The "Collection of Dian Cuisine", in which Dian is the abbreviated name of Yunnan, includes 1,000 distinctive dishes fromthe province.

The book provides cooking instructions, historical background and pictures of each dish and cultural and geographic information about the places of origin. The dishes from the Wa, Lisu, Nu and Dulong minorities are the first recorded in this book.

Known as "the kingdom of plants and animals", Yunnan is home toa rich variety of foods. As a province with 26 different ethnic groups, the variety of cuisine is an important attraction for tourists.

Dian dishes are not yet widely known outside the province. Dian cuisine is known mainly for its famous Guoqiao rice noodle. Minority cuisine, unfamiliar to many people, is usually consideredonly a complement to other cuisine.

As part of the research for the project, several cooking experts traveled throughout the province for two and a half years to collect 2,000 dishes, from which 1,000 were selected for publication.

The experts provided detailed and standardized cooking instructions. As a result of their efforts, some of the dishes have become prestigious dishes which are served at important banquets.

Minority cuisine in Yunnan has four special characteristics: green, fresh, light and savory, said Xiao Quan, an expert on Yunnan cuisine. Most of the ingredients are fresh and natural, including vegetables, fruit, bamboo and flowers. The dishes are not too spicy but have excellent flavor.

(People's Daily January 6, 2003)