Kunming snacks for warding off the forthcoming summer heat

Kunming is a popular destination to avoid the coming summer heat. In Kunming, the climate is mild and there are various dishes for you to ward off summer heat quickly.

Papaya water, cool rice jelly

In summer, papaya water is quite visible in snack shops and on roadside stalls. A papaya water or cool rice jelly is usually topped by some heated sesame seeds, rose sugar, and vegetable strips. When it is really hot, just get a heat-relieving papaya water or a rice jelly, which is cool, sweet and refreshing.

Suggested site: Xiaofan restaurant
Add: No. 410, west Dongfeng Rd., near the Ranbu/dyeing alley
Why: Rich in sugar and rose petals, the drink is rightly sweet and fragrant.

Cool rice noodles and rolls

For folks in Kunming, the summer days feature cool rice noodles and rolls. Getting off work, they are tired for the lingering heat at noon and they just want some cool rice noodles or rolls. They are mixed with chili oil, soy sauce, peanut power, and cooked leeks.

Suggested site: Wangji snack
Add: No. 8, Nanlang in the pedestrian zone between the east and west pagodas, Wuhua District (near Dongsi Tower)
Why: The snack here are cool, sweet, refreshing, and sort of spicy.

Pea powder

Your taste buds will be motivated the instant you see tender pea powder is topped with rich ingredients. They include vinegar, ginger, garlic, sugar, soy sauce, chili oil, and parsley bits.

Suggested site: Chenggong pea powder
Add: Zhuanxin market, Xinwen Rd., Wuhua District
Why: The powder is so tasty that diners always line up there. 

Scratched jelly

The powder is so termed because it is scratched by a holed iron piece from a large volume of gelatinous rice flour. The volume consists of powders of pea, broad beans and pony beans, which mixed with water and cooled down before hand. When the diners come over, the scratched powder is put into a bowl and topped by green onions, peanuts, sesame, chili oil, soy sauce, and vinegar.

Suggested site: Qiaojing jelly
Add: No.159, Beimen Street
Why: The peanut paste and spicy chili oil are impressive.

Iced porridge

The ice porridge seems to be particular to Yunnan. Cooked out of glutinous rice, it is mixed with ice, sugar, sesame and vegetables. With a soft, sweet and sticky nature, the porridge is meant for summer days.

Suggested site: Yunping flavor shop
Add: No. 39, Huguo Rd. (across from Nanqiang Street diagonally)
Why: a 30-year shop, tasty brown sugar

Plum juice

In summer, the sweet-sour plum juice is essential. Made from red bayberry and rock candy, the juice is cool and refreshing.

Suggested site: No.33 potted rice noodles
Add: Near the Guishou/ghost hand tattoo shop on Wenhua alley
Why: As the shop’s specialty, the sweet-sour plum juice is effective in warding off summer heat.

Rice wine

The wine is brewed from glutinous rice. Cool and transparent, the rice wine is sweet and tasty. And it tastes better if ice is added.

Suggested site: Fragrant rice wine
Add: Zhuanxin market, Xinwen Rd.
Why: Sweet and fragrant, the wine is just perfect.

Pickled cucumber

It is favored by people in Kunming. Sauce or paste is added to the pickled and cut cucumber, which is cool, sour and spicy.

Suggested site: Yuling pickles
Add: No. 3, Zhiguo Alley (next to the Carrefour on Nanping Street)
Why: The typical Kunming flavor is sweet and spicy, with peas or beans added into the dipping sauce.

By Liu Jianglin, Zhu Dongran and Wang Shixue