XishuangBanna Dining
Xishuangbanna dining gives you information about local food and places to enjoy the delicacies. Dai food will leave you a deep impression with its specific flavor during your Yunnan Travel. The Dai food is a famous branch of Dian food. Dai ethnic cuisine, renowned among Yunnan Cuisine, takes glutinous rice, sourness, grilled and aquatic products as the principal things and seasoned with wild flavor. The representatives of Xishuangbanna Dai Food are Rice Cooked in Fragrant Bamboo, Pineapple Rice, Lemon Fish and Chicken boiled with sour bamboo shoots, etc.
What to Eat in Xishuangbanan?
Must-try Food in Xishuangbanna
1. Duosheng (剁生)
Duosheng is a traditional dish made by mixing minced raw meat with condiments like salt and hot pepper. Ingredients are chicken, pork, fish and other wild animal meat. These meats is firstly cut into very small pieces, and then mixed with wild fragrant plants and pepper.
2. Fried Qingtai(油炸青苔)
Qingtai is a kind of processed dry grass growing in water, which is also called “Gai” or “Dao” in Dai language. Fried Qingtai is called “Gaiying” in Dai language. Firstly, some Qingtai is taken out of river and pressed into thin sheet with ginger and salt, after that it is placed under the sun and to get dried.
3. Nanmi(喃咪)
The most popular pepper sauce is Tomato Nanmi. Tomato Nanmi is made from small, sour tomato and hot pepper. The hot pepper will be first roasted till the skin becoming burnt slightly with a special fragrance. Then the pepper skin will be removed and some ingredients like wild coriander, fragrant nuts and some other condiments will be added to make sauce. If small crabs are added, such a Nanmi is also called Crab Nanmi.
4. Toasted fish Wrapped in Lemongrass (香茅草烤鱼)
Scale-free fish is cut open on the back and some ingredients such as green onion, ginger, garlic, green pepper, coriander and salt are stuffed into it to be toasted as a whole.
5. Meat Cooked in Bamboo (竹筒烧肉)
Meat Cooked in Bamboo is a famous dish of Hani Nationality. The way of cooking goes like this: firstly, meat is washed clean and cut into pieces, and then it is mixed with ginger, pepper, wild Chinese prickly ash and salt. Secondly, such a mixture is put into a piece of bamboo whose opening is covered with plantain leaves and roasted in fire. Such a dish is fragrant and delicious.
6. Pineapple Rice (菠萝饭)
This is a special rice food of Dai Nationality. First soak some polished glutinous rice, then wash and mix it with some minced meat. Hollow the pineapple and stuff it with the mixture of rice and meat. At last, cover the cut and get it steamed in a wok. Sweet and delicious, the rice is good for one’s blood and lung.
More about Must-try Food in Xishuangbanna.
Famous Xishuangbanna Food by Ethnic Groups
| Dish Name | Ethnic Group |
| Salted Cattle Tendon (腌牛脚筋) | Dai |
| Chrysanthemum and Fillet Hot Pot (菊花鱼片火锅) | Dai |
| Lemon Fish(柠檬鱼) | Dai |
| Chicken Boiled with Sour Bamboo Shoots (酸笋煮鸡) | Dai |
| Fried Bamboo Insect (油炸竹虫) | Dai |
| Pork Steamed in Banana Leave (蒸肉饼) | Dai |
| Fried Beef Skin (炸牛皮) | Dai |
| Sapie/Bovine Bile Soup (傣味撒撇) | Dai |
| Fish Soup With Grilled Heated Pebble (卵石鲜鱼汤) | Bulang |
| Sour Ant Eggs (酸蚂蚁蛋) | Jino |
| Salted Fish （腌酸鱼) | Jino |
| Chicken Porridge (鸡肉稀饭) | Hani |
| Rouya (肉芽) | Aini |
Snacks in Xishuangbanna
Due to the hot and humid climate, Xishuangbanna snacks feature in spicy and sour tastes. The snacks in Xishuangbanna mainly include barbecue, pestled tropical food and fresh fruit drinks. People usually enjoy them in the afternoon or evening.
