Chicken is the only poultry animal included in the Chinese zodiac. The ancients called the rooster a man of virtue: "The one who wears a crown on his head is civil;
Chickens enrich the lives of farmers. In those years, there was joy when the cock crowed and the dogs barked. Chickens have become the "little bank" of farmers, and money is tight, and eggs are exchanged for pocket money or oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, needles, and thread brains; when someone gives birth to a child, they send a basket of eggs to "feed milk"; when someone's family is sick Well, kill an old hen to make fresh chicken soup, to nourish the weak body... Now, life is better, every now and then, fried eggs and chicken stewed with mushrooms are already home-cooked dishes.
Although Yunnan cuisine is not among the eight major cuisines, it has conquered foodies all over the country with its unique charm of rich ingredients, various dishes and different tastes. The same ingredient can make you sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, all kinds of world!
When it comes to eating chicken, Yunnan people have many cooking methods, which often make all kinds of people wait for the "chicken". Although chicken is not unique to Yunnan, the rich natural resources, coupled with the numerous ethnic minorities, their various spices and unique techniques, make the "chicken eating routine" in Yunnan cuisine infinitely changeable.
Walking around in western Yunnan, when it comes to food, Dali is the first choice. Dali's snacks not only have a complete range of categories, but also have distinctive characteristics. But in Dali, when people talk about the "No. 1 dish", the first thing people think of is "Yongping Yellow Braised Chicken". This delicious yellow braised chicken is not only attractive by its taste, but also has a long history.
The history of Yongping Braised Chicken goes back more than a thousand years. There is a post station on the Bonan Ancient Road (and the famous silk trade road in Yongping), and the post envoys or business travelers passing by here are all pressed for time. In order to save time and allow them to eat delicious and satisfying dishes, this local famous dish Yongping Braised Chicken was invented. Passing by post envoys or merchant caravans here, after eating this dish, they are full of praise and reputation. This dish quickly spread to other places and became popular in the whole western Yunnan. So far, it has become an indispensable local famous dish.
Its fame has also won the favor of Emperor Yongli. After eating it, he praised it greatly and awarded it the title of "the first delicacy in central Yunnan". Since then, its reputation has been out of control. When everyone asks about the first dish, there must be Yongping Braised Chicken.
The biggest feature of this dish is the ingredients. It is made with local chicken from Yongping mountainous area, taking the most natural taste. In other places, it can be called yellow braised chicken, but it definitely does not contain the word Yongping. The uniqueness of this ingredient makes it hard for a group of people looking for food to travel thousands of miles just to taste the most authentic taste. The ingredients are special, as well as the ingredients. More than a dozen ingredients are selected to cook together, including high-quality pepper, dried chili, garlic, grass fruit, ginger and so on. Under the traditional production method, it is the wisdom and experience of the ancestors that make this dish popular and passed down to this day.
In addition to the authenticity of the ingredients, it has to be well-made. The method is very simple, but it is not easy to make this dish well. The local chicken is chopped into 2 cm pieces, and the dried chili is deseeded and cut into long sections. Put sesame oil in the pan, heat the oil, add dried chili, ginger, and peppercorns, and fry until black. Add the chicken pieces, stir fry and add some soy sauce. Add garlic and onion one after another until fragrant, then cover the pot and simmer. When the juice in the pot dries up and the chicken turns yellow, stir-fry for a while before serving. This sounds simple, but it is not easy. The most difficult part is the control of the heat. This process must be well grasped, and the real flavor of the chicken can only be fried and stewed with high heat.
When you come to Dali, you might as well eat an authentic Yongping braised chicken and feel the taste that has been passed down for thousands of years.
I forgot to tell everyone that around October 1 every year, Yongping will hold the Bonan Cultural Festival. At that time, there will be a customary "ten thousand people eat braised chicken together", isn't it already very exciting! ! ! Welcome to Dali!
If you don’t have time to go to Yongping when you arrive in Dali, and you want to taste authentic yellow stewed chicken, there are many shops in the ancient city that can make authentic yellow stewed chicken. I recommend Zhenwei Kitchen on Yu’er Road. The chef is An authentic Yongping Hui chef is the most authentic braised chicken I have ever eaten in Dali.