"Menglian" means “a good place which has been found” in Dai language. Menglian also receives laudatory names like "Emerald of Border" and "Homeland of Dracaena". The ancestors of Dai nationality live here from generation to generation, and special geographical position and climate environment create special food here. Tourists visiting Xishuangbanna will be attracted by local delicious cuisine of Dai nationality, but actually the cuisine of Dai-style Menglian food is featured with more exquisites and tastes when compared to that of Xishuangbanna. Locals retain traditional processing modes when they develop Dai-style food, and the original taste and favor also inherit the essence of Dai-style food. Now the food of Menglian will be sorted for you to apprehend the taste legend from the green triangle.

1. Beef-based sapie dish

Main ingredient: Lean meat of cattle

Ingredients: More than 40 wild spices including refined salt, peppers, chives, coriander, and others.

Features: Refreshing and tasty

Best time suitable for tasting: Full year

2. Dried cattle hide

Main ingredient: Dried cattle hide

Auxiliary ingredient: Tomato catch-up

Features: Crispy, tasty

3. Hodgepodge

Main ingredients: Various edible wild herbs from the mountain

Auxiliary ingredients: Ground cowhide, fruit of bitter nightshade and Dai-style fermented soya beans

Features: Rich in multivitamins and multi-celluloses, sour and tasty

4. Salad

Main ingredients: Houttuynia cordata, watery parsley, water hyacinth and cucumber

Auxiliary ingredients: Dai-style fermented soya beans  

Features: Rich in a variety of vitamins and celluloses

5. Braised vegetables

Main ingredients: Greens moss, Chinese baggage moss

Auxiliary ingredients: Tomato, Toye, chili paste, garlic and brown sugar

Features: Sour, sweet and tasty, and rich in vitamins and celluloses.

6. Sour meat

Main ingredient: Lean pork

Auxiliary ingredients: Refined salt, toasted rice ball and pork rind

Features: Colorful color, sour, spicy and tasty

7. Steamed mix of edible wild herbs

Main ingredients: Various edible wild herbs

Auxiliary ingredients: Refined salt, garlic, ginger, hot pepper, wild leaves of plantain

Features: Refreshing and tasty, rich in vitamins and celluloses.

8. Soup of mixed beef, tripe and intestine skin of cattle

Main ingredients: Refined battle beef and tripe

Auxiliary ingredients: Intestine skin of cattle and other 10 wild spices.

Features: Gallbladder clearing, cholagogic effect, refreshing and fatigue removing 

9. Salad-tasted chicken

Main ingredient: Traditional stocking and breeding hens

Auxiliary ingredients: Rice flour and over 10 wild spices including wild lemongrass

Features: Fresh, faint scent and tasty

10. Bitter bamboo shoot dish

Main ingredient: Bitter bamboo shoot

Auxiliary ingredients: Dai-style fermented soya beans, tomato, and fruit of bitter nightshade

Features: Bitter, cool, internal heat removing and conducive to liver and gall bladder

11. Fish dish 

Main ingredient: Wild fish (greater than 500 grams)

Auxiliary ingredients: Major and minor corianders, over 10 wild spices

Features: Faint scent, fresh and delicious

12. Steamed fish

Main ingredient: Fresh wild fish (approximately 500g)

Auxiliary ingredients: Lemongrass, hot pepper, wild leaves of Japanese banana and over 10 edible wild herbs

Features: Fresh, tender, faint scent and delicious

TIPS

It is not difficult in finding out such delicious food in ancient Nayun city of Menglian. Favorable restaurants with national features in the downtown of Menglian are promoted as follows:

1. Kongquelou Restaurant, located in Manghua Village, South City Ring Road, Menglian Downtown, telephone for ordering: 0879-8720266 (13769936177)

3. Dai Charm Restaurant, located in Yunjiao Village, Donglu Road, Menglian Downtown, telephone for ordering: 0879-8729142

3. Taijiale Restaurant: located in Yunjiao Village, Donglu Road, Menglian Downtown, telephone for ordering: 0879-9286683