Xishuangbanna, in the far south of Yunnan on the Mekong, is the Dai heartland. The cooking here is closer to that of northern Thailand and Laos than to the rest of China: sour, herbal, grilled and lightly fermented, with chili used in a fresh and aggressive way. It is one of the most distinctive regional cuisines in the country.
What to eat
Grilled river fish is the standard, stuffed with lemongrass, lime leaves and garlic, wrapped in banana leaf and cooked over charcoal. Pineapple rice is served in a hollowed pineapple. Rice is also steamed inside bamboo tubes. Grilled chicken, pork and beef are sold by the skewer, and it is worth trying sai mii - thin rice noodles in a light broth, often eaten at breakfast. Look for banana-leaf wraps of fish or pork steamed with herbs, sour bamboo shoots, and the fermented tea-leaf salad for which the region is known.
The markets
The night market beside the Mekong in Jinghong is the largest and the easiest introduction: hundreds of stalls, tables in the open, and everything cooked to order in front of you. Fruit stalls sell the tropical produce that grows here and almost nowhere else in China - mangosteen, rambutan, durian, passionfruit, palm fruit, and half a dozen kinds of banana. The morning markets are better for the raw materials: banana flowers, tiny eggplants, fresh herbs by the bundle, fermented fish paste and rice sold loose from sacks.
Spice levels and ordering
Dai food does not ask permission about chili. If you want less, ask for it mild and expect the request to be only partly honoured. Beer is the usual drink, and the local rice wine is strong and often flavoured with fruit or herbs.
Practical notes
Jinghong, the regional capital, is reached by flight from Kunming in about an hour or by high-speed rail on the new line in a few hours. The night market opens in the late afternoon and runs until late in the evening. Hygiene is generally good at stalls with a queue, and everything is cooked to order. Cash is rarely needed, but small notes help. Travel is easiest between November and April; the rainy season arrives around June.
