Chicken Stewed with Gastrodia 天麻炖鸡
Chicken Stewed with Gastrodia is featured among the local specialties of Yunnan.
Chicken Stewed with Gastrodia (天麻炖鸡) is a local dish in Zhaotong (昭通), Yunnan (云南), pairing fresh gastrodia with free-range chicken. Its ingredient base is associated with Xiaocaoba (小草坝) in Yiliang (彝良), an area known for gastrodia production.
How it is made
Zhaotong Culture and Tourism’s 2026 account describes fresh gastrodia from the Zhaotong mountains is combined with locally raised chicken and slowly stewed over a low flame for several hours. The long cooking brings the ingredients’ flavours into a clear, richly flavoured broth. Zhaotong gastrodia is noted for its large, plump form.
Flavour and texture
The gastrodia becomes soft, with a gentle sweetness in the finish. The chicken remains tender and finely textured. The soup is described as mildly sweet and savoury without a greasy taste.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer on 2026-09-30. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.