Yunnan province is  China’s ultimate foodie region. It is the melting pot of culinary cultures, borrowing from neighbouring provinces and cultures. The hot spicy flavours  from Sechuan including the tongue-numbing peppercorns called prickly ash, are prevalent and used in many dishes. But adjacent countries such as Laos, Vietnam and Thailand  also contribute to the extensive versatile  flavours as do the many minority groups settled in Yunnan. The benign climate in Yunnan also ensures that a great variety of fruit and vegetables are available year round.

 

Yunnan is blessed with a perfect climate for growing mushrooms, and there are many varieties, all very tasty. Some of them do have strange names, at least the translation of the names are strange – cow liver mushrooms and monkey head mushrooms, to name just two!

Besides the usual vegetables that we have back home, the Chinese use  a lot of lotus roots, bamboo shoots, pea sprouts, broccoli and beans of many types. Then there’s one that looks just like fiddleheads.

Vegetables are often marinated or pickled, and when cooked or steamed, never overdone! Cabbage is used a lot, especially in soups. These are often served at the end of the meal, and are usually (to my mind) quite tasteless, but after all the spicy food, it is a welcome relief.

One of Kunming’s most famous dishes or meats is Xuanwei or Cloud Ham, a strong, tasty, fatty(!) cured ham, slightly salty and sweet. Good if you can get beyond the fat!

Very rarely do we have dessert, but we did one time, and it was quite delicious. It was a baked papaya, slightly scooped out and filled with a tapioca coconut milk mixture.

Flowers or buds of flowering trees and shrubs are commonly used in cooking as well. Jasmine buds are frequently used in egg dishes, and they actually taste like capers. Day lilies are popular too, and we’ve frequently had flowers of bananas, chrysanthemums,  and pomegranates in various dishes. Fish is on every menu here, and mostly baked whole, head and all. In fact, the guest of honour at the table gets the head! Hard to eat with chopsticks and pick out all the bones! Tasty, though!

 

 

In the past I think I have mentioned that when we go to restaurants, we look at pictures of the food and choose accordingly. Well recently some of the restaurants have decided to  add a “translation”  for some of the dishes, with limited success! Somehow, “hairy beef stomach”, “violent chicken” or “fried intestines” don’t do it for me, and we gladly eat our vegetable pasta at home!!

The Muslim influence is fairly strong here, and this weekend we intend to try out one of the better Muslim restaurants which are known for their lamb. Because of this Muslim influence, there is also some emphasis on dairy products among the general population, but this is unique to Yunnan. Fried goat cheese is quite popular. The other regions of China have little or no dairy in their diet. Eggs and yogurt are not refrigerated here, and I still often feel uneasy about buying these products, but that’s how it’s done! There is constant talk of food safety standards, and I think most restaurants are trying, and they are now being graded. An A is excellent, a B is good, and C not so good! We have encountered only B’s so far. In restaurants I like to sit where I can’t see the kitchen, or I would soon lose my appetite! Amazingly, we have not been sick at all; in fact our health has been excellent!

Two weeks ago, we met the charming Roz Weitzman, a teacher from Toronto who has lived in China for 8 years, and has written a cookbook of Chinese Comfort Food. We recently enjoyed a lovely Chinese lunch she prepared for us in her apartment. Delicious!

There is much to learn  about Chinese cooking and I’m barely scratching the surface. Having said that, we do love to go to the French Cafe, enjoy a salad and provencale tart and a good bottle of wine! Especially pleasurable is sitting outdoors in this wonderful climate and watching the people go by…endlessly fascinating!

We have 3 weeks left here. Two major concerts for Howard with the Symphony, and a  lecture  about Glenn Gould at the university. The last 4 days will be spent in Beijing, and then on the 1st of June we are home! I am looking forward to” really” cooking again, and barbecues on the patio!

Zhidao xia yici! (Till next time),

Maggie