How can you spot the latest food trend in restaurant-rich Beijing? One way is to take a look at who owns the fashionable restaurants. Ever since one of China’s hottest contemporary artists launched South Silk Road, the food of Yunnan province has become the meal of the moment.

Bordered by Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam, Yunnan is home to about 25 different ethnic groups, which helps to explain the richness and variety of its cuisine. Peppery tastes come from the north; fresh vegetables and exotic herbs come from the south. The minority people, such as the Bai and the Dai, contribute not only their own recipes, but also the distinctive casserole pots and bamboo tubes to cook them in.