Food is amazing, food is wonderful and food will always be a great way to form some new bonds and strengthen existing ones. It’s also a wonderful way to explore another culture where food is a direct reflection of environment and heritage. On this particular outing, I was lucky enough to join in on a great feast hosted by the Yi People. For people who do not know, Yi people can be found around China, Thailand and Vietnam. They are said to be descendants of the Qiang people with heritage across Tibet and other areas. In modern day china, Yi people can be found primarily in the southern Sichuan province.
Yi people are a very interesting minority group in china and are known for their practices that follow a form of shamanism. Their religion is very spiritual and also contains parts of both Buddhism and Doaism in its practices. They have a very interesting past and entirely different structure to society when studying their history.
The huge dish served was of amazing extravagance, there was so much packed into this dish, the room was instantly filled with the spicy aromas that were wafting through the air. The Yi people have a very broad diet which aims to reach balance through a number of foods that are available within the environment. This may seem a little alien to some, but things like crickets, spiders, ant eggs and other delicacies are included to some of the most interesting dishes I have ever tasted.
There is a great emphasis on flavours here and the rice servings are generous. The beautiful peacock garnish was an interesting platter in itself. Note – This was not a real peacock, merely symbolic props.