1. Rice Cooked in Fragrant Bamboo (竹筒饭)
Fragrant Bamboo Rice is also called Kaolan in Dai language. This food is especially cooked in bamboo tubes with pleasant smell. When finished cooking, the bamboo membrane inside the bamboo tube will stick to the rice, beating the bamboo tube and cutting it into halves, delicious Fragrant Bamboo Rice is just before your eyes.
2. Haobeng Crisp Pancake (豪本)
"Haoben" is the transliteration from a Dai ethnic word which means crisp pancake. It is also a dessert of the Dai ethnic people prepared during the Water Splashing Festival. Basic materials for Haobeng include glutinous rice, black sugar, yolk and sesame--all of which are ground together for making dough. When cakes made from the dough are dried, they can be prepared by baking.
3. Haoluosuo/Glutinous Rice Cake (豪罗索)
"Haoluosuo" is also the transliteration from a Dai ethnic word which means glutinous rice cake. It is usually prepared during the Water Splashing Festival. Basic materials for Haoluosuo include glutinous rice, black sugar and smashed peanut, then the glutinous rice dough with the stuffing inside is wrapped in banana leave and steamed for half an hour.
4. Dai Ethnic Smashed Papaya (傣味舂木瓜)
Named as the "kingdom of plants", Xishuangbanna is a gourmet paradise for many visitors who will find smashed papaya which is a representative of the assorted Dai ethnic snacks. Prolific papaya trees are one of the enticing sights in most Dai ethnic villages. Locals like to mix papaya filaments and spices such as fresh pepper, tomato, garlic, lemon, salt, sugar and fish gravy, etc, and pestle them in a mortar to make smashed papaya. Tasting sour, sweet, spicy, salty and a little fishy, smashed papaya is available in most parts of Xishuangbanna.
5. Smashed Chicken Claw (傣味舂鸡脚)
Visitors to Xishuangbanna maybe surprised at the Dai snack that chicken claw is smashed to be a dish. The chicken claw is mixed with filaments and spices such as fresh pepper, tomato, garlic, lemon, salt, etc, and then pestled in a mortar. Tasting sour, spicy and salty, smashed chicken claw is available in most cold drink shop of Xishuangbanna.
Read More:
- Snacks in Xishuangbanna
- Barbecue in Xishuangbanna
- Peacock Feast of Dai Ethnic Group
- Must-try Food in Xishuangbanna
Where to Eat in Xishuangbanna
There are many restaurants in Xishuangbanna, where you can eat ethnic delicacies such as Dai food, Hani food, Jino Food as well as Thai food. Cuisines of other provinces can also be found in Xishuangbanna. The following ones are our recommendations for restaurants in Xishuangbanna.
