There are 56 ethnic groups in China and 52 in Yunnan, and the diversity of ethnic groups and the unique geographical environment have created a unique taste of Yunnan. Speaking of Yunnan, which delicacies make you reminisce? Is it Mengzi's bridge rice noodles or Dehong's skimming, Lijiang's pork ribs or Zhaotong's Tianma ham chicken, Shangri-La's butter tea or Tengchong's big rescue... I think that in the eyes of foodies, Yunnan on the tip of the tongue, the food is dazzling. Today, let's talk about Tengchong's "big rescue"!
Big rescue
One of the must-eat delicacies in Tengchong
According to legend, in the early Qing Dynasty, Wu Sangui led the Qing army into Kunming, the Ming Dynasty Yongli Emperor fled to Tengchong, Western Yunnan, the Qing army chased after it, when it was late, the group walked for a day on the mountain road, tired, hungry. Finding a farmhouse, the owner stir-fried the food that the family thought was good and made a dish of bait, ham, eggs, and greens. After eating it, the Yongli Emperor said approvingly: "The fried bait block saved the great driver of Yuan." Since then, Tengchong fried bait blocks have an alias - "big rescue".
In September 2018, Dashou was named one of the top ten classic dishes in Yunnan among the "Chinese cuisines", and is one of the traditional snacks famous in Tengchong.
Tengchong bait blocks are not made of sticky rice, mainly rice, and the bait blocks made are white, thin and sticky. There are many ways to eat bait, which can be grilled, boiled, fried, and the classic is still fried.
At the Ma Yugu Shou Humble Garden, cooking smoke rises, firewood is burned, a large cauldron is set up, and the baits, vegetables, fresh pork, ham, Tengchong pickles, spring onions, tomatoes, bad spicy seeds, eggs, etc. prepared earlier are cut into diamond shapes and small pieces, plus various spicy condiments are stir-fried in the pot to create a bowl of delicious and mouth-watering "big rescue". Of course, a bowl of Green Dragon Cross Sea Soup (a soup of dried pickles, green onions, ginger, and millet spicy boiling) is a delicious accompaniment to the stir-fried bait blocks.
Source: Mayogu Hot Spring Town