Episode 1 - Olives
February 11, 2019
• 12 minutes
In Chaoshan, olives are preserved in distinct ways and appear in a variety of dishes, including fresh juices and meat soups.
Episode 2 - Hu Tieu
February 11, 2019
• 13 minutes
A quintessentially Chaoshan staple and a taste of home for many, kway teow (rice-noodle strips) can be stir-fried or wrapped around tasty fillings.
Episode 3 - Marinated Crab
February 11, 2019
• 13 minutes
Garlic. Cilantro. Chili pepper. The marinated raw-crab dish varies in style from Puning to Shantou, but it's always fresh and tender.
Episode 4 - Brine
February 11, 2019
• 11 minutes
Cinnamon, anise and galangal are among the spices that go into Chaoshan brine, a key ingredient in braised offal, goose head and hot pot.
Episode 5 - Puning Bean Paste
February 11, 2019
• 12 minutes
Long ago, migrants from the north brought soybeans to Chaoshan, now home to a unique bean paste featured in many dishes, from spinach to steamed fish.
Episode 6 - Preserved Radish
February 11, 2019
• 12 minutes
An age-old Chaoshan tradition, the preserved white radish can put an innovative spin on various dishes, from spare ribs to stir-fried squid.
Episode 7 - Seaweed
February 11, 2019
• 12 minutes
To bring out umami and impart the flavor of the sea, the versatile ingredient seaweed can be stir-fried, deep-fried, roasted and sprinkled on soup.
Episode 8 - Oysters
February 11, 2019
• 11 minutes
Steamed, marinated, stir-fried, grilled or dried. A classic in Chaoshan cuisine, the oyster is traditionally cultivated in the town of Jingzhou.
Episode 9 - Chaozhou Mandarin Oranges
February 11, 2019
• 11 minutes
A regional product, the Chaozhou orange can be deep-fried or dried and preserved to make sweet treats, while its peel can be used for zesty seasoning.
Episode 10 - Lei Cha
February 11, 2019
• 12 minutes
In the Hakka tradition, tea leaves are cooked with fresh herbs, then ground with sesame seeds or peanuts in a mortar to make lei cha, a fragrant drink.
Episode 11 - Tofu Cake
February 11, 2019
• 13 minutes
Garlic, fat, liquor and fermented bean curd. The traditional tofu cake is a baked pastry boasting a rich taste profile and centuries of history.
Episode 12 - Beef Hot Pot
February 11, 2019
• 12 minutes
Expert butchers in Chaoshan sharpen their knives to slice premium beef into perfect, marbled cutlets that are juicy, tender, and ready for hot pot.
Episode 13 - Beef Meatballs
February 11, 2019
• 12 minutes
Inheriting the techniques of previous generations, makers of Chaoshan beef meatballs dedicate hours of hard work to achieve perfect texture and flavor.
Episode 14 - Yusheng
February 11, 2019
• 13 minutes
Enjoyed with vegetables and dipping sauce, yu sheng (freshly sliced raw fish) is a delicacy with a long history in Chaoshan.
Episode 15 - Meal of Fish
February 11, 2019
• 12 minutes
Salted, boiled and air-dried in bamboo baskets, the mackerel scad is among many seafoods that make for a chewy, flavorful and simple main dish.
Episode 16 - Fish Sauce
February 11, 2019
• 13 minutes
Indispensable to Chaoshan cooking, fish sauce is traditionally made by salt-curing and fermenting hilsa herring, but new methods have cropped up.
Episode 17 - Fish Ball and Wrapped Fish
February 11, 2019
• 13 minutes
In Chaoshan, the lizardfish is deboned and pounded to make surimi (fish paste) -- a versatile ingredient with a uniquely smooth and elastic texture.
Episode 18 - Mussels
February 11, 2019
• 12 minutes
Harvested from Nan'ao Island's shores, mussels are a summer delicacy that can be cooked with basil, folded into spring rolls and added to fried rice.
Episode 19 - Galangal
February 11, 2019
• 13 minutes
Galangal arrived in Chaoshan from Southeast Asia a long time ago, imbuing meat dishes like chicken and lamb with a fragrant punch.
Episode 20 - Chinese Motherwort
February 11, 2019
• 11 minutes
Known for both taste and nutritional value, Chinese motherwort is blanched and added to soup and congee as a breakfast favorite.
Episode 1 - Dairy Products
October 30, 2019
• 14 minutes
Yunnan is known for a variety of dairy products, including Dali rushan: thinly sliced cheese that can be fried, grilled or dipped in honey.
Episode 2 - Nan Piӗ
October 30, 2019
• 13 minutes
A local wild berry features in nanpie, which refers t different types of flavorful pastes made from mashed vegetables or fish.
