Yunnan-Style Dried Beef: A Golden Bite of Sunshine and Smoke from the Plateau【Diān xī xiǎo gē】

Each strip of dried beef carries the taste of time. When the rainy season ends and the roadsides are filled with mugwort, it’s time to start smoking the meat again!
“Niuganba,” literally meaning “dried beef,” comes from the transliteration of local ethnic languages in Yunnan. It’s made by marinating fresh beef, then smoking and air-drying it — similar to cured pork — and is one of Yunnan’s traditional specialties.Locals love to use mugwort for smoking, believing it gives the Yunnan-style dried beef a deep, smoky aroma while keeping it gentle and not overly dry.