🍽️ Tengchong Fried Rice Cake

Stir-fried erkuai legend from Ming prince.

Tengchong Fried Rice Cake, nicknamed Da Jiu Jia or Great Rescue, is essentially stir-fried erkuai, a traditional staple of Tengchong in Baoshan, western Yunnan. Erkuai is made by pounding steamed rice into a cake; sliced thin, it is quickly stir-fried over high heat with egg, ham, pickled greens, tomato and spinach. The erkuai absorbs the juices and turns soft and chewy, savory with a sour note, and the platter comes out colorful. The name is tied to a folk tale about a fleeing Ming prince, but the exact origin is largely legend and best taken lightly. Tengchong locals eat this stir-fried erkuai for breakfast and late-night supper alike, and it has become the calling card of Tengchong food in western Yunnan. Visitors touring the Rehai hot springs or Heshun old town almost always order this golden, aromatic plate.