Daocheng Yading Dining

The local cuisine in Daocheng Yading is mainly Tibetan food. But to satisfy tourists’ appetite, most of the local restaurants offer Sichuan cuisine as well. It is easy to find a restaurant in Daocheng county and Shangri-la town. But for a tour inside the Yading Nature Reserve, you may need to prepare something to eat yourself.

In order to make you have a better understanding about where to eat and what to eat during a Daocheng Yading tour, here we offer the useful guide for dining in Daocheng Yading and brief introduction of the recommended local food.

Where to Eat in Daocheng Yading

In Daocheng County, there are many restaurants, and most of them offer Sichuan cuisine. The restaurants are mainly concentrated at the Daocheng County Bus Station, farmers market and Yading Road. You can also find some cafés in Daocheng County, in which you can have a cup of coffee, and taste the local Tibetan butter tea. Some cafés also offers pizza and light meal. If you will camp in Yading, you can buy some meat and vegetables or prepare some dry rations in Daocheng County or Shangri-la town in advance.

In Yading Nature Reserve, there are some restaurant gathering in Yading Village and Longlongba. Inside the reserve area, there is no restaurant. Tourists can only have meal at local Tibetan home.

Since there is no restaurant along the hiking route in Yading Scenic area, it is suggested to bring some high energy food with you, like chocolate bars, beef jerky, etc.

4 Days Chengdu Daocheng Yading Flight Tour

What to Eat in Daocheng Yading

The local restaurants offer Chinese dishes, and most of them are Sichuan cuisine. Due to the high altitude, the rice will be a little bit raw and the types of the dishes are less. And the Tibetan restaurants in Daocheng and Tibetan families in Yading offer typical Tibetan food. The food with a little butter may taste strange for those who are not used to the flavor. So, if you can’t get used to Tibetan taste, you can bring some dry rations instead.

Rocommended Local Food in Daocheng Yading

Air-dried Meat

Local Tibetans in Daocheng are keen on the air-dried beef and mutton. It will spend about three to four month to prepare this kind of food. In the late November, people cut the beef and mutton into pieces and hang in a shade place to allow the meat dry totally. In the next March, the beef and mutton are done and ready to serve on the table.

Air-dried Meat

Stewed Chicken with Matsutake

This dish can be found in the big restaurant in Daocheng County. Matsutake is a precious fungus with rich nutrition and protein. This dish is a tonify soup which can preserve one’s health.

Stewed Chicken with Matsutake

Butter tea

It is simple to prepare. Stir the butter, milk, walnut kernel, peanut and sesame, egg and salt in a barrel, and then mix them with boiled red tea for a just moment. Then the butter tea is ready to serve. In order to drink it whenever, Tibetan people are always keep the butter tea in a teapot to warm on a stove.

Butter tea

Zanba

Zanba is a staple food of Tibetans which will be taken wherever they go. It is mainly made by barley flour, pea and oat powder and served with butter tea which will taste crisp and appetizing.

Zanba