Steamed Pot Chicken (Qiguo Ji 汽锅鸡): Steamed Pot Chicken is a signature dish of Yunnan, featuring local free-range chicken and the unique purple clay pot, a specialty of Jianshui, Kunming. The chicken is gradually steamed through the pot’s central spout, retaining its original flavor, resulting in tender and succulent meat. Some households enrich the dish with rare Yunnan ingredients for added nutritional value. Renowned across China, this dish belongs to Yunnan cuisine and is cherished for its health benefits, including boosting vitality, enriching the blood, and stimulating appetite, making it a must-try when you visit Kunming.

Erkuai(饵块): Erkuai is a traditional Kunming snack made from rice, specifically varieties known for their fragrance and stickiness. The preparation process involves washing, soaking, steaming, pounding, kneading, and pressing the rice into shape. Erkuai can be sliced or shredded and cooked in various ways, such as grilling, boiling, frying, braising, steaming, or deep-frying, each method offering a distinct flavor. It is especially popular Kunming food as a breakfast item in Kunming and Dali.

Braised Chicken Mushroom (Hongshao Jizong 红烧鸡枞): Braised Chicken Mushroom is a specialty Kunming dish, made with the precious wild mushroom known as “Chicken Mushroom.” This mushroom grows symbiotically with termites in Yunnan’s forests and is known for its thick, tender texture and fresh, sweet flavor, resembling chicken. The dish is braised using rice wine, which imparts a subtle wine aroma. Known for stimulating the appetite and invigorating the mind, this dish is a must-try delicacy during Kunming travel.

Kunming Lamb Hot Pot (Yang Tang Guo 昆明羊汤锅): Also known as “Whole Lamb Hot Pot,” this traditional Yunnan dish features lamb simmered with offal, spices, and seasonings until tender. The slow-cooked lamb releases a rich flavor that warms the stomach, making this dish a winter favorite among Kunming tourism experience.

Flower Cake (Xianhua Bing 鲜花饼): Flower Cake is a renowned pastry from Kunming, made with edible roses, known for its delicate floral aroma and balanced sweetness. With over 300 years of history, it was once a royal delicacy favored by Emperor Qianlong. The modern version of the flower cake, originating from a 1945 recipe by Guanshengyuan in Kunming. In addition to roses, materials such as magnolia chrysanthemums are also used to make flower cakes, a perfect example of Kunming food you can enjoy during your Kunming travel.

Guandu Baba(官渡粑粑): Guandu Baba is a beloved snack from Kunming’s Guandu District. The dough is made from flour, and the filling typically consists of finely ground sesame seeds, peanuts, walnuts, and sugar. After baking, the result is a soft, sweet pastry. Variants without filling are also popular. Guandu Baba’s unique texture and sweet flavor attract countless food lovers when they exploring Kunming attractions.

Pastry Steamed Bun(Posu Baozi 破酥包子): Pastry Steamed Bun is atraditional Kunming food known for its flaky, oily pastry crust and rich fillings. The dough is made by fermenting low-gluten white flour, then rolling it thin and brushing it with cooked lard to create a shiny exterior. The fillings come in savory and sweet varieties. The savory version combines clear broth, soy sauce, spices, and vegetables with diced meat, while the sweet version blends cured ham, sugar, honey, and mushroom crumbs for a rich and balanced flavor.

Shilin Goat Cheese(石林乳饼): This traditional specialty from Shilin County, Kunming Yunnan China, is crafted from goat’s milk. The process begins by boiling fresh goat milk, then adding a specific amount of sour water to coagulate it. The mixture is then pressed into blocks and dried, resulting in a cheese that resembles tofu. With a creamy white color, slightly yellowish surface, and a firm exterior that gives way to a tender interior, this cheese is rich in protein, fat, and other nutrients. Its flavor is delightful and versatile, making it suitable for steaming, stewing, pan-frying, or deep-frying, each method bringing out its distinct local taste, making it a must-try food in Kunming itinerary.

