The Rice Killer

刘莎

Refresh your summer palate with some Yunnan cuisine

云南风味黑三剁，当之无愧的“米饭杀手”

Heisanduo （黑三剁， literally “three minced ingredients in black”）—a stir-fried mixture of minced pork， black Yunnan pickled cabbage， and red and green peppers is known as the “rice killer”， one of the best Chinese dishes to be paired with rice and a horrible name for a super-villain. With a pepper fragrance， its crispy， juicy， and a touch tangy， the perfect dish for foregoing the cheesy summer foods and stimulating and refreshing the palate.

Heisanduois a common local dish that can be found in almost every restaurant serving Yunnan cuisine. Although not listed in the “Eight Schools of Chinese Cuisine”， Yunnan food is a welcome addition to the plates of picky Chinese foodies with its mild flavors， natural ingredients， exotic nature， and cheap price.

Located in southwestern China and bordering Myanmar， Vietnam， and Laos， Yunnan， literally meaning “south of the clouds”， is proud of its diverse ethnic groups and the varied cuisine that comes with it. The mild climate and ample sunlight help grow the famous fruits， vegetables， and spices so prevalent in Yunnan cooking， with tastes similar to those found in many Southeast Asian dishes. Dai cuisine （傣菜） stands out among the many ethnic foods in Yunnan， with dishes that highlight tangy and spicy flavors， often relying on different types of wild fungus and greens to form a totally new style. The most famous ones are probably the lemon-grass grilled fish （香茅烤鱼） and pineapple rice （菠萝饭）， which is distinctively different from the Thai version as its sour-sweet and oil free.

The key ingredient of heisanduo is the Yunnan specialty pickled kohlrabi （a distinctive type of cabbage）， which also goes by the name “rose turnip cabbage” （玫瑰大头菜）. The name “rose” comes from the rose sugar （玫瑰糖） used to pickle the kohlrabi. A tradition in Yunnans capital of Dali among the Bai ethnic group is to collect the rose petals in their gardens in the spring， mix them with sugar， honey， green plum juice， and salt and set it for two weeks to make this special sauce. Sealed for three months， the rose turnip cabbage is done. To get this delicacy， try the pickle section of Chinese supermarkets. If you see black chunks of pickles there， youve found it.

The alternative version of this dish is hongsanduo （紅三剁） or “three minced ingredients in red” in which you switch the black kohlrabi for red tomatoes. The resulting taste may be weaker but equally delicious.

All the ingredients of heisanduo are finely chopped.  The pork should not be greasy and the flavor of the meat and peppers should flow into the kohlrabi. Perhaps one of the most amazing things about this dish is that， even though its a minced mix of flavors， each taste seems distinct the moment you put it in your mouth.

As the “rice killer”， it is best served with a bowl of boiled rice， but if youre having it in summer， you might want to pair it with a cool， crisp lettuce wrap and a glass of refreshing plum wine.