A typical local delicacy of Yunnan across the bridge rice Noodles is known at home and abroad for its delicate ingredients and preparation its unique way of serving its fresh taste its rich nutrition and its fascinating cooking culture.
During its preparation chicken breast ridge pork fish and ham are sliced and bean curd sheets cabbage heart leek mung bean sprouts pea sprouts coriander and onion are cleaned cut and put on small dishes

Across the bridge rice noodles are served with a special soup cooked with chicken fat and leg bones of pigs. The soup is served hot but its steam cannot be seen it is covered by a thick layer of oil on the surface of the soup When preparing to have the rice noodles one first puts all the ingredients on small dishes into the soup the raw first and the cooked later the meat first and the vegetables later. Then one stirs the soup slightly until the meat and vegetables are cooked. Even at this time one has to be very careful the soup is still too hot and one cannot drink it until the end of the meal.
Across the bridge rice noodles originated in Mengzi and has a history of more than 100 years About the origin of its name there has been a story which goes that the rice noodles served constitue a bridge between the bowl for the soup and that for the noodles thus the name. In fact the legend with cooking cultural implications runs like this. In ancient times there was an islet on the Nanhu Lake in Mengzi and a scholar was studying on it for an imperial examination. Every day his wife sent his meals there but the meals were always cold because on her way she had to cross a long bridge. One day she cooked a hen for him but she found by accident that the thick layer of fat on the chicken soup could keep it warm So she put raw fish and pork slices in it but soon the slices became done and edible with a flesh taste. After that she frequently crossed the long bridge and went to the islet with pork slices and rice noodles. From then on her hunsband could enjoy hot meals and thereafter "Across-the-Bridge Rice Noodles" as the name of a delicacy became known.

Steam Pot Chicken

An excellent local speciality of Yunnan Steam Pot Chicken has become renowned at home and abroad for its special cooking tender chicken fresh soup original chicken taste wonderful aroma and rich nutrition.
While preparing the dish one has to follow several steps chop flesh chicken and put it into a steam pot with ingredients like ginger slices and salt cover the pot with a lid and steam it for 3 to 4 hours
Steam Pot Chicken became popular in South Yunnan during the Qianlong Period of the Qing Dynasty. In Jianshui a place of pottery production an ingenious craftsman named Yang Li invented a water-chestnut-shaped pottery steamer. In the middle of the steamer there was an empty tube linking its bottom almost to its lid. This design plays an important role in the preparation of this dish the steaming passing through the empty tube cooks the chicken and gathers finally in the pot to become the chicken soup. In this case when the chicken is cooked the pot will be filled with steaming soup with the original fresh and delicious taste of chicken The Steam Pot Chicken spread to Kunming in 1942. Later it was improved with some new ingredients like Sanqi (pseudo-ginseng) and Cordyceps sinensis (Chinese caterpillar fungus) added and became a "healthy dish" popular among the restaurants of Kunming.

Yilianq Roast Duck

Yiliang Roast Duck was developed by Zhang Wen (with the style name of "Zhibin") a resident of Goujie Township Yiliang County. In the 27th year of the Guangxu Period of the Qing Dynasty (1901) Zhang stayed in Beijing and learned the technique of making Beijing Roast Duck. After returning to his hometown Zhang opened a roast duck restaurant named "Zhibin Garden" at the railway station in his township. To localize what he had learned in Beijing. he managed to improve the whole process of roast duck making. including the selection of ducks the removing of duck feather the molding of ducks and the use of ingredients. He improved the open fire roasting of Beijing Roast Duck by putting his ducks in a blind fire in a hot oven. In this manner the heat was evenly distributed over the whole duck in the oven and the whole process of roasting involved no smoke or dust. The roasted duck remained as golden as Beijing Roast Duck but it differed in that it had jade-1ike bones and a tasty flavor. thus known as the "roast duck of the capital".
The modern method of Yiliang duck roasting is as follows kill a duck and scald it to remove its feathers. Open a cut under its left wing and from this cut remove the gut and blow in air so that the duck itself bulges. After that stuff it with flavoring daub it with honey water and air it. Then put it on an iron hook and hang it inside a hearth toasting it slowly with dry pine. Turn over the duck at the right time take it out and then daub it with lard. honey water and duck fat. The whole toasting process takes about half an hour. Finally chop the duck and put it on a dish with onion sweet sauce pepper and salt. Yiliang Roast Duck has a skin which is crisp but not burnt a texture which is tender and savory and a taste which is delicious.