Many Teas in Yunnan are Organic but it is Not Sufficient

Every year I stay in Yunnan Province to source various Yunnan teas. During my stay, I have opportunities to eat local food in different places. I found an interesting trend: the quality of tea in a given area is proportional to the taste of the food ingredients served in that same area.

Yunnan cooking

From my point of view, Yunnan cuisine is strongly influenced by Thai, Myanmar, and Sichuan styles. Various spices and herbs are used, and the taste can often be hot and spicy. I frequently travel across China to source teas, and Yunnan cuisine remains my favorite. One unique aspect of Yunnan cooking is the heavy use of local vegetables and whatever fresh wild plants and herbs are available in each season. Rather than choosing ingredients based on a fixed menu, they cook according to what is freshly available. In many local towns and rural areas, there is no preset menu. Restaurants display available vegetables and wild herbs, and customers first choose the ingredients, then decide how they should be cooked. While staying in Yunnan, this style of dining often reminds me of the rhythm of nature and seasonal changes—something largely forgotten in modern urban life.

Huge gap between the taste of food in rural villages and Kunming city

The cooking style in cities like Kunming and rural mountain villages is broadly similar. However, there is a significant difference in the quality of ingredients used. In Kunming, as in many cities worldwide, monosodium glutamate (MSG) is commonly used. In contrast, such chemical seasonings are rarely used in rural villages. As a result, the overall quality and taste of food differ greatly between urban and rural areas.

Different levels of understanding of natural farming in different villages

Tea processing facilities are usually located in remote mountain areas close to natural farming tea gardens. Visiting these sites often requires a full day of travel. During my visits, I am often invited to share home-cooked meals prepared by tea producers. By visiting many villages and tasting both their food and tea, I realized that the quality of food ingredients is closely linked to the quality of tea produced in the same area. If the tea has a strong aftertaste, the food tends to have a similarly strong and lasting flavor. This may partly be due to soil and altitude, but more importantly, it reflects the community’s understanding of natural farming. In villages located at altitudes of 1800–2000 meters, many people are well aware that fertilizers degrade the quality of agricultural products. In developed countries and cities, people often assume organic products are the best. However, in many of these rural villages, almost all agricultural products are effectively organic. The only fertilizer used comes from livestock. Regardless of whether fertilizer is organic or chemical, once applied, crops grow faster and larger—but with a lighter and less persistent taste. I was impressed that villagers clearly understand this through experience. They recognize that crops grown without any fertilizer produce the best flavor—not only in tea, but in all agricultural products.

Modernized food culture in famous tea production areas

In southern Yunnan, tea prices are generally very high. This has influenced and, in a way, modernized agricultural practices. Due to strong demand and increasing tourism, many producers prioritize quantity over quality. Although these areas are still within Yunnan and often share similar ethnic backgrounds, their agricultural philosophy differs significantly from that of more remote southwestern villages. In southern Yunnan, producers emphasize “organic” methods, proudly stating they do not use chemical fertilizers but rely on organic ones. Naturally, the taste of food ingredients in these areas is less refined compared to those from remote villages practicing strict natural farming. Their agricultural philosophy is directly reflected in both tea quality and other produce.

Rice with very rich taste

I used to think Japanese rice was the most delicious—until I tasted rice in Yunnan. Rice commonly served in towns and cities is not particularly remarkable. However, rice from remote high-altitude villages in southwestern Yunnan left a strong impression on me. This rice is grown without fertilizer and has a deep, lingering flavor. After eating it, I even felt a sensation similar to being “tea drunk,” likely due to its high mineral content. Japanese rice excels in texture thanks to extensive breeding and research. However, if we evaluate purely by taste, some Yunnan rice is extraordinarily outstanding.

Goat meat without the typical odor

It is not only vegetables and plants whose taste is affected by how they are grown. I realized that the most prized chicken is not the one freely roaming around the village, but the one that is not fed at all. In these villages, chickens that are fed are considered lower in quality. In one village I often visit, chickens roam freely, constantly searching for worms. Surprisingly, these unfed chickens have none of the typical “chicken smell.” Instead, they have an extremely rich and lingering taste. Similarly, I once ate goat meat from an animal raised entirely on natural grass. It had none of the typical strong odor associated with goat meat. I also tried cow liver that had no unpleasant smell—only a rich texture and deep taste. These experiences led me to realize that the characteristic smell of meat is not inherent to the animal itself, but largely influenced by what it is fed. Like humans, animals are shaped by what they consume. Ultimately, the quality of what we eat and drink plays a fundamental role in our well-being.