Wild Mushroom Herbal Steamboat

One of the most appetizing lunch we had in Yunnan was the wild mushroom steamboat, just before our roadtrip to Dali. Those familiar with hot pot would know it's a pot of soup placed in the middle of the table underneath a gas stove and everyone tucks-in in a communal manner as food is cooked. The stock of this particular one, is made out of herbs and chicken. Our local guide added 'tian chi' (yet to discover its scientific name) powder to the soup; a kind of herb widely found in Yunnan, which promotes blood circulation. Of course, the true modus operandi was to encourage folks to buy the herbs but well, we didn't mind.

Once the stock in the pot is near boiling point, wild mushrooms were thrown into the pot to cook. With its climate and rich resources, Yunnan is the largest wild mushroom harvest in China. Over 300 varieties of wild mushroom is found in Yunnan, we sampled over 10 varieties that day - some familiar yet some not.