YUNNAN, Jan 24 – In the ancient city with a millennia-long history in the Yunnan province, there is a village that has been crafting traditional dumplings for over a century, using Paolownia leaves and a recipe passed down for more than 100 years.
Yunnan Daily reports that Niuji, a village situated in the Yiliang District, Zhaotong City, is an ancient city with a history dating back thousands of years. Founded during the Han Dynasty (25–220 AD), it served as a crucial market town along the ancient trade route from Yunnan to Sichuan. Traders from more than 10 provinces and cities came to conduct business, bringing the diverse cultures of various regions and contributing to the unique local culture of this ancient city.
Niuji is located along the riverbank, where the climate features heavy rainfall and simultaneous hot weather, creating ideal conditions for the growth of Paolownia plants. Its leaves are known for their ability to preserve food, and villagers use them to wrap fermented rice for making Paolownia leaf dumplings
. Surprisingly, even in the hot season, pastries wrapped in Paolownia leaves can be stored for up to 2-3 days. The traditional recipe for Paolownia leaf dumplings has been passed down for more than a century, becoming a source of income for local farmers and a distinctive culinary delight of Zhaotong City.
The process of making Paolownia leaf dumplings involves selecting locally produced rice, washing and soaking it in cold water for three hours. The rice is then cooked until it is fully done, ground into a rice flour slurry using a stone mill, and fermented in a container. Afterwards, boiled sugar, and lard are added in specific proportions, and the mixture is wrapped in Paolownia leaves. Finally, the dumplings are steamed for 30 minutes. -819 (TNA)
