Go deep in Lijiang: Preserved meats warm up Lijiang’s winter

In the winter days of Lijiang, sausages and preserved pork take the spotlight. In the rural courtyards of Lijiang, sausages and preserved pork are often seen on balconies and clotheslines during this time.

"For the New Year, we must have pig's head and pig's tail. One is offered to our ancestors, and the other symbolizes a year with a clear beginning and ending. It's an aspiration for a beautiful new year," say the locals of Lijiang, who quietly start preparing the essential pig's head during the twelfth lunar month.

The making of preserved meats is a traditional custom in many places here. Lijiang, as a crucial hub on the Southern Silk Road and the Ancient Tea Horse Road, saw the constant hustle and bustle of caravans. Ordinary food was challenging to carry and preserve during their arduous journeys. Thus, salted and air-dried preserved pork became the preferred sustenance.

Surrounded by mountains, Lijiang has a unique geographical location that features dry winters, strong winds, and sharp difference in daily temperature, providing natural conditions for drying up the meats.

People here often use strong liquor and salt for the preservation process. The best-preserved meats are made from pork ribs, belly, and marbled meat. This method results in preserved pork with a perfect balance of lean and fat, making it neither too dry nor too greasy.

As described in A Bite of China, preserved meat carries the flavors of salt, mountains, wind, sunshine, time, and human warmth.

Preserved pork ribs are a signature dish in Naxi cuisine known as Sandieshui which means to serve a feast with three rounds. A hot pot of Lijiang preserved pork ribs exudes a delightful aroma for the dish also involves tomatoes, bean sprouts, potatoes and chive roots.

Sausages are common preserved dish here. There's no standardized recipe for making the sausages. The proportions of salt, oil, chili flakes, and white wine are adjusted based on experience and personal taste, resulting in sweet and savory variations.

Whether it's sausages or preserved pork ribs, they are both winter delicacies in Lijiang.

Source: Yunnan Net; trans-editing by Wang Yunya