Miao silver jewels are old, but this baked food has over 400 years of history
The Miao minority group inhabit the mountainous areas of southwestern China. They boast a series of local artwork, including excellent batik, embroidery, brocade, and silver jewels, all of which attracts tourists to visit their hometown. If you also want to visit there, don’t forget to taste their delicious cuisine “the baked food.” Some places even have handmade silver jewels for sale!
In a Miao restaurant, the waiter or waitress will first give you an apron to keep clothes from being stained by the oil. It’s actually a DIY service, because you will have to bake every food by yourself. Around a large electrical pan placed on your table, you can find all kinds of food, including shrimp, fish, chicken, mushroom, bean curd, potato, leek, pumpkin, celery, cucumber, and some wild vegetables collected from mountain. Bake the food in the pan, then dip it into a spicy sauce with pepper and garlic. You will surely like this ethnic flavor! Eat this with buckwheat cake and rice glue ball, Miao’s staple food, drink the special ginger tea, and you will have a most amazing dinning experience!
With a long history, baking food is quite popular in the Miao area. One small town with several local tribes has 500 restaurants which serve this food. In the early years a terrine was used to bake food. The vessel is almost as big as a straw hat, protruding in the middle, and with a furrow along the side to contain oil. Before baking, brush the central part with some oil. While charcoal burns under the vessel, you can smell the sweet fragrance in the air.
About the origin of baking food in Miao area, here is a story. About 400 years ago, Chinese government sent army to the Miao areas to suppress the rebellion. The local people were forced to hide in the forest and made a living on hunting. They placed the preys and wild vegetables found in the forest on tiles, and baked them together with oil and salt. To their surprise, the baked food didn’t taste bad at all as they expected. Later, this practice of baking food became popular in the whole Miao area, and even won the favor of the tourists who visited there.
In the first Chinese Gastrology Festival held in 2003, this special baked food got a gold medal.
While traveling in Miao area, you can enjoy this wonderful food, and unique silver jewels as well. That’s really great!