Dali Cuisine is also referred as cuisine of Bai Ethnic Group, which features spicy, sour and widely using of fresh material.
Stewed Carp in Sand Pot
Stewed Carp in Sand Pot, which is called Sha Guo Yu in Chinese, is one of the most popular local dishes of Dali. To make the dish, slender chicken and more than ten ingredients including dried mushrooms, shrimp, and dried scallops are firstly put into the sand-pot and are boiled to flavor the soup. Then carp caught in Erhai Lake is added into the pot. The dish is surely a must try in Dali.
Xizhou Crisp Pie
Xizhou Crisp Pie (called Xi Zhou Ba Ba in Chinese) is a kind of savory baked snack made from wheat flour, and sprinkled with a combination of chopped onions, salt and diced ham. It tastes sweet, soft, and crispy.
Dairy Fans
Dairy Fans, called Rushan in Chinese, is a local food made from milk and yoghurt. To cook Rushan, varied recipes could be adopted, including fry, steam, roast, boil, and so on. You could also find Rushan being added as ingredient to other dishes like Stewed Spot-carp, Three Course Tea, and so on.
Three Courses Tea
Three Courses of Tea is a traditional tea ceremony performed by Bai ethnic group. The first course is called "bitter tea". Only half a cup is served for guest to take sips and enjoy the refreshing flavor of the bitter tea. The second course is called "sweet tea", which tastes sweet and tempting. And sweet tea will be served with cups as large as small bowls. One can drink as much as he likes. The third course is called "aftertaste tea". Ingredient added involves Sichuan pepper, ginger and cinnamon and brewed with green tea. Chinese people like to say, the flavor of Three Courses Tea is just what life is like: hardness and bitterness come first, followed by sweetness, and finally become a mixture of all kind of flavors.