Yunnan province of China is a wonderful place for tourists. Not only because there are magnificent colorful views, but also all kinds of unique delicious local foods. Here are 15 most famous and tasty Yunnan foods you must have a try when you are there!
1 过桥米线（Guò qiáo mǐxiàn）Yunnan Bridge Noodles
Tourists, who come to Yunnan, will not forget to taste the famous Yunnan bridge noodle. Bridge noodle consists of four parts. First is a very big bowl of thick chicken soup, not less than 600 grams per bowl. The second is a plate of many slices of different food ingredients, including sliced raw meat, pork kidney, boiled chicken, fresh fish, tofu, leeks, green bean sprouts, cilantro and green onion. Third, a big bowl of rice noodles. Last, a tiny plate of quail eggs.
It is said that there was an intellectual, pursuing the success in imperial examinations, in Mengzi, Yunnan Province. So he moved away to live on an isolated island, adjoining the mainland with a bridge, to separate from any distraction and entertainment. His wife crossed the bridge to send him meals every day.
His wife often sent him his favorite rice noodle for dinner, but when she reached the island, the noodles were cold. One day, she accidentally sent chicken soup, which the husband found was covered with a thick layer of chicken oil, keeping the temperature of the soup. Adding seasonings and rice noodles into the soup, it tasted very delicious and refreshing. Once this method spreads, people all followed. Because there was a bridge to cross, and also in order to commemorate the good wife, people call this rice noodle “bridge noodle.”
While eating, the eggs and sliced meats and fish should be put into the chicken soup first. Then put in the vegetables. When meats and vegetables are all cooked, put the bowl of rice noodles in and enjoy!
Remember, never drink or even touch the chicken soup before adding all the ingredients. The soup is super hot! There was a man didn’t know and drunk the soup when it was just served, he’s dead because of the high temperature.
In addition to the most famous Yunnan bridge noodle, there are many kinds of rice noodles as well. If you have a chance, you’d better have a try!
2 红烧鸡枞（Hóngshāo jī zōng）Braised Termitomyces
Braised Termitomyces is a unique dish in Kunming, Yunnan. Termitomyces is a kind of very expensive mushroom. Ternitomyces grow on the outside of termite nest and use poo of termites as fertilizer. It is very difficult to be found. It tastes very juicy and tender and has a special flavor like chicken. If you taste it with your eyes covered, you won’t believe the “meat” you taking is actually a kind of mushroom.
3 昆明酸腌菜（Kūnmíng suān yān cài）Kunming Sour Pickles
“Kunming sour pickles, Yunnan people’s favorite.” Kunming sour pickles are traditional home-cooking. It can be served as cold, stir-fried, soup or even salad. It is little sour and makes you a great appetite.
In every winter and spring, Yunnan people wash the vegetables and hang them to dry. After the green vegetables dried, cut them into small parts; sprinkle with salt, mix them with pepper, chili, ginger root, star anise, cumin and a little cooking wine. Then put them into the jars, seal and wait a month. The delicious Kunming sour pickles are easy to make and versatile. When you come to Yunnan, don’t forget to try!
4 青椒松茸（Qīngjiāo sōngróng）Green Pepper Matsutake
Green pepper matsutake is one of the famous Yunnan dishes. Stir-fry sliced precious matsutake with green peppers, red pepper, garlic slices, decorated with red and green, this yummy dish has a special mellow fragrance.
Matsutake is called “the king of mushrooms. There are a special fragrance and smooth tender taste. In Japan, it is said to be able to make people live longer because it contains lots of important nutrition.
5 宣威火腿（Xuān wēi huǒtuǐ）Xuanwei Ham
Xuanwei ham, also known as Yuntui云腿, is produced in Xuanwei，Yunnan province. Xuanwei ham is famous both in China and abroad. As early as 1915 at the Panama International Fair, it won a gold medal and became one of the earliest specialty products in Yunnan Province to enter the international market. Xuanwei ham has been exported to Hong Kong, Singapore, and other places for over 60 years. Because Xuanwei ham is a seasonal product, people in Xuanwei only produce it from the frost till the beginning of spring, the temperature between 5 ℃ ~ 10 ℃ is the best. The secret of its unique taste is the unique natural environment and climatic conditions in Xuanwei. Only in Xuanwei, this great ham can be made so well.
