Before traveling to Yunnan, I was convinced there is one province in China that beats the rest when it comes to local eats – and that is Shaanxi. Partly because of nostalgia for the year I spent in Xi’an, but also for the abundance of noodle dishes and the strong spicy-sour taste that thrills me more than anything gooey and sweet (looking at you, 上海菜).

Having recently eaten my way through Kunming and Dali, I’ve become somewhat obsessed with Yunnan’s minority cuisines. Why? Instead of sticking to one particular flavour character, Yunnanese food is as diversified as its geography and population. For example, Dai cooking is similar to that of northern Thailand, Naxi and Bai rely heavily on tongue-numbing peppercorns of the neighboring Sichuan, and the Tibetan food of the north around Shangri-La hails from Tibet.

Perhaps it’s mere coincidence, but not a single meal during the 4-day trip left my travel buddy and I underwhelmed, hungry or feeling ripped off. On the contrary, everything we ate was largely seasonal, fragrant and damn delicious. The portions in the south are hearty, so we ended up over-ordering on what was being recommended and what looked good at the next table. Extra kilos aside, the only negative feeling stemmed from the realization that our time in Yunnan was limited to a long weekend.

Let’s get down to business. Here are the 7 foods we would order again and again:

Fried Goat Cheese – rǔ bǐng 乳饼

Crispy Fried Red Beans with Mint – bó he sū hóng dòu 薄荷酥红豆

Equally addictive, these two homestyle dishes are especially popular in Kunming area. While goat cheese is amazing in all possible forms, the crispy friend kidney beans took us by surprise! This protein-packed meal tastes salty, crunchy and soft all at once.

Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles – guò qiáo mǐ xiàn 过桥米线

This classic Yunnan dish tells the story of an ancient scholar’s wife, who crossed a small bridge every day to bring her husband a large pot of boiling broth. To prevent the noodles from getting soggy, she kept all the other components separately. Is there a better manifestation of love than food?

Veggie Bun – cài bāo 菜包

Best eaten with the local breakfast crowd at 7AM after getting off an overnight train. While baozi is a staple in every Chinese city, this moon-sized variety in Dali was made special with a medley of pickled vegetables. Not bad for ¥1.50!

Plum Wine – diāo méi jiǔ 雕梅酒

It’s not technically food, but we had to include Yunnan’s plum wine in this “must-try” list. The regional drink tastes just sweet enough to balance out all the fiery vegetarian dishes we tried at Emma’s (strongly recommended when in Dali).

Baked Mushrooms – kǎo mó gu 烤蘑菇

Yunnan is famous for its wild mushrooms, and whether cooked in foil or banana leaf, they’re also exceptionally tasty! Some varieties are actually poisonous or hallucinogenic when undercooked, so make sure to order accordingly 🙂

Yunnan Arabica – Yúnnán xiǎo lì kā fēi 云南小粒咖啡

Secret recipe: sandwich ~4 coffee beans (preferably Yunnan Arabica) between two slices of lemon with a sprinkle of sugar. Party in your mouth guaranteed!

Which one is your favourite?