The versatile potato: A culinary odyssey

In Yunnan, potatoes are affectionately known as “yangyu.” A popular local saying, “Eating yangyu nourishes our children,” carries the delightful belief that consuming potatoes makes one more handsome and beautiful. For the people of Yunnan, potatoes are a daily staple, often appearing in all three meals. Simply hand them a bag of potatoes, and they can effortlessly transform them into a magnificent feast of diverse potato dishes. Whether stewed, roasted, fried, stir-fried, or braised, every preparation is irresistibly delicious.

Roasted potato and the dipping sauces

In Yunnan, “Laonai Yangyu” (fried potato paste) is a deeply cherished dish. It earns its endearing name from its unique, melt-in-your-mouth texture: the potatoes are cooked to an extreme softness, requiring virtually no chewing, which makes them perfectly suitable for the elderly. This culinary delight is prepared by mashing steamed potatoes into a smooth puree, then stir-frying them with flavorful seasonings such as chili and fennel, resulting in a distinctively unique and delicious “Laonai Yangyu.” A special variation found in some parts of Yunnan is the Dai-style Laonai Yangyu with pickled vegetables. When the tangy pickled vegetables meet the creamy potato puree, their sour and spicy notes blend harmoniously with the soft texture, creating an appetizing and satisfying dish that stands as a signature offering in Dai restaurants.

When Laonai Yangyu enters the world of baguettes, it’s a win for Yunnan with this East-meets-West fusion! From Dongchuan’s red earth come special potatoes, renowned for cooking until they are so soft and floury they practically burst open, revealing a beautiful golden color and a uniquely sandy-soft texture. These are mashed into a luscious puree and generously spread as a filling. Paired with fragrant bread, their irresistible aroma can be smelled from afar. With the first bite, you experience a truly down-to-earth Yunnanese delicacy, wonderfully wrapped in French romance.

 

Potato fried in Dai flavor

Roasted potatoes are a heartwarming delicacy, cherished by the people of Yunnan. Whole potatoes are slowly roasted over charcoal until their skins are beautifully charred and golden, and their insides become incredibly soft and fluffy. Once cooked, they are either cut into large pieces or simply split open, then served with a dazzling array of dipping sauces, including savory fermented bean curd, vibrant chili powder, fresh cilantro, and fragrant scallion oil. Despite its humble appearance, a bite of this simple roasted potato delivers such profound satisfaction that it feels like the most exquisite and grand of feasts.

Have you ever experienced the sheer delight of carbs on carbs? Potatoes and Rice Cooked in a Copper Pot is the quintessential representation of Yunnan’s deep love affair with satisfying carbohydrates. Small pieces of potato are first deep-fried until perfectly golden, then lovingly layered into a traditional copper pot with rice and other savory ingredients. With water and seasonings added, the mixture is slowly simmered over a crackling wood fire, allowing the potatoes to become exquisitely tender and the rice plump and fluffy. Beneath it all lies a delightful secret: a layer of golden, crispy scorched rice, radiating an intoxicating toasted fragrance. Every spoonful is a journey of pure comfort and rich flavor, leaving you utterly captivated.

 

Deep-fried potato

Curious about the ultimate afternoon snack in Yunnan? Look no further than Dai-style pickled vegetable paste mixed with potatoes! At its heart is the “pickled vegetable paste,” a distinctive, tangy sauce from the Dai ethnic group in Dehong. Revered for its sour, aromatic, and richness-cutting qualities, it’s considered the very soul of local dining. Potatoes are cut into invitingly jagged chunks, then fried to your desired crispness—either lightly crisp for a tender bite or fully golden and crunchy. These are then tossed with the vibrant pickled vegetable paste, fresh minced garlic, fiery bird’s eye chilies, the unique essence of fish mint (zhe’ergen), and other savory seasonings. The result? A tantalizingly sour, spicy, and utterly appetizing snack that leaves an unforgettable aftertaste—truly the quintessential afternoon delight!

Scientific research is consistently expanding the horizons for potato consumption. A notable recent achievement in Qiaojia County, Zhaotong City, is the activation of China’s first “potato rice” production line. This advanced facility industrializes the process of transforming potatoes and other grains into a novel staple food. The “potato rice” it produces is highly nutritious, preserving over 90% of the potato’s natural nutritional value and offering a 27% higher protein content than conventional refined rice and flour. This pioneering endeavor is not only China’s first production line for converting fresh potatoes into rice-shaped dried food, but also a global first in this innovative agricultural processing technology.

Text by our staff correspondents
Translated by YNTA
Proofreading by Zu Hongbing