0:00:04 > 0:00:08KEN HOM: China - home to one in five of the planet's population -
0:00:08 > 0:00:13the superpower the world fears, but few really know.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18- CHING-HE HUANG:- Ken Hom is the godfather of Chinese food.
0:00:18 > 0:00:19Heaven on earth!
0:00:19 > 0:00:22He introduced the wok to the West more than 30 years ago.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25This is the way you should be cooking it.
0:00:25 > 0:00:31Ching-He Huang is leading the next generation of Chinese cooks...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33I'm just going to chop off the head.
0:00:33 > 0:00:36..with a modern, inventive approach to the cuisine.
0:00:36 > 0:00:39- That's like ducks playing in springtime.- Lovely!
0:00:39 > 0:00:43'We're taking a once in a lifetime adventure
0:00:43 > 0:00:45'across China through food...'
0:00:45 > 0:00:48- Rabbit head!- Shall we try one?- No!
0:00:48 > 0:00:50'..to delve into its heart and soul.'
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Bang it, pull it.
0:00:52 > 0:00:56Food is the best way to explore Chinese culture
0:00:56 > 0:00:59because we really live to eat.
0:01:00 > 0:01:01It's an epic trip -
0:01:01 > 0:01:063,000 miles, from the mega cities of the east,
0:01:06 > 0:01:09to the forgotten villages of the wild west.
0:01:09 > 0:01:12It's like we've been back to the time of Genghis Khan!
0:01:14 > 0:01:18- CHING SCREAMS - She's just decapitated it!
0:01:18 > 0:01:23'We'll uncover the familiar, the secret, and the surprising...'
0:01:23 > 0:01:26Wow, I've never seen that done before!
0:01:27 > 0:01:29'..cook simple and delicious dishes...'
0:01:29 > 0:01:32That is my Sichuan sausage.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37And reveal the secrets of China, old and new.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40It's like a journey that I've always dreamt about,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42but in a China I've dreamt about.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54We're spending the first week of our month-long trip
0:01:54 > 0:01:57in the capital, Beijing.
0:02:00 > 0:02:02I was raised in Chicago,
0:02:02 > 0:02:04and when I first came here in the 1980s,
0:02:04 > 0:02:07it was just beginning to open up to the West
0:02:07 > 0:02:11after the dark years of the Cultural Revolution.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Unrecognisable. It's like the new frontier.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16'Now everywhere you look,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18'new China smashes up against the old.'
0:02:18 > 0:02:20The question for both of us,
0:02:20 > 0:02:22on this voyage of discovery,
0:02:22 > 0:02:27is to see if all this incredible pace of changes,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31is that going to affect food?
0:02:31 > 0:02:33- Yeah.- Good and bad.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35And I'd love to experience modern Chinese cookery here
0:02:35 > 0:02:38and whether some of the traditions have been eroded.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41It's a brew that will be quite interesting to see.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02China is a country of contradictions.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05Tradition and innovation sit side by side.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09And it's most evident here in Beijing.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13In the northeast corner of the country,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17it has been the imperial capital for 800 years.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22It remains deeply proud of its traditional culture and cuisine.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24As it opens up to the world,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28it's revealing those secrets with a new culinary confidence.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31We're beginning with the quintessential Chinese food -
0:03:31 > 0:03:34noodles.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39They're a humble everyday dish, eaten in all regions.
0:03:39 > 0:03:44But they have a 4,000-year-old history and today in Beijing,
0:03:44 > 0:03:47this ancient craft is being celebrated centre stage.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52It's just incredible.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55I think they got this concept from the West, the open kitchen.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57- Yes!- And it's pretty spectacular.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00It is. Watching them work, it is like an orchestra.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Like the guy with the big block that's just shaving noodles,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05he looks like he's playing the violin.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07KEN LAUGHS Yes!
0:04:07 > 0:04:11'The capital is pulling in the country's best cooking talents.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14'These noodle masters are from Shanxi Province, West of Beijing,
0:04:14 > 0:04:16'where the art of noodle making
0:04:16 > 0:04:19'has been passed down through the generations.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'They are most famous for their hand-pulled noodles, La Mian.
0:04:25 > 0:04:28'Made from just wheat flour and water,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31'the skill is in manipulating the dough.'
