scooped into the bowl. Pa Rou Erxian has a soft, fragrant, and refreshing taste, rich in nutrition yet not greasy. Cui Xiang Erxian involves a more complex preparation process: the broth is made from stewed cured pig’s head, and the seasonings include pan-fried egg shreds, crispy fried pork skin cubes, crispy fried potato cubes, blanched bitter melon shreds, boiled bean sprouts, and thin slices of cured lean pork, along with chopped scallions, coriander, and chili oil. The steamed Erkuai si is then added to the soup bowl to complete the dish.