It’s no secret among Chinese people that Lijiang is famous for its habit of eating insects. What they might not realize though is just how extensive the city’s culinary catalogue of insect dishes is.

Fried silkworm chrysalises, a famous local dish in Lijiang. [Photo by Wu Xipeng for chinadaily.com.cn]

From oil-fried dragonflies and silkworms to scorpions on sticks, there are plenty of insect dishes to choose from in the Yunnan city. Even the most adventurous foodies with an eat-anything attitude might find themselves pulling their faces at some of the dishes on offer in Lijiang.

Eating insects is no laughing matter, however. People in Yunnan have been eating insects in Yunnan many centuries before the western world began realizing their potential as sustainable sources of protein.

Visitors may tuck into the plump white bodies of bamboo larvae, nibble on crunchy dragonfly nymphs or sample the smoky flavor of fried bees.

Before being collected and cooked, locals allow bamboo larvae to drain the nutrition from the bamboo and grow from the size of a grain of rice to 3-centimeters-long, which takes less than 20 days.

If the idea of munching on insects isn’t for you, the Naxi ethnic group has you covered. Naxi people are the most populous among the city’s ethnic groups and the group enjoys culinary fame in Yunnan province.

Snacks including sausage rice, oiled bean curds and fried matsutake – a rare and expensive type of mushroom sold at high end restaurants in Japan.

Sausage rice garnished by maize. [Photo by Wu Xipeng for chinadaily.com.cn]

A dish made from Matsutake, a second-level endangered species that is said to enhance one’s immune system and act as an anti-cancer and anti-aging food.

Tricholoma matsutake. [Photo by Wu Xipeng for chinadaily.com.cn]