Chuxiong
Yuanmou Cold Chicken:
Yuanmou Cold Chicken is a specialty dish in Yuanmou, Chuxiong, with a history of nearly a hundred years. It is made with young chickens that have not laid eggs or crowded. For cooking, put the chickens in water until their skin shrinks. After cooling, it is cut into pieces and seasoned with spices. The tender meat carries a strong spicy cuisine flavor, offering a delicious and lingering taste. Yuanmou Chilled Chicken is commonly found on daily dining tables, deeply loved by locals.
Yao'an Air-Dried Chicken:
Yao'an Air-Dried Chicken uses tender young chickens. For cooking, it is marinated with star anise, prickly ash, white pepper, and salt mixed evenly for 1 to 2 hours. The incisions are sewn, and the chicken is hung in a well-ventilated area to air-dry. When ready to eat, it can be steamed, roasted, stewed, or braised. When steamed, the whole chicken is torn apart and enjoyed for its fresh and flavorful taste. It represents distinctive local characteristics; Yao'an Air-Dried Chicken is rich in nutrients and also convenient for preservation.
Tree Flowers Salad
Tree Flowers only exist in Chuxiong, which is a well-known wild vegetable in the local area. After harvesting, put the tree flowers in boiling water and then dried. To prepare for cooking, soak the tree flowers in boiling water for 5-10 minutes, then cool and mix with vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorn, chili, cilantro, green onion, and MSG. It offers a refreshing and crisp flavor, chewy and aromatic, leaving a lingering aftertaste.