Tasting authentic Yunnan food in Beijing

Women dressed in traditional costume serve visitors pu'er tea – a fermented tea produced in Yunnan province, Dec 12, 2016. [Photo/China.org.cn]

Southwest China's Yunnan province is not only famous for its beautiful scenery, but is also home to a large variety of organic foods and agricultural products due to its abundant natural resources and unique climate conditions.

To help foodies in Beijing have a better chance of tasting authentic Yunnan food and also to possibly attract more investment to local agricultural development, the Yunnan government will open a free gourmet exhibition at the National Agriculture Exhibition Center from Dec 16 to 20.

More than 200 companies will participate to display over 1,000 agricultural products, local delicacies and snacks, including the famed pu'er tea (a type of fermented tea), coffee, organic vegetables and fruits, as well as traditional Chinese medicine materials and mushrooms.

As one of the most important agricultural provinces in China, Yunnan has an impressive farming heritage. Over the years, Yunnan food has become synonymous with "healthy, green and ecological" foods, exported to over 110 countries and regions, including Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and United Arab Emirates.

Despite a general economic slowdown in 2015, the export volume of Yunnan agricultural products surpassed $4 billion, an increase of over 20 percent compared to 2014, local government officials said at a news conference Monday in Beijing.

Data for 2016 is also optimistic. "As of the end of October this year, agricultural exports have exceeded 20 billion yuan ($3 billion), an increase of 21.7 percent year on year, accounting for over 35 percent of the province's total exports," said Pu Jianhui, vice secretary of the Yunnan provincial government.

"Yunnan's endeavor to largely develop agriculture is also part of government efforts for poverty relief to increase farmers' incomes and boost the local economy," said Ning Dejin, vice director-general of the Yunnan Information Office.