Yuxi Dining

Sour spicy is the favorite taste of Yuxi people. So dishes here are kind of spicy and sour. Famous dishes here are Spicy chicken soup with herbs on Yudai Road, Roasted duck on Daying Street, Cold Rive Noodles, Ice Porridge etc.

Yuxi City is famous for its delicious local food, such as Sandaocai (or Jiangchuan Three Courses, which contain Hot and Sour fish, Mutton Soup and Chicken Broth), fish boiled in copper pot, aloe vera banquet and other very popular dishes. Yuxi local delicacies have absorbed the essence of the Sichuan cuisine, which is well known for its hot and spicy flavor, while well blended with local ingredients.

What to Eat in Yuxi City

1.Jiangchuan Stewed Dish (江川炖菜)

Jiangchuan stewed dish integrated the fresh, tender, fragrant and spicy characters of stewed dish and local traditional flavor. Stewed sour and hot chicken, stewed fish and stewed pig's feet are cooked with Jiangchuan local chicken, fresh fish, or pig's feet. The soup is cooked by pig's bones, mix with natural pickle vegetables, pickle pepper, and other natural seasonings, as well as Chinese medicines handed down from the ancestors. No herbs or spices are added. The taste of the dish is sour but not tasteless, hot but without dryness heat, fresh but without taste of raw meat. The soup is rich in fragrance and tastes refreshing.

2.Datou Fish /Big-head Fish of Jiangchuan (江川大头鱼)

Datou fish is the famous fish of Jiangchuan in Yuxi. It has a big and wide head and high fat content. Big-head fish is named for its broad head, delicate meat, delicious taste, and can be used as medicine. With high economic value and medicinal value, it is one of the indigenous fish of Xingyun Lake.

3.Crystal Preserved Fruits (水晶蜜饯)

The white gourd preserves of Yuxi is like crystal.The history of Yuxi preserves can be trace back to late Ming Dynasty.It is refreshing, crisp, sweet but not greasy, and has the effect of promoting fluid and moistening lung.Without chemicals, it is healthy and inviting.

4.Fat Meat Rice Noodle（周氏肥肉米线）

When mentioning typical food in Yuxi, the residents in Chengjiang who have live in the 1930th and 1940th will all agree to give highly praise to the delicious taste. It is especially true to the Fat Meat Rice Noodle Restaurant operated by Zhou Pei (周沛) and Zhou Can (周灿) brothers, which is well known by the old and the young and has a good reputation all over the city.

5.Mushroom Banquet (菌子宴)

Mushroom banquet of Yigyuetan Mushroom Garden is famous and popular. Beside the lake, travelers can taste diverse mushroom dishes and enjoy the gifts of nature. Different kinds of mushrooms are delicious and nutritious. You can feel the inviting dishes from nature.

6.Oil Fermented Bean Curd (油卤腐）

Yuxi oil fermented bean curd has a long history. It was created by each and every family in Ming Dynasty. Enjoying the good reputation, it has been sold to different places in China. It can be the gifts in Yuxi.

Yuxi Cold Rice Noodle

What makes Yuxi cold rice noodle differs from that of Kunming is the once piece of wandoufen (or pea flour cake) on top of the cold rice noodle. It tastes so soft and its golden yellow adds a little touch on the white base. In Yuxi, homemade vinegar is called “tianzi”(甜子) which is not as sour as brown vinegar that we see in restaurants or supermarkets. Locals put some rice noodles and chopped Chinese leek in the bowl, and to add a teaspoon of tianzi, soy sauce, sesame soy and a pinch of salt into the bowl, and then put the wandoufen on top and last but not the least, place some fried chili and chili sauce accordingly. Although it’s a cold dish, it is still popular in winter.

Yuxi Roast Duck

Yuxi Roast duck is acclaimed for its crispy on the outside while tender meat in the inside. Locals use pine leaves as the burning material to cook the duck, therefore, people also call it the “pine leaves roast duck”.

Chengjiang Lotus Root Starch

This jelly like, half transparent snack is made from lotus root starch, which is well accepted a long time ago. It is easy to digest and considers being a healthy food. To mix three-quarter of boiling water into a small bowl with a pack of lotus root starch, and stir with a teaspoon steadily until they blend with each other. To make it even sweeter, add half teaspoon of rose jam for someone special.

Boiled Fish in Copper Pot

For decades, this Tongguoyu (fish boiled in copper pot) is a homely dish for fishermen near Chengjiang area. The copper pot is relatively light yet a quick heat-transfer. In old times, fishermen made a stove with three big stones and put a copper pot filled with the water from Fuxian Lake on it. And when the water is boiling they put local Kanglang fish into the pot, together boiling with some ginger, scallion, garlic, peppermint and some black pepper and a pinch of salt to make a savoury fish soup.

Potato with rice and ham in Copper Pot

Except for the warm and fresh fish soup, a bowl of potato, rice and ham in a copper pot is a must-have main course while you are Jiangchuan. Add some oil into the pan and to fry some diced Yunnan ham, potato and scallion for several minutes and then add some pre-soaked rice into the pan. Let them cook for three minutes. Add a pinch of salt and to put all the ingredients into the copper pot filled with half pot of water, and wait for the water to boil and then allow them to simmer for about 20 minutes.