0:04:31 > 0:04:34You double it up and double again.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Yeah. It's folding, folding on itself.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- It could be a mess. - It's about balancing the elasticity
0:04:39 > 0:04:41before he can actually pull the noodles.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- So he's stretching that. - Now stretching.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48OK, what he's doing, he's pulling and folding it,
0:04:48 > 0:04:51a little bit like how children used to play Cat's Cradle.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55- Cat's Cradle is a lot easier!- Yeah!
0:04:55 > 0:04:58Wow, that's beautiful! That's what we call tung chow mein.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02Yes! CHING APPLAUDS
0:05:05 > 0:05:08'They serve 20 different types of noodles here,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11'and these guys are masters of them all.'
0:05:11 > 0:05:14To perfect the technique, every year
0:05:14 > 0:05:17he would do this for at least two hours a day,
0:05:17 > 0:05:18for a year and a half.
0:05:21 > 0:05:24Oh, my God! HE LAUGHS
0:05:27 > 0:05:29This is good! That's good!
0:05:32 > 0:05:36- CHING LAUGHS - That's amazing!
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- It's like...noodle bullets!- Yeah!
0:05:41 > 0:05:47Oh, OK. So it's kind of like... Get in there!
0:05:47 > 0:05:51'I was taught to cook at home by my mother growing up in England.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53'As we as we travel across China,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57'I'm looking forward to the challenge of cooking in its fiery, professional kitchens,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00'where it's rare to find any women.'
0:06:01 > 0:06:05I love it! The drama, the commotion, you know?
0:06:05 > 0:06:10Also the excitement, as you approach a wok like this,
0:06:10 > 0:06:12because you never know what's going to happen.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18This is a very intensive heat source here.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20It heats up the wok to over 350 degrees.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24It's very powerful. It really keeps you on your toes
0:06:24 > 0:06:27cos one second off, you could burn and destroy the whole dish.
0:06:30 > 0:06:32'Throughout our trip, we'll be cooking dishes
0:06:32 > 0:06:35'simple enough to do at home.
0:06:35 > 0:06:38'First is my take on a classic northern noodle recipe,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40'Zha Jiang Mien.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43'It the Chinese version of spaghetti Bolognese.'
0:06:43 > 0:06:45It's basically a meat topping,
0:06:45 > 0:06:47a delicious savoury meat topping,
0:06:47 > 0:06:49on top of delicious noodles,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53and sometimes you have some fresh crunchy cucumbers.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56'Every region has its own variation of the sauce,
0:06:56 > 0:06:59'but the essentials are minced pork and bean paste.'
0:07:01 > 0:07:04This is belly pork. The Chinese call it "hua rou" -
0:07:04 > 0:07:07"five layers of heaven". You've got skin, you've got fat,
0:07:07 > 0:07:09you've got meat, you've got fat again.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11That's what gives it flavour.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14And this bit is quite fatty, so I'm not going to use that.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18- Ooh! That's the best bit! - It's really oily, Ken!
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- Ohhh.- I don't know, you think so? Maybe a little bit.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Just for you!
0:07:23 > 0:07:26My uncle used to tell me, "No fat, no flavour!"
0:07:28 > 0:07:32My dish is a classic stir-fry
0:07:32 > 0:07:35of aubergines with mild green chillies.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38I've been chefing now for 52 years.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41I started in my uncle's restaurant when I was 11.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44My mother sent me there to keep me out of trouble.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48My first lesson was in mastering the essential tool of a Chinese chef.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52In my uncle's restaurant, there was no such thing as a vegetable peeler.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53All they had was cleavers.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55So you either had to learn how to use it,
0:07:55 > 0:07:58or you would never get your work done.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01'Unlike the range of knives we have in the West,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04'the cleaver blade does it all -
0:08:04 > 0:08:07'from chopping and shredding to slicing and dicing.'
0:08:07 > 0:08:10Usually what people do with aubergine is they fry it,
0:08:10 > 0:08:13which I don't really like. So what I do...
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Braising it is very nice. It doesn't get it to be very oily.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19And I know, Ching, you don't like it greasy and oily either.
0:08:21 > 0:08:25'I've got my wok smoking hot, ready to stir-fry my ingredients.'
0:08:25 > 0:08:27I'm putting in some ginger and garlic.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30Lots of garlic, because I love garlic.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33Mild chilli peppers.
