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Kangding boasts a diverse selection of Han and Tibetan snacks, but most restaurants feature Tibetan-style cuisine. Starting from Xinduqiao, the cuisine gradually shifts towards Tibetan cuisine, with fewer vegetables available. Tibetan-style tsampa, flour, highland barley, butter tea, and beef and mutton are readily available. The street food is not only flavorful but also very affordable, filling you up for just a few yuan. A must-try in Kangding is the local jelly, a famous dish in Tibetan areas. Made from local white peas, it boasts a firm texture. You can adjust the flavor to your liking. Xiaolan Liangfen is a popular jelly shop. Another recommended dish is the diverse barbecue at the night market, featuring a variety of vegetables and meats, all delicious. These can be found near the train station and at various intersections in the city.
There's also Douban Shaoshou, 200 meters north of the Gesar Hotel, across from the county government. It's a bit out of the way, but the food is excellent. It's rare to find such delicious wontons. Yuxiangyuan Noodle House, located on the back street of Xinshi, behind Dongguan Primary School, offers top-notch shaved noodles in both clay pot and clear soup. Another unique feature of the restaurant is that the TV is always tuned to the movie channel. Ding San Ge Niu Za, a humble little shop next to the mosque, has been recommended by many netizens, so I won't elaborate further.
I highly recommend "Nine Bowls of Farmhouse Fragrance" located in the alley just south of the People's Bank of China Building on Yanhe West Road. Their specialties include walnut flowers, jar meat, pickled pepper yak meat, etc. If you want to eat better, the average consumption per person should be around 40-50 yuan.
Kangding has many famous and high-quality local specialties, such as "Kangding Green Peas", "Kangding Snow Peas", "Kangding Peppercorns", and "Kangding Walnuts", which are sold well throughout the country. "Brother Zhang" yak jerky is the best among many local products.
Wild edible fungi have high economic and nutritional value, among which Matsutake (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) is the best. In Kangding, you can also buy this wild mushroom that has been exported to Japan for a long time.
Kangding is also rich in medicinal plants, and the precious ones include: Fritillaria, Cordyceps, Rhubarb, Astragalus, Gastrodia elata, Notopterygium wilfordii, Poria cocos, Chinese angelica, Rhodiola rosea, Sea buckthorn, etc.