Recommended Local Delicacies of Yuanyang

The preparation of Hani dipping sauce is extremely elaborate. It is blended with a variety of local fresh seasonings including coriander, mint, Sichuan peppercorns, bird’s eye chilies, Vietnamese coriander, ginger, green onions, garlic and fermented soybean paste, ranging from a handful of ingredients to dozens of varieties. Different dipping sauces are matched with corresponding dishes, such as chicken dipping sauce, pork dipping sauce, beef dipping sauce, dog meat dipping sauce and green vegetable dipping sauce, all mixed with the original broth of their respective main ingredients. Each combination delivers a unique, fresh and refreshing taste.

The most renowned variant is chicken dipping sauce. Blended with chicken broth, chicken liver, chicken intestines, chicken blood, egg, plus more than ten seasonings like coriander, Vietnamese coriander, chervil, Sichuan peppercorns, green onions, ginger and garlic, this sauce is absolutely mouth-watering.

Premium beef is cured and air-dried to make cured beef jerky, then roasted over charcoal fire. The cooked beef is pounded in a mortar together with Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, ginger, raw garlic, fresh bird’s eye chilies and other spices, creating a spicy, numbing and refreshing flavor. It is an indispensable traditional side dish for wine when the Hani people entertain guests.

Eels raised in the terraced fields feature tender, delicate meat. After removing internal organs, they are marinated with Hani fermented soybean paste and other seasonings and air-dried, then roasted over charcoal for eating. The finished eels are fragrant and chewy.

Ganba refers to air-dried cured meat. High-quality meat from young yellow cattle is made into jerky and deep-fried with mint leaves. Though slightly greasy, it is incredibly aromatic with firm, chewy texture. (Price: 25 yuan per plate in off-season)

Hani fermented soybean paste serves as both a staple side dish and core condiment in every Hani household, functioning much like monosodium glutamate, soy sauce and vinegar combined. When cooking game with fishy flavors such as loaches, eels and river snails, stewing them with Hani soybean paste, chervil, large coriander and bird’s eye chilies can fully eliminate fishy odors while boosting the savory taste. Classic dishes include soybean paste loach and soybean paste fish.

Numerous grilled tofu stalls line local streets. Blocks of lightly fermented tofu are placed on small iron grates over stoves and grilled until golden brown on both sides, then dipped in chili powder to eat. Fragrant and distinctive, it is a signature snack of Yuanyang.

Carefully selected corn, buckwheat or rice undergoes fermentation before being hand-brewed with pure, pollution-free spring water from high mountains. The unique brewing process yields crystal-clear liquor with a light, mellow and rich aroma.