In early summer, in Dali Bazi between the Cangshan Mountain and the Erhai Lake, pomegranate trees in every village are in full bloom, igniting the prosperity of life. Mothers who visit relatives in the countryside often waste no time picking up scattered pomegranate petals under pomegranate trees. Some of them bloom and fall naturally, and some pomegranate flowers are blown off by the wind. Those that are growing on the branches The flower buds are blooming so brightly that I can’t bear to pick them off.

Take these "fallen flowers" home, carefully peel off the petals one by one, remove the stamen part, rinse the remaining petals with clean water, then put them in boiling water until half-cooked and remove them. If there is too much bitterness, remove it, filter to remove excess water...then soak in clean water, rinse and set aside. When eating, first stir-fry a small amount of ham or bacon slices in a hot oil pan. When the meat slices are about half cooked, take out the pomegranate petals from the water and put them into the pan, stir-fry for a while, add salt, and then sprinkle on them. After simmering with a small amount of water for a while, a plate of "fried pomegranate petals" with unique Dali characteristics and flavor will have a unique fragrance. These fried pomegranate petals taste crunchy, with a slight bitterness in the fragrance. The taste is very special and meaningful, as if it is light and slightly bitter in the lean season.

The reason why I took the trouble to make such a unique dish is that, according to my mother, it is in keeping with the seasons and the pomegranate flowers can clear away heat and eliminate toxins. It has medicinal properties. Taking it once or twice a year is equivalent to taking one or two doses of detoxifying medicine for clearing away heat and relieving fire. It can be regarded as a cheap, high-quality and unique meal of Bai folk remedies and Dali local medicated diet. It’s one thing that kills multiple birds with one stone.

The main ingredients for fried pomegranate flowers are leeks and dried chilies. First fry the chili peppers in oil for a while, then add the pomegranate flowers after the chili pepper aroma comes out. Finally, add the leek segments and salt to taste and it is ready to serve. The finished dish has a pleasant aroma, a salty and delicious taste, and a slight bitter taste. But the bitterness in this dish can make people addictive and make them unable to stop eating. Since pomegranate flowers have the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, strengthening the stomach, moistening the lungs, astringent intestines, and stopping bleeding, you can also achieve the purpose of detoxification while enjoying the delicious food. It’s a great job that kills two birds with one stone.