6 宜良烧鸭（Yíliáng shāo yā）Yiliang Roast Duck
Yiliang roast duck has 600 years of history, can compete with the famous Beijing roast duck. The Yiliang roast ducks are made of two kinds of duck: young duck and big fat duck. Young duck has tender meat with juicy and sweet taste. Big fat duck has a special greasy meat fragrant, taste full of duck meat flavor when eating with pepper and sauce. It is a unique flavor. Production of Yiliang duck is very complex and must use dried pine branches as firewood. While baking, cooks need to flip Ducks and smear honey and lard all over the skin from time to time. This roasted duck has crisp skin, sweet and tender meat. It is very delicious.
In many parts of Kunming, this treasure can be found easily. Each roast duck only cost a few dollars but can provide you quite a satisfaction. Some shop has to limit each person can only buy one duck because of the popularity. But there is still a long line to wait.
7 汽锅鸡（Qì guō jī）steamed chicken
Steamed chicken gets its name from the cooking method. The steamed chicken must be cooked by using local five-color clay pot in southern Kunming. The pots are red, yellow, green, purple, and white.
When making a steamed chicken, first put the chicken into the pot, and the sauce, then put the pot into a large casserole placed in water and seal the lid. It takes about four hours to make this dish. The steam is continuously injected into the pipe from the middle of the bottom of the pot. The steam not only cooks chicken but also forms delicious soup in the pot. This special way of cooking is the best way to maintain the original flavor and nutrition of chicken. The steamed chicken is tender and full of chicken flavor. The soup is clear and rich.
Yunnan is a place of many medicinal herbs. Local people sometimes steam steamed chicken with some Chinese herbal medicines. This steamed chicken is both tasty and healthy.
8 牛肉汤泡饵（Niúròu tāng pào ěr）Yunnan Rice Cake slices in beef soup
The Yunnan rice cake slices can only be found in Yunnan province. The Yunnan rice cake slices are kind of rice cake. Local people first bake the slices till they are soft and puffy, then put them into rich beef soup for a while. The soup has a stronger flavor than the soup of Vietnam’s pho. It’s served with hot chili and green onion. Yunnan rice cake slices are unique local food, something you must try when you in Yunnan.
9 油炸豌豆粉（Yóu zhá wāndòu fěn）Fried pea cake slices
Fried pea cake slices are one of the traditional Yunnan folk snacks, has a long history and unique flavor. Local people use good quality dried yellow peas to make pea flour, and boil the pea flour in a big pot. When it becomes some kind of paste, cool it and cut the pea cake into small slices. Fry the slices twice with sesame oil and lard till they are super crisp. The fried pea cake slices taste very good with some salt and pepper.
10 大救驾（Dà jiù jià）Stir-fried Yunnan Rice Cake slices
Yunnan rice cakes are popular in all parts of Yunnan province, especially the most famous 大救驾. Its wonderful color, smell, taste, shape, and beauty are all the unique qualities.
Yunnan people use refined rice for the rice cake has at least hundreds of years of history. According to legend, the emperor Zhuyoulang of Nan Dynasty was defeated and fled to Xi Xuan. When he was tired hungry, a local family sent him a large bowl of stir-fried Yunnan rice cake slices. He ate it all up and said: “this is a big rescue”. Hence the name 大救驾（big rescue）.
This dish is made of Yunnan rice cake slices with fresh meat, ham, eggs, mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, peas and other spicy ingredients. It is colorful, tasty and nutritious.
