Whenever I want to go out for a walk in my spare time, or if I don't have a clear destination in my heart, I always think of Yunnan. It is like a gold mine that has been endlessly excavated. First, it was the ancient towns and villages of Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang, and then it was popular to go hiking in Meili Yubeng, and then to Tengchong to see the Ginkgo Hot Spring... In short, it will always bring new surprises.

Visiting the vegetable market is an alternative to many ways to play in Yunnan, but it is also a way to truly understand Yunnan people. Walking into Yunnan's vegetable markets, large and small, each stall is like a new world, refreshing our understanding of crops. Some dishes are hung there and don't know how to read them, some know how to read them but can't get them in place, and some even if they ask the stall owner, they can't understand what the dialect says. But it is this interesting food world view of Yunnan people that attracts me to go back and forth.

Today, I will take you on a special trip to the most authentic corner of Kunming. The cries of hawkers, the bargaining of aunts, and the fresh and cheap food around them are mixed in a complex and harmonious manner, which may arouse your new yearning for Yunnan.

Kunming Zhuanxin Farmers 'Market

Regarding Zhuanxin Farmers 'Market, some people say that it may be the only vegetable market in the country that is comparable to a 5A attraction. This is true. When you come to this vegetable market, you can appreciate that Yunnan's ingredients are truly "wild"-there are only dishes you haven't seen, and there is nothing you can't buy. Even Chen Xiaoqing, director of "A Bite of China", lamented that he made new discoveries every time he came.

Although Kunming Zhuanxin Farmers 'Market has become a must-check place among many travel guides today, it does not mean that it is a "new" attraction. On the contrary, old Kunming people have special feelings for it and call it "the real old Kunming food paradise." It has been more than 20 years since it opened in 1998. The market is always bustling with people and there is an endless stream of citizens buying vegetables and shopping. It can be said to be the most traditional farmers 'market in Kunming.

The best time to visit the Xinxin Farmers 'Market is early and late. In the morning, the vegetable market is full of vitality. Housewives carry vegetable baskets and start to shop for ingredients. Tourists usually sleep in a little and come here for an authentic breakfast. In the evening, they mix with the off-duty crowd, walk around the vegetable market, pick up a bag of delicious food, and immediately feel tired, as if there was a table of home-cooked food waiting for them in a strange city.

Many stall owners in the market have been operating here for more than 10 years. They initially opened their own shops after working in the market. For example, the very popular sweet liquor shop has a small stall but is very popular. The glutinous rice brewed is full, sweet but not greasy, and you can smell the fragrance from afar. There is also a tofu pudding rice noodle shop, which is always lined up in long lines. The meat or vegetarian tofu pudding is added with various seasonings and side dishes, which makes people salivate. Find a seat at the small table at the door, stir up the tofu pudding and wrap it in sauce. Every bite has the tender, spicy and sour flavor of the tofu pudding.

Strolling around the market is like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden and everything she sees feels new. After watching it for a long time, I will also explore some rules. In the market, the dishes are arranged neatly and the colors are well matched. They are usually young girls. They can speak a few Mandarin and do things quickly. Elderly women carrying bamboo baskets with fruits and individual farmers selling half bags of chili powder do not speak Chinese very well. When encountering foreign tourists, they will make gestures and show simple smiles.

Kunming Shuimuhua Wild Fungus Market

Eating fungi has become a problem in Yunnan. The legend that even if you are poisoned, you have to get up and continue eating is probably tired of hearing it. There is also a saying among Yunnan people about eating fungi: only miscellaneous fungi with a taste but no special aroma have the lowest value, and those with a strange aroma can be called real fungi. Even the same fungus has different values due to its origin, time, and size.

If you want to see these diverse fungi, Mushuihua, Kunming's largest wild mushroom market, is worth spending time visiting. The 24-hour trading center has thousands of merchants. During the peak season for wild fungi trading in July and August every year, all night long belongs to the "carnival" of wild fungi. It is said that 257 species of wild fungi can be found here.

Even in the off-season, from 4 a.m. to 6 a.m. every day, the market is the busiest time. Because Kunming does not produce much wild fungi locally, wild fungi shipped from various states are sold out by stall owners as soon as they arrive. Therefore, the ganba fungi, Tricholoma matsutake, green-headed fungi, Cordyceps flowers, bamboo fungus, etc. seen in the Mushua Market all came from bacterium-producing areas outside Kunming. From 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. are the most concentrated times for Kunming locals to come to purchase wild fungi.

There are stalls connected to stalls in the market. Even if you stroll around briefly, time will slip by unknowingly. The sound of bargaining comes one after another in my ears. The starting price of wild fungi, which often cost thousands of yuan, is similar to buying cabbage at an ordinary vegetable market. The wild fungi lying in the stall are still stained with fresh soil and exudes the smell of jungle. Some mushroom umbrellas are hung with dews. So even if some wild fungi are expensive, it is worth the money for Yunnan people who know that the taste of mountains and forests is hard-won.

In addition to retail and wholesale, Shuimuhua Market also provides specialized washing, cutting and mailing services. If you buy chicken fir mushrooms, some shops also provide frying. This kind of fat and strong fungus can only grow in the mountains and cannot be cultivated artificially. It takes 4 to 5 kilograms of chicken fir fungus to fry 1 kilogram of chicken fir oil, which is very precious. So don't be surprised to see someone carrying oil drums in and out. When you go home, mix noodles, bibimbap, and mix egg custard, it will immediately become a stunning luxury and delicious food.

In fact, visiting these vegetable markets in Kunming is like a process of exploration and discovery. Find your own fun among all kinds of people and rich products. Eat boundless wild ingredients into your mouth, and your days will become more and more vivid. Let's go shopping at the Yunnan Vegetable Market!

Some pictures come from the map worm