Xishuangbana, China

In the fourth episode of Luke Nguyen’s Greater Mekong, Luke journeys to Xishuangbana, where China meets Southeast Asia, to experience Dai culture and cuisines, and try the acquired tastes of the famous tea horse trail. Luke treks to mist-covered tea plantations to cook sweet tea dumplings. He is invited to a nearby village where he learns the method for preserving tea, sampling some that has been buried in the ground for over a year. Boarding a Mekong River barge, Luke feels right at home in the tropical surrounds while he chargrills a typical Dai-style lemongrass fish. Finding sanctuary from the rain, Luke uses the local medicinal herbs to create a brilliant chicken dish.