Episode 3 - Sa Piӗ
October 31, 2019
• 13 minutes
Sa is a culinary tradition that pairs cold meat or raw vegetables with a versatile sauce that is often mixed with pig blood curd.
Episode 4 - Lacquer Seed Oil
October 31, 2019
• 13 minutes
Derived from the fruits of the Chinese lacquer tree, qiyou is an oil used to cook eggs, congee, pork stew, roast chicken and even bee larvae.
Episode 5 - Ham
October 31, 2019
• 14 minutes
Found in local moon cake fillings, Xuanwei cured ham can be thinly sliced, steamed, cooked with egg, stewed or served as cold cuts.
Episode 6 - Pickled Vegetables
October 31, 2019
• 14 minutes
Salted and partially dried, the sow thistle can be pickled and stir-fried with pork to lend a sour, crunchy flavour, or added to white radish stew.
Episode 7 - Hardy Banana
October 30, 2019
• 13 minutes
Wrapped in leaves with a sticky rice or spiced fish, the Musa basjoo – a banana found in Yunnan – can make for a sweet snack or savoury dish.
Episode 8 - Sour Fruits
October 30, 2019
• 14 minutes
Besides being an appetite stimulant, tart fruits like lemon and sour papaya can be added to shredded chicken, carp or a sauce for dousing live shrimp.
Episode 9 - Rice Cake
October 30, 2019
• 13 minutes
The er, a flattened rice flour cake, can be backed into a sticky snack, sliced and stir-fried with vegetables or julienned into noodle-like strands.
Episode 10 - Salted Flour
October 30, 2019
• 12 minutes
Zha, an old custom, is an assortment of dried fermented vegetables or fish served as side dishes, made with ancient methods of food preservation.
Episode 1 - Mutton
July 24, 2020
• 12 minutes
In Jiayuguan city, mutton tallow envelops lamb skewers with layers of flavor. In the Ganjia pastures, herders cook lamb with tripe using hot stones.
Episode 2 - Lily
July 24, 2020
• 11 minutes
Baked, steamed or stir-fried, the root of the lily plant is sweet and aromatic. Its flower also serves as a salad ingredient or a noodle topping.
Episode 3 - Cooked chopped entrails of sheep
July 24, 2020
• 12 minutes
From Linxia to the Hexi Corridor, sheep offal can be found sizzling on hot plates, stuffed into casings and wrapped in caul fat.
Episode 4 - Flaxseed
July 24, 2020
• 12 minutes
In Wuwei County, watermelon farmers enjoy flaxseed rolls as a dry staple food. Flaxseed oil also infuses pastries like Yongdeng mooncake with aroma.
Episode 5 - Gua Gua
July 24, 2020
• 12 minutes
Grown in the Longdong plateaus, buckwheat can be made into jelly noodles, pancake batter and Tianshui guagua, a savory breakfast dish.
Episode 6 - Beef noodles
July 24, 2020
• 11 minutes
A slow-cooked beef broth is the soul of the hand-pulled Lanzhou beef noodle, a go-to dish for discerning eaters searching for a taste of home.
Episode 7 - Gluten
July 24, 2020
• 13 minutes
Baked, air-dried or sliced into strips, the absorbent wheat gluten can be added to soups and meaty stews, making it a perfect flavor reservoir.
Episode 8 - Souherb
July 24, 2020
• 11 minutes
Found in mullet roe and hot pot, souherb is a white soupy ingredient made by fermenting vegetables like endive, celery, carrot or cabbage.
Episode 9 - Niang Pi
July 24, 2020
• 12 minutes
From Lanzhou to Wuwei, epicures put a different spin on niang pi, a glutenous cold noodle dish that often comes with sesame, cucumber and chili oil.
Episode 10 - Potato
July 24, 2020
• 11 minutes
Dingxi boasts more than 30 varieties of potato, eaten sliced, mashed or made in the form of noodles cooked with pork or spicy sauces.
Episode 1 - Hot and sour soup
June 22, 2021
• 12 minutes
Episode 2 - Intestine noodles
June 22, 2021
• 12 minutes
Episode 3 - Baking powder
June 29, 2021
• 12 minutes
Episode 4 - BBQ
June 29, 2021
• 12 minutes
Episode 5 - Shao
July 6, 2021
• 12 minutes
Episode 6 - Spring rolls
July 6, 2021
• 12 minutes
Episode 7 - Dip
July 13, 2021
• 12 minutes
Episode 8 - Yellow cake
July 13, 2021
• 12 minutes
Episode 9 - Weilu rice
July 20, 2021
• 12 minutes
Episode 10 - Pickled cabbage
July 20, 2021
• 12 minutes
Episode 1 - Episode 1
November 22, 2023
• 12 minutes
Episode 2 - Episode 2
November 24, 2023
• 11 minutes
Episode 3 - Episode 3
November 29, 2023
• 12 minutes