Lunan Embroidery is a traditional craft of the Sani people, an ethnic group residing in Lunan Yi Autonomous County, with a long history. Embroidery is a type of needlework, and decorating items such as shoulder bags, clothing, and headscarves with embroidered patterns is a distinctive feature of the attire of the Bai people in Dali and the Sani people in Lunan. It showcases the bold and vibrant colors typical of folk handicrafts. The main products of Lunan Embroidery include backpacks, tablecloths, curtains,…
The production of Lunan marinated tofu is said to have a history of over a hundred years. Its main ingredient is stinky tofu made from soybeans, supplemented with star anise, chili peppers, fennel, and other seasonings, along with a certain amount of grain liquor, all carefully pickled together. It features a red-yellow color, a spicy-sweet flavor, a delicate texture with no grittiness, making it a great accompaniment to meals. Lunan oil fermented tofu is a specialty of Shilin County, Kunming City, Yunnan Province. Lun...
Shilin County is not only home to the picturesque karst landscape—the Stone Forest—but also renowned for its production of milk cake. Made from fresh goat's milk, milk cake boasts a rich, creamy aroma, is highly nutritious, and can be used to prepare a variety of delicious dishes. For example, when slices of milk cake are alternated with slices of Xuanwei ham in a bowl and steamed, the flavor is exceptionally savory, and...
Songming lettuce is a specialty of Songming County in Kunming, Yunnan Province. As a distinctive local product, it has been cultivated and developed over many years to become one of the pillar industries of Songming’s rural economy and a major source of income growth for local farmers. Known for its excellent quality and strong market reputation, Songming lettuce now covers nearly 10,000 acres of cultivation area and produces...
Songming Tiger Paw Gold Thread Noodles is a specialty dish from Songming County, Kunming City, Yunnan Province. The noodles are made by mixing flour with pigeon eggs to form dough, which is then rolled thin and sliced into fine strands. These strands are stir-fried with tiger paw mushrooms. The dish features vibrant colors, a crispy texture, tender freshness, and an aromatic flavor.
People from Yunnan know how to eat — they go for freshness and uniqueness. To those in the Jiangnan region, “fresh” means clear broth or plain water, without any overpowering flavors like “numbing” or “spicy.” But when it comes to eating fish, Yunnan locals swear by the saying, “Clear broth tilapia, the soul lies in the dipping sauce.” Tilapia is a tropical fish native to Africa, known for its tender flesh and pure, delicious taste, free of…
Bone Composite is a traditional salted vegetable consumed year-round by the Sani people of Shilin, Yunnan. It boasts a rich ethnic flavor, with a delicious taste that combines aroma, sourness, sweetness, spiciness, and saltiness. It is a nutritious delicacy rich in calcium, fat, protein, and other nutrients. During the Spring Festival, Sani villages are filled with joy as every household slaughters a pig to celebrate...
Shilin is known as the hometown of song and dance, where the Sani people are all skilled singers and dancers, and the musical instruments they use are also unique. The main ones include the large sanxian, small sanxian, erhu, sanhu, long bamboo flute, short bamboo flute, muted flute, yueqin, hulusi, and more.…
The practice of using fresh goat’s milk to make milk cakes has been a tradition among local farmers in Shilin for over 300 years. Shilin Milk Cake has long been beloved by the local population and is a well-known regional specialty. According to the *Lunan County Annals* from the Republican era (Lunan County was renamed Shilin County in 1998), “Milk cake is made by fermenting goat’s milk...
The production area of the Guishan Goat is centered around Lunan County in Yunnan Province. Lunan County is located at 103°16′ east longitude and 24°44′ north latitude, with an elevation of 1,679.8 meters and a minimum of 1,500 meters. It is a subtropical region where the terrain is higher in the northeast and lower in the south, sloping from the northeast to the southwest. The Nanpan River, along with the Pula River and Bapan River, flows through the county from the northeast to the southwest. Most areas are river valleys. The Guishan Goat is distributed between elevations of 1,800 to 2,400 meters. This region features the gently undulating Guishan Plateau in the east, the fertile and well-watered Bajiang Karst Basin in the west, and a central area dotted with karst mountains. The area has characteristics of a subtropical forest climate. The annual average temperature is 15.5°C, with a maximum extreme temperature of 33°C and a minimum extreme temperature of -7°C. The average frost-free period is 255 days per year, and the average annual rainfall is 1,000 mm, ranging from a maximum of 1,332.1 mm to a minimum of 665.5 mm. The rainy season begins in May, with heavier rainfall in August. Rainfall from May to October accounts for 85% of the annual total, creating a distinct climate with abundant rain in summer and autumn and drought in winter and spring. The soil in the main production area is predominantly red soil. There is a rich variety of plants, mostly subtropical species. Forests are mainly found in mountainous areas, particularly in the southwestern part of the Guishan Mountains, consisting mostly of Yunnan pine and Chinese red pine. Lunan County has a total forested area of 560,343 mu, including 87,057 mu of sparse forest, 291,512 mu of shrubland, and 447,026 mu of pastureland, as well as 251,069 mu of arable land. Crops grown in the basin areas mainly include rice, corn, wheat, broad beans, and flue-cured tobacco, while those in mountainous areas are primarily corn, potatoes, buckwheat, and beans.
