WORLD CAFE ASIA

World Café Asia: Yunnan, China

Presenter: Bobby Chinn

Yunnan is an exotic sub tropical region made up from over 20 ethnic groups and shares more in common with it's neighbours in South East Asia than it does with the rest of mainland China. Eager to taste Yunnan's exotic offerings chef Bobby Chinn cooks and eats 3 classics dishes from the region. First up, Bobby joins Lucy Lu - daughter of a local restaurateur - to learn how to make a Yunnan staple dish: Crossing The Bridge Noodles, next he experiments with his own twist on a local favourite: Sticky Black Pineapple Rice. Last, he travels to a remote Dai ethnic village to learn all about home cooking with the best cook in the village, Auntie Binang who shows him how to make a traditional Dai dish called Barbequed Banana Flower.

Bobby's culinary adventure begins in Yunnan's second largest city: Jing Gong - a popular tourist destination for the Han Chinese with a relaxed, laid back atmosphere. For those seeking a little action the local market is the place to be and Jing Gong Market does not disappoint. Bobby visits the market with Lucy Lu and finds everything from exotic fruits and vegetables to dog meat and local specialities such as cured Yunnan Ham, known as the Prosciutto of China. Lucy and Bobby scour the market buying ingredients to cook Crossing The Bridge Noodles. Afterwards, Bobby checks out life on the Mekong River where he joins a group of women collecting river moss. Deep Fried River Moss is a popular snack in Jing Gong and Bobby ventures into the citiy's ethnic quarters to give it a try and, surprisingly finds it to be really delicious. Yunnan is the only region in China that grows Puer Tea. This the champagne of teas is a luxury item - so much so that a gram of the stuff can cost 100s of dollars. Bobby just has to check it out and pays a visit to the Tongqinghao Tea Factory to sample the goods which turns out to be quite a show...

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Next off, intrigued by the regional dishes he's seen and sampled, Bobby hops aboard abus and heads out into the mountainous border regions to experience the ethnic diversity of the province and all its flavours. First stop is the local market in the tiny mountain village of Zidang where Bobby meets up with Anipa a local from the Bulong tribe who shows him around and introduces him to a number of tribal characters and dishes. The Bulong are forest people and before parting company, Anipa takes Bobby into the jungle to taste a Bulong delicacy, raw flowers fresh from the tree. Inspired by his experience Bobby, does his take on a tropical favourite: Sticky Black Pineapple Rice. Normally an accompaniment to savoury dishes, he decides to turn it into a dessert with questionable success.

Continuing his journey up into the mountains, Bobby arrives at the traditional Dai village of Pidang, just a few kilometres from the Myanmar border. The Dai are the largest ethnic group in Yunnan and their culture and food closely resemble that of Thailand. Bobby is met by Sarah a local expert on Dai culture who shows him around the village and introduces him to the most popular cook in town: Auntie Binang who is eager to teach Bobby how to cook classic Barbequed Banana Flower. Before they get started, there are no prizes for guessing who has to collect the banana flower from the tree? Feeling full and satisfied Bobby's journey is almost complete. However, before he leaves he has to check out Yunnan's New Year festivities. A colourful celebration involving copious gallons of water that's sure to quench Bobby's thirst for adventure!

Coming soon...