Erkuai facts for kids
The seller is smearing sauce after roasting the Erkuai
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| Course | Snack |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Yunnan, China |
| Region or state | Southwest China |
| Main ingredients | rice |
Erkuai (Chinese: 饵块; pinyin: ĕrkuāi; literally "ear piece") is a special type of rice cake that comes from Yunnan Province in southwest China. It's a popular food there, enjoyed by many people.
Contents
What is Erkuai?
The name "Erkuai" actually means "ear piece" in Chinese. This is because some traditional shapes of Erkuai look a little bit like an ear. It's made from rice, which is a very common food in China.
How is Erkuai Eaten?
Erkuai is a very versatile food, meaning it can be prepared in different ways.
Stir-fried Erkuai
One common way to eat Erkuai is to have it stir-fried. Cooks will cut the Erkuai into pieces and quickly cook them in a hot pan with vegetables. They often add a special sauce called málà (麻辣). This sauce is famous for being both spicy and numbing. It's made from dried red chilis, Sichuan pepper, and salt.
Grilled Erkuai: A Street Food Favorite
Erkuai is also a very popular street food, especially in places like Dali. When sold as street food, it's often called kăo ĕrkuāi or shāo ěrkuāi.
Here's how it's usually made:
- The Erkuai is grilled until it's warm and soft.
- Then, it's wrapped around a yóutiáo, which is a long strip of fried dough.
- Finally, sweet or savory sauces and toppings are added.
There are two main types of grilled Erkuai:
- Sweet Erkuai: This version has a sweet brown sauce and crunchy peanuts inside.
- Savory Erkuai: This one is spread with lǔfǔ (a type of fermented tofu) and bean sprouts. Other toppings can also be added to make it even tastier.
This rolled-up snack is sometimes compared to a Mexican burrito because of its similar shape and how it's eaten.
One of Yunnan's Oddities
Because of its unique name and shape, Erkuai is sometimes mentioned as one of the "Eighteen Oddities in Yunnan." These "oddities" are fun sayings or facts about things that are special or unusual in Yunnan Province.