Yiliang Roast Duck(宜良烤鸭): A signature dish from Yiliang County, Kunming, Yiliang Roast Duck is renowned for its vibrant red color, crispy skin, and tender, flavorful meat. Made from a locally sourced variety of small mallard duck, the preparation is meticulous. Using a slow roasting technique with indirect heat, the duck is cooked evenly without smoke or soot. The result is a jujube-red skin that is crisp but not burnt, with meat that is succulent and full of flavor, making this dish incredibly delicious for anyone visiting Kunming.

Dudu Shumai(宜良烤鸭): A traditional snack from Yiliang, Kunming, Dudu Shumai is known for its flavorful filling and delicate wrapper. The filling is made from fresh pork leg meat, fatty and lean pork belly, and peas, all chopped into small pieces, marinated with ginger, garlic, and spices, and then mixed together. The dough for the Shumai wrapper is prepared from high-quality flour, kneaded, and rolled into thin sheets. The filling is wrapped in the dough, sealed, and steamed until fully cooked. Best enjoyed with vinegar and chili oil, Dudu Shumai is a must-try for food lovers seeking authentic Kunming street food.

Sticky Rice Balls with Bean Flour(Doumian Tangyuan 豆面汤圆): A cherished traditional treat in Kunming, Sticky Rice Balls with Bean Flour stands out with its unique brown outer layer made from bean flour. The filling, usually composed of perilla seeds or sesame, provides a soft and sticky texture. After boiling, the sticky rice balls are coated in bean flour and drizzled with brown sugar syrup. The combination of the glutinous rice, fine soybean flour, and sweet brown sugar creates a rich, multi-layered taste experience. This dish merges the essence of glutinous rice, the aroma of soybeans, and the sweetness of honey, making it a must-try food in old Kunming travel.

Rose Rice Cool Shrimp(玫瑰米凉虾): Rose Rice Cool Shrimp is a unique snack from Yunnan Kunming. It is made by grinding rice into a powder, cooking it into a paste, and then straining it into ice water to form pieces shaped like shrimp. This shape, with a large head and slender tail, gives the dish its name. It’s a refreshing summer treat, typically served with rose sugar and syrup, which provides a sweet, tender texture and a pleasantly cool sensation.

Thin Bean Flour(Xidoufen 稀豆粉): Thin Bean Flour is a popular breakfast item in Yunnan. Made from high-quality white peas ground into a powder and cooked into a thin, porridge-like consistency, it has a refreshing taste and cooling properties. Rich in trace elements such as copper and chromium, it supports the metabolism of sugars and fats, making it beneficial for managing conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. For those enjoying Kunming food, this is a nutritious and flavorful dish to try.

Ham Mooncake(火腿坨): Ham Mooncake, also known as Yunnan Cloud Ham Mooncake or Hard-Shell Ham Mooncake, is a distinctive Yunnan mooncake. This mooncake features ham as the main ingredient, combined with various seasonings and fillings. It has a crispy, delicious crust and a flavorful, juicy filling. Aromatic and sweet, Yunnan ham mooncakes are a traditional Kunming food enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Buckwheat Cake with Red Bean Paste(夹沙荞糕): Buckwheat Cake with Red Bean Paste is a specialty fromYunnan Kunming’s Xishan District. It has a reddish-brown color and a sweet aroma. Made primarily from buckwheat flour, it is filled with red bean paste or brown sugar and steamed to perfection. The subtle buckwheat fragrance pairs perfectly with the sweet filling, creating a soft, non-sticky texture and a delightful taste.

Shiping Tofu(石屏豆腐): Shiping Tofu comes from Shiping County in Kunming Yunnan China, and is distinguished by its use of natural well water rich in minerals. Shiping Ancient Town uses both sweet and acidic underground water—sweet for soaking beans and acidic for coagulating the tofu. This tofu is fresh, tender, and resilient, made through over ten processes from grinding soybeans to forming the tofu. It is smooth, nutritious, and rich in protein and amino acids.

Lotus Root Powder(调糕藕粉): Lotus Root Powder is a signature delicacy from Yunnan Kunming. It consists of steamed rice cake placed on lotus root powder, then drizzled with rose-flavored brown sugar syrup and topped with pine nuts, raisins, and sesame seeds. The smooth lotus root powder and soft rice cake, combined with the sweet brown sugar, create a richly flavored treat that captures the essence of Kunming tourists and local tastes.