🍽️ Sour and Spicy Fish

Erhai fish with sour-spicy seasoning, Bai ethnic flavor.

Sour and spicy fish is a home-style Bai ethnic dish of Dali, Yunnan. Fresh fish from Erhai Lake is cooked with sour papaya, tomato, dried chili and spices. The fruity acid of local sour papaya blends with the heat of chilies into a red-gold broth; the fish is tender and flavorful, tangy-fresh and mildly spicy, stimulating saliva. Dali versions rely on local sour papaya rather than plain vinegar for a clean, fruity tartness. Often simmered with potato and tofu, the fish is fresh and the broth rich, excellent over rice. In Bai courtyards by Erhai, it is a common festive and guest-welcoming dish, carrying the mountain-lake air of Cangshan and Erhai.