About this journey
Honghong was one of the earliest guides for the Cangshan Hiking Family. She previously ran a Western restaurant in Dali for nine years. In recent years, in addition to leading hikes, she has been organizing various types of picnic meals in Dali.
She is very interested in the organic vegetables from the farm and is genuinely passionate about them—I think that's crucial. She enjoys the entire process. She finds great joy in cooking at home and loves food.
We used to lead hikes in Nanzhao Ancient City and would go home with guests to cook together. I always made the same dishes, but she would try different ones each time. I said, 'The guests are different each time, why do you keep experimenting?' Honghong replied, 'I love eating, and I can't cook much alone. When there are guests, I take the opportunity to try several dishes.'
Honghong has long wanted to practice this Farm2Table experience, and now it's happening. She is a warm, friendly, and curious person. You can also chat with her about life in Dali, CrossFit practice, swimming (she also teaches swimming), and travel. I believe both sides will gain something.
Her home is also part of her livelihood and can transform into Honghong's Airbnb at any time. When you go to her place for a meal, you'll be at the foot of Cangshan. From the rooftop terrace, you can see a vast expanse of Erhai Lake. Inside, she has collected various furniture and items she loves, full of life.
Once you get to know her, you'll understand what this picking and cooking experience will be like. Welcome to Honghong's world.
Honghong: I went to a friend's long-established farm in Dali to pick seasonal vegetables: I blanched the freshly picked pea shoots in a cabbage and pork ball soup, made a fava bean and ham rice. Simple, but you can taste the pure flavor of the food. Suddenly, I realized that this simple wish from farm to table is not easy to achieve nowadays. Since I usually enjoy cooking home-style dishes and inviting friends over, I came up with the idea for this experience.
In the afternoon, we go to a friend's farm to pick naturally grown, pesticide-free vegetables. Amidst the picking, we enjoy some tea and snacks in the nearby fields, with a distant view of Cangshan. Then we prepare dinner together. After dinner, if you like, have a cup of tea and chat.
The fee includes farm tea break, one pound of farm vegetables per person, purchasing other ingredients from the market, casual home dinner, tea, coffee, snacks, and fruit.
16:00-17:30 Farm afternoon tea and picking
17:30-18:30 Prepare dinner
18:30-20:00 Dinner
WeChat: zhanghuili002 Honghong
