The Miao minority’s special way to preserve food

	Miao minority

This field study was carried out in the town of Gongquan in Gong county within the Sichuan province of China. Such wide-spread migrations have resulted in the many distinct yet similar languages, foods and clothes of the Miao today. The Miao are said to be one of the most ancient and largest nationalities of China.
The Miao minority, which populates much of the border regions of Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan, Guangxi and other provinces, commonly prefer sour-tasting dish, with Sour Soup in every family.
The making of Sour Soup is by mixing rice soup and bean curd into an earthenware pot for three to five days until it ferments. It is used to cook meats, fish, and other vegetables. Preservation of food is commonly done by way of curing, for making sour vegetables, chicken, duck, fish and other meats. Almost every family has a “sour pot” for storage of cured foods.
The habit of eating sour food is formed by the humid climate they are living. By their “sour pot”, the Miao people can preventing their food from decaying, and store their food for a ling time, living in the palaces being far from hustle cities.