🍽️ Lemongrass Grilled Fish

Dai-style fish wrapped in lemongrass, tangy aromatic.

Lemongrass Grilled Fish is a Dai-flavoured dish of Xishuangbanna, southern Yunnan. Tilapia or river fish is cleaned, stuffed with lemongrass, Thai cilantro, kaffir-lime leaves and chilies, rubbed with a spice paste, wrapped in banana or lemongrass leaves, and slow-grilled over charcoal. As it cooks, the aromatic herbs perfume the flesh; the skin chars slightly while the meat stays tender, carrying the citrus-piny fragrance of lemongrass and the tartness of lime. It is eaten with a Nam-prik style dip — hot, sour and appetising. Redolent of the Dai rainforest, it is a must-order at Dai restaurants and night markets in Xishuangbanna, best enjoyed around the charcoal fire.