Ingredients and Cooking Method: Local tilapia in Xishuangbanna is selected. First, it is marinated with various spices including lemongrass, and then grilled over charcoal fire. During the grilling process, the unique fragrance of lemongrass slowly penetrates into the fish meat.
Taste and Texture: The outer skin is golden and crispy, the fish meat is tender and juicy, with a rich lemongrass fragrance and a unique flavor mixed with various spices. It has both the delicious taste of the fish and rich layers of flavor brought by the spices.
Dai-style Wrapped Cooking
Ingredients and Cooking Method: Various ingredients such as meats (pork, beef, chicken, etc.), vegetables (taro, etc.) are used. They are added with local special wild spices (such as wild coriander, fragrant willow, etc.) and wrapped in banana leaves, and then slowly cooked over charcoal fire.
Taste and Texture: The original flavor of the ingredients is maximally retained, and the fragrance of banana leaves is also integrated into it. The taste is rich and unique, with a strong plant fragrance and the mellow taste of the ingredients themselves. The texture is either tender (such as wrapped cooked meat) or soft and glutinous (such as wrapped cooked taro).
Dai Family Bamboo Tube Rice
Ingredients and Cooking Method: Fresh bamboo tubes are filled with glutinous rice and some ingredients like red dates, peanuts, etc., and an appropriate amount of water is added, and then it is roasted over the fire. During the roasting process, the fragrance of the bamboo gradually penetrates into the glutinous rice.
Taste and Texture: The rice is soft, glutinous and sweet, with a unique fresh bamboo fragrance. Every bite is full of natural flavor, and the bamboo tube rice also has a unique charcoal-roasted fragrance.
Purple Rice with Pineapple
Ingredients and Cooking Method: After soaking the purple glutinous rice, put it together with pineapple pulp and rock sugar into the pineapple and steam it in a steamer.
Taste and Texture: It has both the soft and glutinous texture and rich fragrance of purple glutinous rice and the sweet and sour fruit fragrance of pineapple. It is sweet but not greasy, with a soft and glutinous texture and the refreshing taste of pineapple.
Dai-style Barbecue
Ingredients and Cooking Method: Various ingredients including meats (such as pork belly, chicken wings, etc.), seafood (such as shrimp, fish, etc.), vegetables (such as leeks, zucchini, etc.) can all be used for barbecue. When barbecuing, special local sauces will be brushed on, and some special spices will be sprinkled in some cases.
Taste and Texture: The unique flavor of the sauce makes the barbecue taste rich and layered. The outer skin of the barbecued meat is焦香, and the inside is tender and juicy; the barbecued vegetables retain a certain crisp and tender texture while also having a strong fragrance.
Popular Restaurant Recommendations
Manfeilong Grilled Chicken (Gaozhuang Store)
Features: The signature Manfeilong grilled chicken here is a must-try. The chicken skin is grilled golden and crispy, and the chicken meat is tender. Paired with a unique dipping sauce, the taste is really wonderful. In addition, Dai-style dishes like grilled fish with lemongrass are also very authentic.
Average Cost per Person: Around 80 100 yuan.
Dai Jiangnan Fine Dai Cuisine Restaurant
Features: The environment is elegant and the dishes are exquisite. The wrapped cooking series is recommended. Whether it is wrapped cooked meat or wrapped cooked wild vegetables, one can taste the authentic Dai flavor.
Average Cost per Person: Around 100 120 yuan.
Chunwuli Restaurant
Features: A popular online restaurant where one needs to queue up in advance. Their Thai milk tea and Tom Yum Goong soup are very popular. The Tom Yum Goong soup has a rich and authentic flavor, and the Thai milk tea has a mellow and sweet taste.
Average Cost per Person: Around 90 110 yuan.
Food Street Recommendations
Gaozhuang Shuangjing
Features: There is a gathering of delicious foods here. In addition to some of the above restaurants, there are also various snack stalls. You can stroll around and taste various Dai-style snacks, such as Papaya salad, grilled pig’s trotters, Dai-style cold dishes, etc. The Gaozhuang at night is even more lively with bright lights, and tasting delicious food in such an atmosphere has a unique charm.
Riverside Night Market
Features: You can taste a lot of local characteristic and affordable delicious foods, such as various skewers, Dai-style sticky rice, fruit platters, etc. Moreover, you can also experience the lively local market atmosphere and buy some special small souvenirs, etc.