11 岜夯鸡（Bā hāng jī）Chicken in sauerkraut soup
岜夯鸡is a famous dish in Wenshan, Yunnan province. It is a specialty of Zhuang ethnic group. It is known as “a must try of Yunnan cuisine.” In its hometown of Guangnan County, Wenshan Prefecture, Zhuang people use boneless chicken meat, red cabbage sauerkraut, and greens as raw materials and add them to a hot pot for cooking and eating. This kind of cuisine is called 岜夯鸡（Bā hāng jī）because in the Zhuang language the word 岜夯 means red cabbage sauerkraut, and 鸡 means chicken. This chicken is tastes very delicious. The sauerkraut soup is a great sour appetizer, can increase appetite. Millions of people who traveled in Wenshan could not ever forget the special flavor.
The biggest feature of this dish is sour. The most important and prominent flavor is sour as well. 岜夯 (red cabbage sauerkraut) contains a lot of citric acids, citric acid can make fat to protein milk. The citric acid and proteins in chicken make chemical reaction so that the chicken could be always tender and juicy after long time boiling.
12 施甸雕梅（Shī diān diāo méi）Shidian carved plum
Shidian people in Yunnan are very good at pickling technology; its special carved plums are both beautiful and delicious.
The Shidian carved plums use local big plum. According to research, this snack has more than 200 years of history. Compared with the general snacks, this unique carved plum is not just a snack but also a piece of art. Its production processing is very delicate: first, take off the core, and then carve the plums carefully into various patterns, such as plum blossom, and chrysanthemum. Then put them into the high-quality honey and refined brown sugar. After a few months, this exquisitely carved plum with a fragrant smell and sweet and sour flavor can be served. And they are still crisp.
13 菠萝紫米饭(Bōluó zǐ mǐfàn)Pineapple Purple Rice
Pineapple purple rice is a traditional food for Dai people. In Yunnan, Dai people use their unique purple glutinous rice to make food. The local people first soak the purple rice in pure water for about 7-8 hours, and then put the rice into a hollowed pineapple. They use the top of the pineapple as a cover, dig out the meat of pineapple to make a bowl. They pineapple purple rice is then boiled in their special pot.
This pineapple purple rice has a very sweet and refreshing smell. When you open the lid of the pineapple, you will find beautiful purple rice within. The taste is a little bit sweet, tender and sticky. Some say it has a good effect on our health.
14 腊排骨（Là páigǔ）seasoned dry ribs
Lijiang 腊排骨（seasoned dry ribs） is one of the most famous traditional cuisines of Lijiang, Yunnan province.
Lijiang has a unique climate and natural environment, giving them the conditions for the production of high-quality ribs. Lijiang seasoned dry ribs pick the best local pork ribs, with the right amount of salt, pepper, spices and season for a whole day. Then hang the ribs in a cool and ventilated place to dry for more than 10 days. The qualified ribs are red with fragrant taste. Soak the dry ribs with pure water for a few hours, later cut into pieces, and boil with tomatoes, mushrooms, ham, potatoes and other side dishes together, comes the most famous Lijiang cuisine-ribs hot pot.
A few good friends sitting together, eating a large pot of ribs and a variety of delicious foods is really a happy thing!
15 黑山羊（Hēi shānyáng）Black Goat
Lijiang has an average altitude of more than 2000 meters, and mountainous. The humid climate has enriched the pastures and raised the turquoise hills and grass on the steep mountains, with thick summer rain and plenty of sunlight. Black goats’ growth environment is at an altitude of about 2500 kilometers. They are famous for their high protein, high nutrition, good taste characteristics. They win the loves of both local residents and tourists overseas.
One of the best-known dishes of black goat is Lijiang black goat hot pot. Lijiang black goat hot pot restaurants are almost everywhere， along the Old Town of Lijiang streets. The most influential hub of black goat hot pot is “Black Goat Street”, located on Jinkai Street. All the restaurants on the street are very busy every evening.
Came to Lijiang withou eating black goat hot pot, make this trip to Yunnan a waste of time.
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