Page 17 - YunnanTourismCultureTimes (112)

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FOOD | 好吃

While curd cakes from different parts of meticulously crafted to preserve the milk’s Fresh curd cakes have a firm texture, wonderful experience.
Yunnan vary slightly in flavor and texture, pure, rich taste while infusing it with Shi- like white jade, and when sliced, they Stir-fried curd cake with chives might
the “Shilin curd cake” from Kunming’s lin’s signature flavors. reveal fine pores. Eaten raw, they carry a seem ordinary, but it’s actually a precise
Shilin region is undoubtedly the most Every morning at five, the Sani people complex aroma of fresh grass and nuts, balance of flavors. The chives cleverly
renowned. Recently, the China National of Nuohei Village in Shilin carefully unveil with a wild sourness peeking through a neutralize the gamy smell of goat milk,
Intellectual Property Administration issued their bamboo milk buckets, beginning the subtle saltiness. If heated, they become leaving only the milky aroma lingering on
a significant announcement, adding a new process of crafting curd cake. This delicacy soft and unctuous, and the milky aroma is the tongue. The Sani people say this is “the
chapter to China’s geographical indication originally served to preserve goat’s milk for released in layers as the temperature rises, art of bridling a wild horse.”
(GI) landscape. Ninety distinctive products extended periods, but it was later discovered truly a “breathing milk fragrance.” The Yi steamed curd cake with ham is
nationwide were granted “Protected Geo- to be wonderfully palatable on its own. Pan-frying offers the most traditional even more praised. Thin, crimson slices of
graphical Indication” status, with several Around the fire pit, the warm aroma of way for the Yi people to savor curd cakes. Xuanwei ham are layered alternately with
Yunnan specialties—including Shilin curd fresh goat milk rises, mingling with the As small pieces are placed into a heated the creamy white slices of curd cake. The
cake, Shangri-La yak beef, Mile grapes, morning mist. The papaya-fermented sour cast-iron pan, a satisfying sizzle erupts, im- red and white layers resemble clouds and
Qiubei chili, Baizhushan tea, Lincang wal- starter is then carefully brought forth. With mediately releasing a milky aroma touched rocks reflecting each other amidst karst
nuts, and Bingdao Laozhai tea (also known a gentle flick of the wrist, the tart liquid is with notes of caramel. peaks, building a “thousand-layer flavor
as Bingdao Zhenshan tea)—successfully drizzled into the goat milk in fine threads, Curd cake stewed with broad beans pagoda” on the plate. Steamed over high
securing the designation. and the milky white liquid gradually trans- is a delightful and refreshing specialty heat for fifteen minutes, the savory aroma
Shilin curd cake originates from the forms into delicate, snowflake-like curds. dish. Tender broad beans and diced curd of the ham permeates the curd cake’s tex-
Shilin Yi Autonomous County in Kunming This Sani curd cake making technique has cake are gently cooked together in a pot. ture. The rendered milk fat and ham juices
City, Yunnan Province, a region blessed been a cherished tradition among the Shi- As the edges of the curd cake softly melt, collect at the bottom of the plate, releasing
with picturesque Karst landforms and a lin Yi people for over five hundred years. their creamy richness permeates the broad an intoxicating aroma.
pleasant climate. The stunning Guishan Local elders still vividly recite the ances- beans, making each spoonful an absolutely
Pasture, for example, stretches out like a tral rhyme: “Milk boils thrice, sour liquid
green velvet carpet cradled by dramatic swirls thrice, stone slab presses thrice, sun
peak clusters. Here, crystal-clear spring dries for three periods.”
water, naturally enriched with calcium car-
bonate and seeping from caves, nurtures a
diverse array of pasture grasses, including
wild mint, plantain, and alfalfa, which
thrive on the distinctive red earth. These
exceptional natural conditions are funda-
mental to the curd cake’s unique quality.
Shilin curd cake is traditionally made
using high-quality local fresh goat milk,