SHANGHAI -- When award-winning Canadian-Chinese chef DeAille Tam went into the mountains of Yunnan to help pick highly prized matsutake mushrooms, she found more than the terroir -- the flavors imparted by the local environment.
Travels in China yield rare ingredients, cultural reawakening and culinary inspiration

Chefs Andre Chiang, left, and DeAille Tam draw inspiration from their travels in China and the cultural connections they have made there. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by stargourmet, Alex Yu)
SHANGHAI -- When award-winning Canadian-Chinese chef DeAille Tam went into the mountains of Yunnan to help pick highly prized matsutake mushrooms, she found more than the terroir -- the flavors imparted by the local environment.