Sweet persimmon, as a uniquely Eastern small fruit, is highly favored by consumers both domestically and internationally for its attractive appearance, distinctive taste, high nutritional value, and health benefits. Additionally, due to its wide adaptability, small cultivation area, low growing difficulty, low production costs, large market potential, significant export earnings potential, high yield…
Lunan Milk Cake is a traditional food of the Yi ethnic group in Kunming, Yunnan. The most authentic version comes from Lunan Yi Autonomous County. The cake is about 25–30 cm long and 10–12 cm wide, shaped like an oblique, elongated fan. Two pieces are stacked together to form what is called “a pair.” Legend has it that Yi herders often drove their sheep to graze in areas abundant with water and grass...
Shilin Wine-Marinated Fermented Tofu: The water from Heilongtan Spring plays a crucial role in ensuring the product’s superior quality. The finished product is bright red and vibrant, with a delicate texture free of grit, offering a deliciously savory yet sweet taste and a fragrant, pleasant flavor. It was first created around the year 1800. …
Termitomyces is a delicious and nutritious type of fungus produced in the mountainous regions of Yunnan. In Shilin County, there are many varieties of Termitomyces, including black-skinned, green-skinned, grass-skinned, white-skinned, and more, all known for being plump, crispy, tender, fragrant, sweet, and fresh. The method for making deep-fried Termitomyces involves heating walnut oil or vegetable oil in a pan, and then...
Taishi Cake is one of the famous traditional snacks from Kunming, Yunnan. It is best enjoyed with a cup of hot tea, exuding the refined elegance of a high-ranking scholar-official. The cake has a flaky crust, aromatic flavor, and comes in both savory and sweet varieties, making it a must-have delicacy for literary gatherings and social meetings among scholars. Among the Beijing-style pastries, there is also a type of Taishi Cake. According to veteran pastry chefs, this cake was invented by Wen Zhong, the Grand Tutor of King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty. When King Wu of Zhou attacked…
Governor's Shaomai is a famous specialty snack in Kunming. Why are Yiliang Shaomai given the name "Governor"? There’s an interesting story behind it. Legend has it that during the Xuantong era of the Qing Dynasty, there was a restaurant called Zhu’s Yingxing Garden in Yiliang City, which specialized in boiled dishes, shaomai, and marinated foods, with shaomai being particularly renowned. Due to the large number of customers, purchases were limited to just three per person. One day, Tang Jiyao, the Military Governor of Yunnan at the time, personally visited…
One of Kunming’s signature dishes. Sautéed with green and red chili peppers and garlic slices, the matsutake mushroom slices are finished with a starch-thickened meat broth glaze. The white mushrooms are accented with flecks of red and green, offering a delicate, aromatic, and richly savory flavor. Fun fact: Known as the “king of mushrooms,” matsutake has tender, sweet, and smooth flesh with a unique fragrance. The Japanese even come here to purchase it, believing it can promote longevity…
Rice noodles are a specialty snack of Yunnan, and small pot rice noodles are the most beloved way of cooking them in Kunming. The main characteristic is that the noodles are boiled in a small pot over charcoal, with fresh meat added, giving the dish its rich flavor and aroma. For the people of Kunming, there's nothing more satisfying than eating until you're drenched in sweat. In Yunnan...
Guandu Baba, a local specialty from Guandu, Yunnan, is a baked flour-based food. The baba is filled with a sweet mixture of finely ground sesame, peanuts, walnuts, and sugar, resulting in a soft, fragrant, and delicious taste. Interestingly, the small shop selling “baba” displays a sign that reads: “One yuan each if you queue up, three yuan each if you cut in line.”
Yunnan Beef Jerky: Originating in the Yuan Dynasty. High-quality beef jerky features thick meat, well-marbled fat, a dark color, a dry exterior and tender interior, with moderate saltiness, and can be preserved for two to three years. Depending on the muscle cut, the jerky made from 饭盒 (quadriceps femoris), 里裆 (gracilis), 弯刀 (biceps femoris), and 碓嘴 (semitendinosus) is of the best quality. Its…