Braised Pork with Ear Piece巍山扒肉饵丝

Wei Shan, a small town in Yunnan, was stricken by drought around a thousand year ago. For a town which used to enjoy the mild weather all year along, the drought was completely unbearable. Unexpected and unprepared, the residents, mainly from Yi people, were desperate for food. To search for it, Xi Nu Luo, who later became the chieftain of Nanzhao, a regime in Yunnan province, went hunting with a group of young men. Before entering the forest, they were told that the wildfire had spread the forest due to the drought. As a result, the boars, which they were intended to catch, were burned to death. Not like everyone else who was discouraged by the news, Xi Nu Luo was not disheartened, saying: “The boars were just cooked by the wild fire, so we could simply take them home, stew them for a while and then have a nice meal!” Hearing this, those young men cast doubts on Xi Nu Luo’s fantasy, but with nothing to eat they took the dead boar away.Initially the dead boars were repelled by the residents for they were uncomely and insipid, but Xi Nu Luo made them appetizing and attractive. He put the meat in a large pot, to be boiled gently and stirred very little. Considering the meat was greasy, he suggested that it could be eaten with Ear Piece, a local food which looked like noodles. The combination was considered perfect for the flavor of Ear Piece was mild while the flavor of braised pork was strong. Additionally, the color of the dish was black and white which was assumed aesthetic. Later, Braise Pork with Ear Piece has become a popular dish in Wei Shan.