Cook like a local: Yunnan

Diverse cultures and culinary influences meet in this remote and mountainous corner of China, where you’re as likely to find green papaya laced with lime as hearty chicken soup

Diverse cultures and culinary influences meet in this remote and mountainous corner of China

Tucked into China’s south-western corner, Yunnan is home to some of Asia’s most memorable dishes. In-the-know travellers visit to slurp noodle soup, eat stir-fried flowers and enjoy hot pots made with some of the region’s hundreds of species of wild mushrooms. These dishes are a reflection of Yunnan’s cultural diversity. This remote, mountainous province borders Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and the Tibetan plateau, and foods vary considerably as you make your way from the cold, snowy steppes of the north to the subtropical jungles in the south. It’s also home to dozens of minority groups: these have been in the area for thousands of years (long before Yunnan became part of China) and each has its own culinary traditions. A true appreciation of Yunnan’s gastronomic scene can only be had by seeking out the classic dishes of these regions and peoples.

Any trip should start in the capital, Kunming, where the weather is temperate year round and the foods are full of salty pickled greens, dried chillies and szechuan peppercorns. Next, travel north to high-altitude Shangri-La (formerly known as Zhongdian), an old Tibetan town, to find restaurants serving cold-weather dishes such as deep-fried meats and warming chicken soups. Head to the west, to Mangshi, a small city near the border with Myanmar, for foods that can be stored in a hot, humid climate (such as dried beef, which is shredded and made into salads full of herbs and chillies) and dishes that reflect the British influence on the region (like pineapple sticky rice flavoured with sweetened condensed milk).

Venture south to the prefecture of Xishuangbanna (just a few miles from Laos) and everything tastes decidedly tropical – dishes are spiked with fresh chillies and cooks serve lots of grilled fish and chicken stuffed with herbs, fried squares of riverweed (harvested from the Mekong), and raw cucumber or green papaya dressed in lime juice.