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Residing in the mountainous areas of southwest China, the Miao ethnic group are well known for their handmade silver jewels like silver necklaces. During big holidays and ceremonies, Miao women like to wear glistening silver jewels to display their beauty. Holidays are also a good time for people to get together with friends and family to enjoy a big meal. Food on their table is unique, ethnic, and delicious. Here are recipes for just a few:

Glutinous rice paste

Glutinous rice paste is served in Miao areas all year round. To the single people, glutinous rice is important, as it’s always used as a gift between lovers. During the lunar December, Miao girls will busy themselves preparing all kinds of glutinous rice paste: triangular, quadrate, prolate, and round. Some rice paste is dyed with bright colors and looks quite appealing. In the Lusheng Musical Festival held in the next lunar January, young people will get together, sing, dancing, and seeking for lovers. Girls with beautiful silver necklaces look especially attractive. If a girl has a good feeling of a man, she will pitch the glutinous rice paste into the man’s belt bag. If the man also has a good feeling of the girl, he would keep the paste. When the man visit the girl’s family after January, he will bring with him some sugar and paste as a gift.

Glutinous rice

Glutinous rice is the staple food for the Miao people. Using some particular plant leaves, women would dye the rice into different colors during the exciting Sister Festival. With five beautiful colors, the dyed rice tastes perfect. It’s a perfect gift to give the man who steals her heart.

Special holidays for food

The Miao have lots of holidays that are related to food. During duck festival, people cook duck together with rice into a special porridge. During the New Food Festival held in lunar June, only newly picked rice, vegetables, and fresh meat are served on the table.

If you like, you can visit a Miao village during their festivals to enjoy their delicious ethnic food and watch their elaborately designed silver necklaces. In some festivals, exciting music activities and big feasts are always held, and lots of Miao silver necklaces weigh over 10 pounds! Check out more about Miao silver jewelry at my silver necklaces website below!

The Miao are an ethnic minority, and admiring the glistening silver jewelry the women wear from head to toe, you may think they are rich. But their life is quite hard and simple because of the tough living conditions in mountainous areas of southern and southwestern China. Even during holidays and big ceremonies, food on a table doesn't seem to be sumptuous at all. However the Miao have some unique food that you can't find anywhere else in China.

Colorful glutinous rice

Glutinous rice is the staple food of Miao culture. They cook a unique and colorful rice to feed their friends during holidays. There are five distinct colors in the rice: blue, red, white, black, and yellow. The colors are from juices of varied plants. It looks alluring, and tastes sweet and delicious.

The single women usually give colorful glutinous rice to their lovers as a present. Various things can be placed in the rice basket to tell if the women like the men or not. A bamboo hook tells the man to get an umbrella for the girl as a present. A tree branch means their relationship is finished. A toon sprout means they can marry soon. A glutinous rice paste with the pattern of dragon, phoenix, and baby will be prepared for the bride and groom when they get married.

Oil-tea

A very common Miao beverage is “oil-tea.” Some people drink it every day. Tea leaves are fried in a pan with ginger, salt, and oil. Then put into some water, and boil them together. The tea leaves are beaten into pieces with a mallet and the concoction is then boiled for a while longer. The tea is then sieved and blended together with sticky rice, corn, or beans, and then some garlic, and peppers will be added.

Finally a cup of rich and deep tea is ready.

A chopstick is usually provided together with oil-tea. If you don't want tea anymore, then just lay the chopstick onto your bowl. If not, tea will be given to you endlessly!

Sour soup

A special sour soup is served all year round. The soup is made of different steamed vegetables and fermented rice. People like to use this sour soup to cook fish, chicken or meat, and it gives their dishes a special sour flavor.

Spicy flavoring

In ancient times, it was very difficult for the Miao to get salt, so they used hot peppers to add flavor to their dishes and developed a taste for very spicy food. Today the Miao use the minced and fried chili peppers as important flavoring for their dishes.

Lots of ways can be used to prepare chili peppers. They can be fried or baked, then mixed together with ginger, garlic, wine or soy sauce to achieve different tastes. You can keep the flavoring for long time if you put it into a jar.

