Anne Ruth Hansen and Judy Ledgerwood, eds.

We passed up the bee pupae and hog face on the menu, focusing on less exotic fare. One winner was tea-marinated shrimp over thin strands of fried potatoes served with the hot puffy cheese that is typical of Yunnan. Since peeling the shrimp was difficult and took away much of the intense tea flavour, I ate the crunchy shell and all.

It involves participants lying in coffins while of monks perform death rites on them as if they are already dead. This is then followed by a chant of new life.