Qi Guo Ji (汽锅鸡) — Steam Pot Chicken: Yunnan Condensation Cooking

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Qi guo ji (汽锅鸡, steam pot chicken) is a uniquely Yunnanese preparation cooked in a specially designed clay pot with a hollow tube rising from the center of the pot base to its interior — the steam pipe (qi guo, 汽锅). The pot is placed above boiling water. Steam rises through the central tube and condenses inside the sealed pot onto the chicken pieces, which cook slowly in the accumulating condensed steam-liquid without any added water. The result is a broth of extraordinary purity and concentration — no stock, no water, only the liquid that condenses from steam plus the juices released by the chicken. It is considered a medicinal dish in Yunnan — light enough for the sick, rich enough for celebration.

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