Must-try Food in Xishuangbanna

Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture (西双版纳傣族自治州) is one of the eight autonomous prefectures in Yunnan Province (云南省), with its capital in Jinghong (景洪市).

Xishuangbanna is recognized as the most well-preserved tropical ecosystem in China, earning titles such as “Plant Kingdom” (植物王国), “Animal Kingdom” (动物王国), “Genetic Resource Bank” (生物基因库), and “A Green Gem on the Crown of Plants” (植物王冠上的一颗绿宝石).

Famous for its natural beauty and rich ethnic culture, Xishuangbanna is one of China’s renowned tourist destinations. It boasts a 5A-rated scenic area—Menglun Botanical Garden (勐仑植物园)—and over ten 4A-rated scenic spots, including Wangtianshu Scenic Area (望天树景区), Dai Ethnic Garden (傣族园), Wild Elephant Valley (野象谷), Xishuangbanna Tropical Flower Garden (西双版纳热带花卉园), Primitive Forest Park (原始森林公园), Tea Horse Ancient Road Scenic Area (茶马古道景区), Mengle Dafo Temple (勐泐大佛寺), and Manting Royal Garden (曼听御花园).

Additionally, Xishuangbanna is the second-largest natural rubber production center in China, the origin of large-leaf tea, and the home of Pu’er tea (普洱茶).

Upon arriving in Xishuangbanna, one should not only delve into the history and culture of the region but also indulge in its rich and diverse culinary offerings.

Here, I will compile and share 24 must-try snacks and dishes in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan. Make sure to taste these local delicacies! There is no specific order to the list.

01 Bamboo Tube Rice (竹筒饭)

Bamboo Tube Rice is a traditional dish of the Dai ethnic group (傣族) in Yunnan, featuring a unique ethnic flavor. It is prepared using bamboo tubes as cooking utensils, with glutinous rice as the main ingredient, often accompanied by ingredients such as pork belly, shiitake mushrooms, peanuts, corn, and peas. After placing these ingredients and water into the bamboo tube, it is roasted over a fire. This method makes the rice soft and fragrant, releasing an enticing aroma.

The ingredients for Bamboo Tube Rice can vary, including chicken, cured meat, sausages, shiitake mushrooms, and cordyceps flowers, along with seasonings such as soy sauce, salt, pepper, cooking wine, edible oil, and sesame. Diners can freely mix and match according to personal preferences, creating a variety of Bamboo Tube Rice dishes. When the bamboo tube is opened, a light bamboo fragrance fills the air, intertwined with the aroma of the glutinous rice, making it irresistible. It is truly a colorful and fragrant dish that cannot be missed.

02 Lemongrass Grilled Fish (香茅烤鱼)

Lemongrass Grilled Fish is a distinctive dish from Xishuangbanna, belonging to Dai cuisine. It primarily uses fresh tilapia as the main ingredient. After processing, finely chopped green onions, ginger, garlic, green chilies, and coriander are mixed with salt and stuffed into the fish’s belly. Then, two or three lemongrass leaves are tied around it, secured with bamboo strips, and placed over charcoal for grilling.

When the fish is about 80% cooked, it is brushed with lard and continues grilling. The resulting tilapia is sweet and tender with few bones. The spices blend harmoniously with the meat, and the unique flavor of the lemongrass greatly enhances the dish, whetting the appetite. It is known for its crispy exterior and tender interior, making it a popular choice.

03 Purple Rice Pineapple Rice (紫米菠萝饭)

Purple Rice Pineapple Rice is a unique dish from Xishuangbanna, influenced by Dai culture. It is mainly made with purple glutinous rice and pineapple. The preparation involves soaking the purple glutinous rice, mixing it evenly with chopped pork, and then stuffing it into a hollowed-out pineapple. The top is replaced, and the dish is steamed in a steamer. This dish is soft, sweet, and appetizing, with a rich rice aroma that is not greasy.

04 Dai Sour Meat (傣族酸肉)

Dai Sour Meat is a distinctive ethnic dish originating from Xishuangbanna. The main ingredients are fresh pork or beef, which is hand-chopped, and then mixed with skin cut into strips or cubes. Various seasonings, including salt, chili, wild pepper, and garlic cloves, are added, along with a small amount of glutinous rice for mixing. Finally, the mixture is placed in a jar or bamboo tube, wrapped with banana leaves, and sealed for fermentation for 3 to 5 days, allowing the meat to absorb the rich sour flavor before consumption.

