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Cicada Meat Dumplings

"Zhi liao" is a popular Chinese name for the cicada. Among the Dai people of Menglian County, cicadas are used to prepare dumplings as a unique dish. The method of preparing this dish is as follows: remove the two wings and belly from the cicada, mix lots of such cicada with chicken, mince the mixture, add some glutinous rice flour, and use tomato to prepare a soup. When the tomato soup is brought to a boil, use the hand to make dumplings out of the cicada paste, and drop the dumplings into the pot. When the dumplings are well cooked, transfer them to bowls, and spread such condiments as coriander, shallot, and fine table salt, to be ready for consumption. The dish tastes delicious and very special. The Dai people often use this dish to feed their relatives and friends.