A Bite of China

In the history of China, the North-South exchanges, multi-ethnic integration, East-West convergence... The unique historical evolution has always been an important driving force for the fusion and evolution of food culture. The migration of people brings about the renewal of food, showing the vitality that travels through time and space. Advances in technology today have driven unprecedented changes in the world. The new changes on the dining table are also proof of the trend of the times. This episode focuses on China's population migration and how it affects the eating habits of Chinese people today. In what ways do these foods affect and change people's tastes and temperaments?

Everything in the world changes with the seasons, and China's agricultural work also follows the rhythm of nature. The world's intangible cultural heritage "Twenty-Four Solar Terms" is a unique system used by the Chinese to guide farming and life, and it is also the embodiment of Chinese food culture and life wisdom. To this day, the Chinese continue to maintain their physical and mental health with solar terms and diets. They follow the weather, plowing in spring, cultivating in summer, harvesting in autumn, and storing in winter.

Dim sum is an important part of Chinese cooking, known for its long history, excellent production, rich variety and changeable flavor. People love to eat dim sum because they are not only delicious, but also entrust the Chinese people's yearning and expectation for a better life. A large number of Chinese pastries are still an indispensable gift for the Chinese people to communicate with each other. It is like a mirror, reflecting the changes of the times and human etiquette. It can be said that dim sum accompanies people through the festivals throughout the year, and also witnesses the growth and perfection of every life. It entrusts happiness and carries the spirit of love and mutual assistance.

Chinese food culture has distinctive features and displays unique values. Food has been integral to our culture for thousands of years. Chinese people perceive and grasp the world around them through food. This episode will highlight the human factor in food, focusing on the relationship between people and food. Regardless of family survival or clan glory, food constitutes the foundation of our cultural existence. Only those who work hard can make delicious food. We find the true meaning of life from food.

Life always pushes us to strive forward regardless of our willingness. Prepared to depart, people begin to trudge. Where they settle, there is cooking fire. From the migration of individuals to the transportation of food ingredients, from the evolution of cooking methods to the alternation of human destiny, the footsteps of human and food never cease.

China, a country with varieties of geographical environment and climates. People work from day to night .As spring planting ,autumn harvesting, summer cultivating and winter storing. There is a tight schedule exist in the cycle of season and has maintained over thousand years. Compare to the agrarian age people have gradually estranged from the nature. Nevertheless, by following the footsteps of their ancestors and cooking their own foods have become the unique cooking way of Chinese. This is the story of time and is the secret of how Chinese get along with nature.

Home where life begins is also one’s ultimate safe harbor. Under the same roof they cook together, eat together. They use food to unite and consulate family members. Though pots and pans are everydayness, they are symbols of Chinese living style and more of a reflection of the Chinese ethics. People grow up, in love, be apart, reunite. In some sense, enjoy home cooking is also an experience of various tastes of life.

The final episode explores the relationship between people and the production of food, specifically how people have adapted to living in geographically diverse regions of China. In Guizhou, the Miao, Tong and Zhuang ethnic minorities have been cultivating glutinous rice for thousands of years. Off Zhang Zi Island, divers search for sea cucumbers in Asia's largest marine pasture. In Zhejiang, hairy crabs are cultivated in vast numbers. On the Yangtze river delta, the labour intensive taro are grown. In Tibet, highland barley is processed into Tsamba. Finally in Beijing we meet a man with a rich rooftop vegetable garden in the middle of the city.

This episode examines the flavours that dominate Chinese cuisine. Sweet, salty, spicy, sour and bitter. In Guangdong we see the traditional production of sea salt. In Shanxi we see the traditional production of vinegar. In Sichuan, the chilli and Sichuan pepper vie for supremacy. Foods featured include sweet onion pancakes, sweet preserved duck, Wuxi style sweet pork ribs, Macau style tangerine peel duck, salt water chicken, fish aroma pork strips, broad bean chilli paste, Sichuan hotpot, fishball and seaweed soup.

This episode looks at the various cooking traditions peculiar to the Chinese. In the Tibetan village of Nixi, handmade black pottery pots are the favoured form of cooking. In the Guangdong town of Shunde, Ouyang Guangye cooks a traditional country banquet, including a whole steamed pig. In Yangzhou, Chinese chefs demonstrate their knife skills. In Hunan we visit a Chinese cooking academy and the home of one of the teachers. In Hong Kong, artist Liang Yihu runs a social club where she collects stories and recipes from elderly Hong Kong residents.

This episode explores both modern and traditional ways to preserve food - from salting and drying to stewing and smoking. Learn to make kimchi with the Korean ethnic minority of north east China. In Hong Kong sweet cured meats are popular. In mountainous Hunan, discover the famous Souse fish of the Miao ethnic minority. Learn about the Hui style smelly fermented perch. Other foods include Jinhua ham, dried seaweed, dried mullet and shrimp paste.