The fermented sour meat has a pink hue and a refreshing taste. Dipping it in mustard soy sauce, along with fresh garlic slices, small chili peppers, and coriander, provides a delightful explosion of sour, spicy, and fragrant flavors in each bite.

Sour meat can also be steamed or stir-fried with other dishes to enjoy its unique flavor. In Xishuangbanna, sour beef tendons and sour beef heads are particularly outstanding. The sour beef tendons are pure white, with a refreshing texture, a slight sourness, and moderate spiciness, making them a favorite among the locals.

05 Fresh Fish Stone Soup (鲜鱼卵石汤)

Fresh Fish Stone Soup is a specialty dish of the Blang ethnic group (布朗族) in Xishuangbanna. This dish involves heating river stones found locally and gradually placing them into a container filled with clear water and fresh fish (originally, locals used banana leaves). The dish is cooked until the fish is thoroughly done. The Fresh Fish Stone Soup has a rich flavor, complemented by the aroma of the grilled stones, offering a unique culinary experience.

06 Dai Style Wrapped Grilled Dishes (傣族包烧)

Dai Style Wrapped Grilled Dishes is a unique cooking technique originating from Xishuangbanna. This method does not require cookware; instead, natural banana leaves are used to wrap the ingredients that need to be grilled, then placed in a charcoal stove for heating. Ingredients suitable for wrapping include grilled pig’s eyes, fish, bone marrow, chicken feet, hearts, gums, and fresh squid, allowing for almost any food to be cooked this way.

Wrapping the ingredients with seasonings and banana leaves, then grilling, releases the mingling aromas of lemongrass, seasonings, and the unique fragrance of banana leaves, making for an enticing flavor.

07 Sour Bamboo Shoot Chicken Pot (酸笋鸡煲)

Sour Bamboo Shoot Chicken Pot is a specialty dish from Xishuangbanna, primarily made with free-range Dai native chicken, paired with pickled bamboo shoots, chili, ginger, and green onions. The dish involves multiple cooking techniques, including boiling, stir-frying, and returning to the pot, resulting in a delicious flavor and tender meat, with the sour and spicy taste stimulating the appetite. Another similarly worthy dish to try is the sour bamboo shoot fish.

08 Dai Style Hand-grabbed Rice (傣族风味手抓饭)

Dai Style Hand-grabbed Rice is a unique delicacy of the Dai ethnic group in Xishuangbanna, primarily made with purple rice, white rice, spicy chicken, and dried beef. It is served with a variety of dishes, including crispy rice noodles, fried tofu, small fish, potato cakes, fried ribs, cold water cilantro, shrimp, peanuts, and cucumbers, often presented in a peacock head model.

As the name suggests, hand-grabbed rice is eaten directly with the hands, usually accompanied by various meats and vegetables, along with colorful glutinous rice. The flavors include sour, spicy, sweet, salty, and fragrant, making it a delightful dish.

09 Sapia Rice Noodles (撒撇米线)

Sapia Rice Noodles is a specialty snack of the Dai ethnic group in Xishuangbanna, characterized by its unique preparation method known as “sapia.” Before slaughtering the cattle, they are fed special wild grasses found in Dai regions, such as prickly ash and spicy smartweed (prickly ash is a bitter medicinal herb, while spicy smartweed has pepper-like leaves and a spicy, bitter taste that acts as a bactericide). The main ingredient used is beef intestines.

The preparation involves mixing fatty meat, small chili peppers, dark soy sauce, and lemon, boiling the mixture vigorously, then adding beef and tripe, followed by previously cooked and cooled rice noodles, leeks, and peanuts. The production method for Sapia Rice Noodles is diverse, offering many varieties and a wide selection of side dishes. In addition to bitter intestine sapia, there are lemon sap, fish sap, pork sap, spicy oil sap, as well as passion fruit sap, tomato sap, and eggplant sap. Different ingredients create unique flavors and textures, making them favored by the locals, and they are also a popular choice for breakfast.

