Rice sausage

Rice sausage

　　Rice sausage is a unique local delicacy in Lijiang. It is made by mixing pig's blood, rice, and various spices in a specific ratio, then stuffing the mixture into processed pig intestines to create a rice-filled sausage. Making rice sausage is a traditional practice of the Naxi people. During the annual pig slaughter, nearly every Naxi household prepares some rice sausage. If family members are away studying or working, they will try their best to send some homemade rice sausage to them.

　　When eating rice sausage, it is typically sliced into rounds, either pan-fried in hot oil or steamed in a steamer. The sausage has a rustic, glossy appearance, a rich aroma, and high nutritional value, making it an excellent dish for replenishing blood and qi.

　　Lijiang snack rice sausage is a traditional food of the Naxi people. There are two types of rice sausage: black rice sausage and white rice sausage. Black rice sausage is made by mixing steamed glutinous rice that is 90% cooked with pig's blood plasma, salt, fennel seeds, and Sichuan peppercorns, then stuffing the mixture into pig intestines and steaming it. White rice sausage is made by replacing the pig's blood plasma with egg whites before steaming. Once steamed, the sausage can be sliced and eaten hot, or cooled and pan-fried. No matter how it’s eaten, it’s delicious and is an essential dish when the Naxi people entertain guests. Legend has it that once, when hosting a guest from out of town, the Naxi served rice sausage as the main dish. The guest found it incredibly tasty and asked how it was made. The humorous Naxi host joked, “You feed the pig glutinous rice, wait for it to grow up, slaughter it, take out the intestines, and steam them.” This made everyone laugh so hard, though no one believed it was true — it was just a joke.

　　During the New Year pig slaughters, every Naxi household makes rice sausage. They hang the finished sausages in strings on racks, where they look greasy, plump, and pitch-black — not exactly appetizing at first glance. But once you taste it, the appearance of the black rice sausage no longer matters. The Naxi often eat this rice sausage not only because it tastes good but also because it is a nutritious food that helps replenish blood and qi.