Flowers for dining in Yunnan
In the season of spring when different plants blossom, many of the local restaurants serve various trendy delicacies highlighted by (wild) flowers. Don’t miss these natural treats as you try to discover the real ecological food in Kunming.
1-Roses
Roses needless to say are the favourite of most visitors to Kunming, especially the rosepied pastries and rose tea etc.
2-Banana flowers
Kunming has melted assorted ethnic cuisines featuring a great variety of natural plants such as banana flowers that are normally fried with pork and egg etc.
3-Sophora davidii flowers
Sophora davidii (locally called Ku Ci Hua) can be found in most places of Kunming. After being scalded to get rid of the bitterness, the flowers can be handed to the chef. Normally, the flowers are prepared with eggs by frying.
4-Broom flowers
Locals in Kunming like to prepare the broom flowers with eggs by frying. Fragrant, it tastes refreshingly sweet and a little bitter.
5-Birchleaf pear flowers
The wild bushes of birchleaf pears growing in the wild bear clusters of flowers can be quick fried, deep fried with eggs, made soup and salad dish.
6-Leaves of Chinese toon
The tender leaves of Chinese toon are very trendy on the menus of many Chinese restaurants from March to April. There are mainly two ways for preparing this kind of refreshing natural vegetable: fried with eggs or mixed with Tofu as a cold dish.
7-White azaleas
Not all kinds of azaleas are suitable to be cooked except the white ones. The freshly picked azaleas can be prepared by deep frying and boiling etc. The most popular way for preparing azaleas is to make soup (with broad beans).
8-Magnolia flowers
There are several ways to prepare magnolia flowers, including frying after starched, sautéed with pork, porridge with magnolia flowers, and cooked with egg custard etc.
9-Chysanthemum flowers
The petals of chrysanthemum flowers are normally prepared with the Cross-bridge Rice Noodle. Compared to the traditional rice noodles, chrysanthemum noodle tastes very refreshing.