Chicken and duck

The Miao like chicken and duck meat, and especially chicken or duck’s heart. The innards are always saved for the guests and elder to express respect.

Wine

Wine has a long history among the Miao. Almost every Miao family can make wine at home.

A unique fruit and glutinous rice can be used to make a sweet wine which tastes good and helps digestion. If you visit a Miao village, the local people will entertain you with a whole set of wine service. It will be set in twelve different places from the road to their village gate. You will be named as a hero if you can drink up all 12 bowls of wine! If you can't, don't worry. Just touch the bowl with your lips gently, and politely say “Dou She Mo,” which in the Miao language means “Thank you!” then you can pass.

Visit the Miao villages during their holidays, and you can enjoy their exciting singing and dancing performances, along with their fascinating embroidery and silver ornaments like the unique silver earrings. And sure, you can taste various kinds of wine as well!

The Miao are an ethnic minority, and admiring the glistening silver jewels the women wear from head to toe, you may think they are rich. But the Miao lead quite a tough life in secluded mountainous areas of southern and southwestern China. Even during holidays and big ceremonies, food on a table doesn’t seem to be sumptuous at all. However in the Miao area there is some special food unlike that in other areas of China.

Colorful glutinous rice

Glutinous rice is the staple food of Miao culture. During holidays a unique colorful rice is prepared for guests. There are five distinct colors in the rice: blue, red, white, black, and yellow. The colors are from juices of varied plants. It looks beautiful, and tastes deliciously sweet.

For single women, colorful glutinous rice is a common present to their lovers. They may place a few specific things in the rice basket to imply if they have a future. A bamboo hook suggests that the man should buy the girl an umbrella as a present. A tree branch implies they have no future. A piece of a toon bud means they can get married soon. A glutinous rice paste with the design of baby, dragon, and phoenix will be served for the bride and groom on their wedding day.

Oil-tea

A very common Miao beverage is “oil-tea.Some people have it as their everyday drink.

The tea leaves are mixed together with oil, salt, and ginger, then cooked in a wok. Then add water, and boil them together. The tea leaves are beaten into pieces with a mallet and the concoction is then boiled for a while longer. After the tea is filtered and blended together with peanuts, beans, corn, or glutinous rice, some garlic and peppers can be put.

After all this, a cup of rich and deep oil-tea is ready.

A chopstick is usually supplied together with oil-tea. Lay the chopstick onto your bowl if you don’t need tea anymore. If not, tea will be given to you endlessly!

Sour soup

A special sour soup is served all year round. The soup is made of different steamed vegetables and fermented rice. People like to use this sour soup to cook fish, chicken or meat, and it gives their dishes a special sour flavor.

Spicy flavoring

In ancient times, it was very difficult for the Miao to get salt, so they used hot peppers to add flavor to their dishes and developed a taste for very spicy food. Nowadays fried and chopped chili peppers are the principle flavoring put into Maio cuisine.

Many different ways is used to cook chili peppers. They can be fried or baked, then mixed together with ginger, garlic, wine or soy sauce to achieve different tastes. When put into a jar, the flavoring can be stored for long time.

Chicken and duck

The Miao like chicken and duck meat, and especially chicken or duck’s heart. The innards are almost always reserved for the elderly and special guests to show respect.

Wine

Wine has a long history among the Miao. Nearly each Miao family can make wine at home.

People use glutinous rice and a unique fruit to make a sweet wine which tastes delicious and aids digestion. If you go to a Miao village, the hospitable local people may welcome you with a whole wine service. It will be set in twelve different places from the road to their village gate. You will be a hero if you can drink up all wine in the 12 bowls! But no need to be upset if you can’t. Just touch the bowl with your lips gently, and politely say “Dou She Mo,” which in the Miao language means “Thank you!” then you can pass.

Visit the Miao villages during their holidays, and you can enjoy their exciting singing and dancing performances, along with their fascinating embroidery and silver jewelry, including impressive silver bracelets. And sure, you can taste various kinds of wine as well!