I have finished my 2 weeks trip in the beautiful Yunnan province of China and brought some interesting inspirations and yummy food photo.

Yunnan province locates in the west part of China near to Sichuan, Tibit, Guizhou and Guangxi province with many of Chinese minorities. It is referred to be ‘the south of the colorful clouds’ (彩云之南 in Chinese). Recent years, there are many documentary files introducing some of the interesting Yunnan foods which attracted me absolutely.We spend most of our time in Lijiang, Yunnan and visited Kunming, Dali and Lijiang.

In China, if you ask people about the representative dishes of Yunnan food or Yunnan cuisine, most of the answers would be Guoqiao Mixian which is translated as across the bridge noodles literally.

Yunnan Rice Noodles

Across the bridge noodle usually is a bowl with rice noodles, meat slices and vegetables along with chicken stock. At the very beginning, the soup and the ingredients are separated. The story behind the name comes firstly.

For the name of across the bridge noodles, it is recorded that one caring wife brings food to her husband who is studying on a small island. She needs to cross a bridge each time for the food delivery.  However she finds that each time when she had crossed the bridge, the noodles get cooled and soggy. So she use a large earthen pot to keep the chicken stock warm (with more oil) and then the ingredients separated. And then pour the hot chicken stock on the cooked rice noodles and fresh side ingredients. That’s a lovely idea, which can further keep the side ingredients fresh.

Nowadays, the side ingredients are served in some small plates with one bowl of cooked rice noodles and another large bowl with hot broth.

Across the bridge rice noodle ingredients and hot chicken broth

Additionally  there are many other interesting rice noodles bowls which are quite popular in Yunnan and even over other provinces of China.We have visited one famous rice noodle restaurant in Kunming and taste some of their excellent rice noodles dishes. Those noodles can be replaced by another Yunnan food Erkuai.

 earth pot rice noodles

 Cold dressing rice noodles

cooked rice noodles are dressed with combined spicy sauce and chives.

Erkuai noodles with deep-fried pork rind

Erkuai is one type of highly refined and compressed rice cake, which can further be made into different textures for example noodles or a large pancake.

Pan-fried or roasted erkuai with pickled cabbage and spicy sauce

Jidou Liangfen

Jidou in fact is gram. Chinese people use different flours to make various types of Liangfen for example green bean liangfen, sweet potato liangfen. The making processes are quite similar. After the liangfen is formed, usually it is served with some spices or pickled cabbage.

Tofu

There are many interesting tofu recipes in Yunnan province including the famous Lufu. Lufu is one type of fermented bean curd.

Fried tofu with iron pan

 Pan-fried tofu with spicy rose sauce

To be continued–Yunnan minority food and snack.