I used to think that the food of China was broken into eight cuisines (kitchens), Sichuan and Cantonese being the best know. The eight cuisines represent the characteristic food of eight of China’s 22 provinces. The food of the other 14 provinces (not to mention autonomous regions and municipalities) was not deemed sufficiently distinguished or desirable to be included in the official government list. But I suspect it’s more about the remaining provinces having too many culinary influences and thus harder to distil into a short description.

Yunnan province is a shining example of this conundrum, because it is home for 51 of the 56 ethnic minorities recognised in China. This diverse south-western province is bordered by Myanmar (Burma) to the west, Laos and Vietnam to the south and Tibet to the north.

The customs and traditions of some of these minorities are under threat, as modernization and tourism creep in and the aim of The Yunnan Cookbook is to help preserve their culinary traditions and diversity.

This collaborative cookbook by Annabel Jackson and Linda Chia, mixes recipes with insightful vignettes giving the reader a real flavour of the many ethnic minorities and styles of cooking that make up the province of Yunnan.

As always when I review a cookbook I try at least two recipes to help make my review more practical and useful to potential buyers.
And following this review I will the republish a recipe from the book with the kind permission of the publishers Blacksmith Books so you can “try before you buy”

Despite the difficulty in defining it, Yunnan food is becoming more well known as dozens of chic Yunnan restaurants have sprung up throughout various Chinese cities including Beijing and Shanghai. Even many U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, now boast Yunnan restaurants.   Indeed there is even one called A.Wong in London close to the Victoria railway station.

Even so the availability of ingredients usually comes after people discover the dishes at a restaurant or TV show and thus create a demand. Therefore you may need to be creative and look for substitutes when you can’t find what the recipe calls for, at least in the short term.

But if you’re like me and like the journey almost as much as the destination then this book is well worth purchasing. Yes, the hunt for some ingredients may prove challenging, but just like a good “whodunnit” novel there is something about this book that keeps you turning the page.

The great thing about cooking is there is always something new to learn, as was the case when I found out that this province actually produces several types of cheese or that there is a potato and rice dish. Or that a much prized mushroom of both Italian and French cuisine the Porcini or Cèpe as the French call it is also treasured and used in Yunnan dishes.  Or finding out that Australians call butternut squash Butternut Pumpkin.

The vibrant colours chosen for the outer sleeve continue inside the book reflecting the vibrant human story that is told. About the rags to riches story of the Naxi restaurant owner or the story that explains the dish called Toasted Duck. This isn’t like other cookbooks, destined to sit with all the others, it deserves to be left on the coffee table to invite more people in.

Twice Cooked Belly of Pork with Kumquats by Annabel Jackson and Linda Chia

This recipe is a sample from the cookbook The Yunnan Cookbook and is reprinted here with kind permission from Blacksmith Books and the authours Annabel Jackson and Linda Chia.