10 Steamed Pork Wrapped in Banana Leaves (片蕉叶包裹蒸制的猪肉)

Steamed Pork Wrapped in Banana Leaves is a uniquely flavored dish from Xishuangbanna. It involves mixing chopped pork (which can also be substituted with fish, chicken, or beef) with green onions, garlic, wild peppers, ginger, salt, and various seasonings, then wrapping it tightly in banana leaves and steaming it.

The dish combines the fragrance of banana leaves with tender pork meat, resulting in a light and flavorful taste, suitable for serving with rice.

11 Local Desserts

Xishuangbanna also offers a variety of desserts that cannot be missed. The following desserts are particularly notable:

• Pu’er Tea-flavored Cake (普洱茶蛋糕): Made with local Pu’er tea, this cake is light and has a unique fragrance, with a rich taste that is not too sweet.
• Pineapple Cake (菠萝包): A traditional dessert featuring fresh local pineapples, it is light, soft, and fragrant.
• Tropical Fruit Salad (热带水果沙拉): With the wide variety of tropical fruits available in Xishuangbanna, this fruit salad is refreshing and sweet, perfect for dessert.

12 Xishuangbanna Wild Pepper Chicken (西双版纳野椒鸡)

Xishuangbanna Wild Pepper Chicken is a popular dish in the region, made with chicken marinated in wild pepper sauce, then stir-fried with various ingredients. The wild pepper adds a spicy kick to the dish, making it flavorful and aromatic.

13 Fried Rice Cake (米糕)

Fried Rice Cake is a unique snack from Xishuangbanna. The rice cake is made from glutinous rice and can be served plain or with fillings like red bean paste or fruit. The fried version has a crispy outer layer, making it a perfect snack for any time of the day.

14 Dai Style BBQ (傣族烧烤)

Dai Style BBQ is a must-try when visiting Xishuangbanna. The Dai people have a unique way of barbecuing, using various marinated meats (such as chicken, pork, and fish) skewered and grilled over charcoal.

This method creates a rich flavor and aroma, often served with spicy sauces that enhance the dish’s taste.

15 Local Beer (本地啤酒)

Xishuangbanna is home to several local breweries that produce refreshing beers, perfect for pairing with the spicy and flavorful local dishes. Trying a local beer can enhance your dining experience.

16 Yunnan Ham (云南火腿)

Yunnan Ham, particularly from Xishuangbanna, is known for its unique flavor and quality. It can be enjoyed on its own or as an ingredient in various dishes.

17 Coconut Water (椰子水)

Fresh coconut water is a refreshing drink commonly found in Xishuangbanna, especially during hot days. It is known for its natural sweetness and hydrating properties, making it a great choice to accompany meals.

18 Mango Sticky Rice (芒果糯米饭)

Mango Sticky Rice is a popular dessert in Xishuangbanna, made with glutinous rice, fresh mango slices, and coconut milk. It is a sweet and delicious way to enjoy the local tropical fruits.

19 Local Wild Vegetables (当地野菜)

Xishuangbanna is rich in wild vegetables that can be found in the forests and fields. These vegetables are often used in local dishes, adding unique flavors and textures. They are often stir-fried or used in soups.

20 Fried Grasshoppers (炸蝗虫)

A traditional snack enjoyed by some local people, fried grasshoppers are crispy and seasoned, providing a crunchy and protein-rich snack.

21 Bamboo Shoot Salad (竹笋沙拉)

Bamboo Shoot Salad is a refreshing dish made with fresh bamboo shoots, mixed with spices and herbs. It is light and crunchy, making it a perfect appetizer or side dish.

22 Fried Sweet Potatoes (炸地瓜)

Fried Sweet Potatoes are a popular street food snack in Xishuangbanna. The sweet potatoes are sliced and deep-fried until crispy, creating a sweet and savory treat.

23 Yunnan Rice Noodles (云南米线)

Yunnan Rice Noodles are a staple food in the region, served in various ways, including hot and spicy soups or stir-fried with vegetables and meats. They are versatile and can be enjoyed at any time of the day.

24 Traditional Dai Tea (傣族茶)

Traditional Dai Tea is a unique beverage made with local herbs and flowers. It is refreshing and often served during meals or as a palate cleanser.

These are the must-try snacks and dishes in Xishuangbanna. Each dish reflects the rich culinary culture of the Dai ethnic group and showcases the flavors of the region. Enjoy exploring the delicious food offerings during your visit to Xishuangbanna!