Xishuangbanna Food

The food of the minority ethnic groups in Xishuangbanna carries distinctive wild tastes. It is processed in the most natural and simple ways.
Dai-style food plays a distinctive role in many Yunnan dishes, and the Dai food in Xishuangbanna is the most typical, and the finest of its type. Dai food is especially popular with western tastebuds and glutinous rice, sweet flavors, roast meat and an abundance of exotic fruit are the main ingredients. Wild plants are generally used as spice.

There are some great places to eat in Jinhong especially, and as this is where you will most likely be based, it is worth hunting out a few of the best spots. The Mei Mei Cafe on Manting Lu is popular with backpackers and foreigners. There is a good English menu here and the staff are friendly and helpful. A similar place is the Forest Cafe on the corner of Jingde Lu.

Fruits (水果)

Xishuangbanna is the region with the most abundant tropical fruit in China, where the warm and humid climate allows local markets to be stuffed full with attractive-looking delicious fruit all year round. The most famous fruit of Xishuangbanna is Mango, lychee, pineapple, jackfruit, and water melon. And because of the abundance of these local fruit, the prices are very inexpensive and so nothing seems to be able to stop you from sampling the numerous delicacies.

Pu'er Tea (普尔茶)

As one of the most famous types of green tea in China, Pu'er tea is highly produced in Xishangbanna and the nearby Simao Region. The tea produces a refreshing aroma and, when drunk as an accompaniment with meals, is believed to have the function of absorbing the oily ingredient from the food. Therefore, the tea is liked by the Tibetan, Indian, and Yunnan people in whose diet meat and butter takes a large proportion.
Consequently, the pu'er tea has long been the major commodity in the trade

Specialties：Dai brocade (白锦)

Dai brocade (Daijin) is a kind of silk made by women of the Dai ethnic group. It features gorgeous colors and incricate patterns, which use rare animals, flowers and geometrical forms as design themes. Each of these patterns has its implications and hidden meaning. For instance, a peacock symbolizes good luck while an elephant symbolizes a good harvest. Brocade is commonly made into handbags, bedsheets, cushions, and window drapes.