Popular Restaurants in Xishuangbanna
- Rulijinwan Family Restaurant 如哩金湾私房菜
Add: No. 2-119, Jingmeng Village, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing, Jinghong City(景洪市告庄西双景勐景寨2-119)
Tel:0691-2166366 - Menghai Wangfu Restaurant 勐海人王府餐厅
Add: No. 22, Jinglan Village, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing, Jinghong City (景洪市告庄西双景景兰寨22栋)
Tel:18988101448 - Aini. Jibaduo Restaurant 爱伲.基吧哆
Add: No. 116, Jingmeng Village, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing, Jinghong City(景洪市告庄西双景景勐寨116号)
Tel:0691-3033336 - Yiwu Delicacies Restaurant 易武臻味楼
Add: No. 27, Jingliang Village, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing, Jinghong City (景洪市告庄西双景景亮寨27栋)
Tel:15198687002 - Caichunqing Restaurant 财春青
Add: No. 193, Manjinglan, Manting Road, Jinghong City (景洪市曼听路曼景兰193号)
Tel:0691-2161758 - Chongmugua Dai Restaurant 舂木瓜傣味餐厅
Add: Menghai Road, Jinghong City (景洪市勐海路)
Tel:0691-6678490
Southeast Asia Food Restaurants
- Chongmugua Dai Restaurant 泰色主题餐厅
Add:No. 7-103, Jingmeng Village, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing, Jinghong City (景洪市告庄西双景景勐寨7-103)
Tel:0691-2261901/13988195233 - Chongmugua Dai Restaurant 泰椰天香泰国料理
Add: No. 110, Building 12, Jinghan Village, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing, Jinghong City (景洪市告庄西双景景罕寨12栋110)
Tel:15971611613 - Lanxiang Diet Bar 蘭象餐吧
Add: No. 5-111-113, Gaozhuang Xishuangjing, Jinghong City (景洪市告庄西双景景勐寨5-111-113)
Tel:13908843342 - Yedena Restaurant 莎湾椰德纳美食坊
Add: 3rd Floor, Shawan International Commercial Center, Jinghong City (景洪市勐泐大道沙湾国际广场3楼)
Tel:0691-2141640 - Mianli Cold Drink Shop 缅丽
Add: No.1-93, Building C, Shawan International Commercial Center, Jinghong City (景洪市沙湾国际商业广场C幢1-93号)
Tel:0691-2130350;0691-8981886
Muslim Cuisine Restaurants in Xishuangbanna
- Jinghong Jiyun Muslim Restaurant 景洪继云清真美食馆
Add: No.12, Zhuanghong Road, Jinghong City (景洪市庄洪路12号)
Tel:13114186005 - Kongquelin Muslim Restaurant 孔雀岭清真食馆
Add: No.7, Mengle Avenue, Jinghong City (景洪市勐泐大道7号)
Tel：/ - Damanme Muslim Beef Restaurant 大曼么清真牛菜馆
Add: Melong Road, Jinghong City (景洪市么龙路)
Tel: 0691-2141925 - Eshan Muslim Restaurant 峨山清真食馆
Add: No.320 Provincial Road, Menghai County (勐海县320省道)
Tel:/ - Muslim Restaurant 清真食馆
Add: No.121, Mengla North Road, Mengla County (勐腊北路121号附近)
Tel:/
Western Restaurants in Xishuangbanna
- Qingye/Green Leaf Western Restaurant 青叶西餐厅
Add: Galan Middle Road, Jinghong City (景洪市嘎兰中路)
Tel:0691-2157757 - Shengshijingdian Steak (Menghai Road Branch) 盛世经典牛排(勐海路店)
Add: RT-Mart, Xishuang 12 City Commercial Center, No.2, Menghai Road, Jinghong City (勐海路2号西双12城大润发)
Tel:0691-8995791 - Jiakelai Steak 佳客来牛排
Add: 2nd Floor of Building 10, Wal-mart Store, Songkran Square, Jinghong City (泼水广场沃尔玛商场10幢二楼)
Tel:(0691)2254077,18988113636 - Duonaduo Western Restaurant 多纳多西餐厅
Add: 3rd Floor, Wanda Plaza, Jinghong City (景洪市万达广场3楼)
Tel:(0691)2750633 - Kabana Italian Restaurant卡芭纳意大利餐厅
Add: Underground Floor, Caifu Shopping Center, Jingde Road, Jinghong City (景德路财富广场负一楼)
Tel:(0691)8994127
Popular Barbecue Streets in Xishuangbanna
- Manjinglan Dai Barbecue Street (曼景兰傣味烧烤街)
Add:Menghai Road, Jinghong City (景洪市勐海路) - Manting Xiaozhai Barbecue (曼听小寨烧烤)
Add:Manting Village, Menghai Road, Jinghong City (景洪市勐海路曼听小寨) - Riverside Barbecue Street (江边夜市烧烤街)
Add:Daijiangnan Food Street (傣江南风情美食街) - Gaozhuang Barbecue Street (告庄夜市烧烤街)
Add: Gaozhuang Xishuangjing Scenic Area, Jinghong City (告庄西双景景区)
