Cured-Rib Hot Pot

Cured-rib hot pot centres on ribs salted and air-cured in Lijiang, simmered slowly in a copper pot with potato, leek roots, tomato and tofu; the broth turns milky and full, the ribs deeply savoury and firm, growing richer as it cooks, the hearty centrepiece of a Lijiang winter gathering or guest table.

Cured ribs originated around Baisha, the old Naxi capital. Lijiang's dry highland climate and sharp day-night温差 suit curing well, and around the winter solstice Naxi families salt and air-dry pork ribs to keep for the New Year and guests. It is the indispensable main dish of the third, "fervent" tier of the "three-tier" banquet, the Naxi's highest form of hospitality, once reserved for honoured guests or the New Year.

The cured ribs, vegetables and broth come to the table in one pot; diners first sip the scalding, savoury soup, then gnaw the meat from the bone with a chilli-fermented-bean dip, and finish with rice noodles or greens, the pot simmering on and deepening as they eat—the liveliest way to dine in Lijiang.

The savoury firmness from highland curing, the rich milky broth, and its place as the headline of the "three-tier" banquet are the marks of cured-rib hot pot.