Grilled Erkuai (Rice Cake)

Erkuai is a Yunnan rice food pounded from cooked rice; grilled erkuai means laying thin pieces over a charcoal fire until soft and chewy, then brushing on sauce and wrapping in fillings.

The handmade erkuai of Guandu old town is especially renowned, traditionally made entirely by hand - selecting, soaking, steaming, pounding, kneading, and drying the rice to keep its aroma.

Once softened it is spread with sweet-salty sauce, sesame paste, and chili, often wrapped around a fried dough stick or braised meat and pickles, then rolled up and eaten hot.

The mingling of charcoal smoke, chewy rice, and rich sauce makes it the most homely traditional breakfast on Kunming's streets.