This was fascinating. I wish I could have been in your entourage:) Do you think I, who only speaks English, could find my way there? I could bring your article above and point! Brava.
Thank you, Marina! I think within Dali, for example, the Beimen is right inside the ancient town, which is a major tourist site. The Fengyi market is also quite close to the city center and airport; these should be easy to navigate with a translator app! For the rest (the cheese and the last market), you’ll probably need a tour guide or a car. However, there are many weekly or bi-weekly markets happening around Dali, so it should be easy to find others to stroll through
The shengpi section is great — your mom watching with complicated feelings while you ate raw pork at a market in Yunnan is such a perfect travel moment 😄 The rushan cheese process was also so fascinating, I had no idea Yunnan had a cheese tradition that old. Adding Dali to the list immediately.
Loved everything about this post: the complicated pig feelings, the dialect struggles, and of course all the food you tried! I'll be there in December and will definitely check out a few markets now.
Just came back from an 8-day vacation in Dali; reading your post made me want to go back there again! We went to several markets while we were there, and a visit to the 素方舟weekend market was very eye-opening—made me think of the hippy Berkeley market 😉!
Oh, 8 days in Dali sounds dreamy! I only had 3-4 days and would love to go back and check out some more markets. I haven't been to 素方舟 but i can imagine the vibe haha!
Lost Heaven is actually a great name for a Yunnan restaurant! I was in Beijing 12 years ago, and the hip Yunnan place that we went is called 火烧云, which is also quite poetic, and I think they're still quite popular!
I lived in Dali for a decade, in Xiaguan near the train station. I passed on many, many dishes of raw pork at weddings and festivals. I'd love to hear the name of director Chen's favorite restaurant near the train station, so I could look it up.
Nice! My company's workshop was at one time in that same neighboorhood as that restaurant. I've been away a few years, though, so I've never been to that particular place. Thanks for covering Yunnan! Its definitely a hidden gem for a host of good reasons, and deserves more coverage.
This was fascinating. I wish I could have been in your entourage:) Do you think I, who only speaks English, could find my way there? I could bring your article above and point! Brava.
Thank you, Marina! I think within Dali, for example, the Beimen is right inside the ancient town, which is a major tourist site. The Fengyi market is also quite close to the city center and airport; these should be easy to navigate with a translator app! For the rest (the cheese and the last market), you’ll probably need a tour guide or a car. However, there are many weekly or bi-weekly markets happening around Dali, so it should be easy to find others to stroll through
The shengpi section is great — your mom watching with complicated feelings while you ate raw pork at a market in Yunnan is such a perfect travel moment 😄 The rushan cheese process was also so fascinating, I had no idea Yunnan had a cheese tradition that old. Adding Dali to the list immediately.
Definitely a scene and a food I will think about! Thanks yanyu!
Loved everything about this post: the complicated pig feelings, the dialect struggles, and of course all the food you tried! I'll be there in December and will definitely check out a few markets now.
"Posu baba (破酥粑粑) filled with rose brown sugar syrup" - SOOO good. We loved the salty version but I've got to return for this rose brown sugar! 💝
More reasons for us to return to Dali 🥺
Just came back from an 8-day vacation in Dali; reading your post made me want to go back there again! We went to several markets while we were there, and a visit to the 素方舟weekend market was very eye-opening—made me think of the hippy Berkeley market 😉!
Oh, 8 days in Dali sounds dreamy! I only had 3-4 days and would love to go back and check out some more markets. I haven't been to 素方舟 but i can imagine the vibe haha!
Loved reading this post, and especially reading about what you came across in the various Yunnan markets!
I’m thrilled that you featured Yunnan. ☁️
One of my favorite restaurants in Beijing was called Lost Heaven and featured a delicious Yunnan menu. I’m still trying to recreate those dishes.
Lost Heaven is actually a great name for a Yunnan restaurant! I was in Beijing 12 years ago, and the hip Yunnan place that we went is called 火烧云, which is also quite poetic, and I think they're still quite popular!
Yay! 臭豆腐!! 😱
Another culinary and cultural gem to my foreigner heart who is strangely homesick for China after just 1 visit earlier this year. 🫶
Thank you! I'm for sure also having a bit of homesickness while going through all the photos here in Germany 🥺❤️
I lived in Dali for a decade, in Xiaguan near the train station. I passed on many, many dishes of raw pork at weddings and festivals. I'd love to hear the name of director Chen's favorite restaurant near the train station, so I could look it up.
this place is called 侯四嬢洱源右所特色菜, it’s like 10-15 min walk from the Dali main train station!
Nice! My company's workshop was at one time in that same neighboorhood as that restaurant. I've been away a few years, though, so I've never been to that particular place. Thanks for covering Yunnan! Its definitely a hidden gem for a host of good reasons, and deserves more coverage.
"People go to Dali after a breakup; they go to Jingdezhen after burnout or unemployment.” - what a strange pairing!