Yunnan Cuisine
拥有26个民族的云南省，正以其独特的饮食文化吸引着大批国内外游客。
Known as “the kingdom of plants and animals”， Yunnan is home to a rich variety of foods. As a province with 26 different ethnic groups， the variety of cuisines is an important attraction for tourists.
Yunnan cuisine， also named Dian cuisine， consists of local dishes from Kunming， Northeast Yunnan， Western Yunnan and Southern Yunnan. The characteristics of Yunnan cuisine lie in moderate balance of sour and hot tastes mellow in deep oil， fresh and tender with sweetness， striving for their original tastes. Most of the ingredients are green， fresh and natural， including vegetables， fruit， bamboo and flowers. The dishes are not too spicy but have excellent flavor.
Not yet widely known outside the province， Dian cuisine is known mainly for its famous Guoqiao (Across the Bridge) rice noodle.
Guoqiao rice noodles（过桥米线） are a dish that has long been famous in Yunnan. The dish is made of soup， sliced meat， rice noodle and seasonings. A big china bowl will be served with boiling soup and a cover of oil. The soup is made of boiled chicken and pork bone and the clearer， the better. Chicken， pork， liver， kidney， fish and pickled pork are cut into slices. Seasonings are made of boiled vegetables. The raw sliced meat should be the first to put into the soup. After a few minutes， noodles and seasonings follow. The smell and the taste never fail the gourmands. No visit to Yunnan is complete without trying this unique and delicious dish.
Other typical dishes include:
1. Steamed-pot chicken（汽锅鸡）
Steamed chicken is a famous Dian flavored dish. The chicken is sealed in a pot and steamed for several hours. Sometimes， special medicinal herbs are added， making this tasty dish even more nutritious. It is a high-quality dish of Yunnan Province， featuring tender chicken and delicious and nutritious soup.
2. Earthen pot fish（砂锅鱼）
With breathtaking scenery， Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan is known as Oriental Hawaii. Dali earthen pot fish， delicious， refreshing and nutritious， is a traditional dish peculiar to places where the Bai ethnic group live in a compact community. （简内整理）
