How to enjoy a green leaf feast without chopsticks and bowls?

Dehong Dai Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture sits in the beautiful western part of Yunnan Province, where the green leaf feast gained its fame as a purely green feast eaten without chopsticks or bowls. Using the extremely rich and exotic vegetables found on local mountains, the feast is cooked with traditional methods such as roasting, boiling, frying, and pickling. Interestingly, fat leaves or banana leaves are used to wrap the meal; and leaves are also folded into spoons and pots to serve the soup.

In the historic accounts of Yuan and Ming dynasties, Jingpo’s diet is characterized by “eating without utensils but banana leaves”, “eating without chopsticks” and “food wrapped in the shape of balls”. This ancient culinary style has been passed down to the present.

Nowadays, the green leaf feast has become an iconic symbol of Dehong food.

Producer: Yang Gu

Chief Supervisor: Chen Jiandong, Song Leyong

Chief Planner: Che Jingwen, Jin Linghan

Script Writer: Yue Pei

Coordinator: Zhou Shuodi, Tao Yanyan, Yang Jingyi

Co-produced by: China Internet Development Foundation and GMW.cn