It is 10 in the morning and I am handed a shot of baijiu at the Yulin Comprehensive Market, in Chengdu’s Wuhou district. The woman who poured the strong, clear spirit eyes me uncertainly. “This is 52 per cent,” she warns.
My guide, chef Steven Tang of the one-Michelin-star Mi Xun Teahouse at Upper House Chengdu, provides some background.



