Feasting in the city of eternal spring

Kunming may be known for its mild weather and blooming flowers — but for foodies eager to taste the flavours of Yunnan, the city has plenty to offer, from bustling markets to a burgeoning drinks scene.

- BY ERIS CHOO

They say that to truly understand a place's food culture, you must first visit its markets.

In Kunming, perched high in the mountains of southwestern China, that means rising early to see how Yunnan's fresh produce comes in from all around the region each morning, before it ends up in restaurants, bars, and eateries across the city.

By 8am, Zhuanxin, the city's largest and most popular farmer's market, is already in full swing. Farmers unload baskets of mushrooms, traders hawk rose jams and floral teas, and restaurant chefs jostle good-naturedly for the day's best produce.

Weaving my way through stalls piled high with vegetables and roots, I strike up a conversation with a young, bespectacled mushroom seller. My Mandarin is limited, but I understand enough to register concern when he warns me, quite seriously, that if I don't cook certain mushrooms properly, I might start hallucinating.

The warning isn't exaggerated. Yunnan is home to more than 800 mushroom varieties, though only a fraction makes it to market. Matsutake, termite mushrooms, and pickled varieties preserved in brine sit proudly on display, some resembling umbrellas from a fairytale, others like corals or flowers.