0:08:34 > 0:08:36Aubergine.
0:08:37 > 0:08:40Stock, just to braise it.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Little bit of soy sauce.
0:08:45 > 0:08:48'The key to wok cooking is controlling the heat.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52'It's a delicate dance between the flame and the wok
0:08:52 > 0:08:54'to control the temperature of the oil.
0:08:54 > 0:08:59'This skill is called wok hei, meaning "breath of the wok".
0:08:59 > 0:09:03'Next, in go the blanched, knife-cut noodles.'
0:09:03 > 0:09:06Some spring onions. Yes, that's it.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11And a little drizzle of their fragrant chilli oil.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15'It cooks for another minute, and it's ready to serve.'
0:09:15 > 0:09:17That looks bloody good!
0:09:17 > 0:09:19I love the look of your dish.
0:09:19 > 0:09:20You know, it's rich, it's smoky.
0:09:20 > 0:09:24You can tell it has wok hei, the breath of the wok, all over it.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Yes! KEN LAUGHS
0:09:29 > 0:09:31'Now it's my turn at the wok,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34'making my Zha Jiang Mein Sauce.'
0:09:34 > 0:09:37In with the garlic, ginger, leeks,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39Sichuan pepper in the hot oil,
0:09:39 > 0:09:42together with the belly pork.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45And then in with little bit of wine.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54Little bit of this tian mian jiang, sweet bean paste.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58'Tian Mian Jiang is a key ingredient in Beijing cooking.
0:09:58 > 0:10:00'It's a wheat-flour fermented soybean paste,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03'with sugar and spices.'
0:10:03 > 0:10:07And a little bit of good stock. Good quality pork and chicken stock.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09'Keep stirring the ingredients so they don't burn.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12'The sugars in the sauces will caramelize,
0:10:12 > 0:10:15'giving the pork a sweet, crispy edge.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18'This wok burner is so intense,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21'it only takes a couple of minutes to crisp up the pork.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23'Usually, it would need about four.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27'I'm serving it with hand-pulled noodles.'
0:10:27 > 0:10:30- Wow!- Oh, beautiful!
0:10:30 > 0:10:31Noodles, once they're cooked,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34you need to loosen them up a little bit,
0:10:34 > 0:10:39so I'm going to toss them in this sesame oil and chilli oil.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41This is not traditional zha jiang mein style,
0:10:41 > 0:10:43but this is my twist on it.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47Just on the top, I'm putting cucumber, radish.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51And then with that delicious meat sauce on top,
0:10:51 > 0:10:52which has got a lot of flavour.
0:10:52 > 0:10:55And then some of this sort of savoury oil on top.
0:10:55 > 0:11:00And then just some flowers, for beauty.
0:11:08 > 0:11:12Oh, raw vegetables. It gives a nice contrast
0:11:12 > 0:11:15to the richness of the sauce and the noodles.
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Bloody good! THEY LAUGH
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Mmm, the aubergine is delicious!
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- It's got that kind of barbecue-y flavour.- Barbecue grill flavour.
0:11:24 > 0:11:25It's been tossed well.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Oh!
0:11:33 > 0:11:36It's not just the classics of Chinese cuisine, like noodles,
0:11:36 > 0:11:38that are being showcased.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Street food is also getting a shiny, modern makeover.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45THEY LAUGH
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Wanfujang Night Market is bang in the city centre.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Traditional food stalls sit alongside
0:11:54 > 0:11:55luxury hotels and shopping malls.
0:11:55 > 0:11:57Banana!
0:11:57 > 0:11:58- No, thank you!- I love it!
0:11:58 > 0:12:01- They used to never speak English! - I know!
0:12:03 > 0:12:07Xaiochi, or "small eats", were very much part of the Beijing life for centuries,
0:12:07 > 0:12:09with vendors on every corner.
0:12:09 > 0:12:13But as part of the major clean-up for the 2008 Olympics,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15they were moved off the streets,
0:12:15 > 0:12:19and now operate in regulated and uniformed places like this.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22- Now, this is zhen jin bao. Zhen jin bao.- Oh!
0:12:22 > 0:12:25When I think about Beijing, this is exactly what I think about.
0:12:25 > 0:12:29The bao type of bun.
0:12:30 > 0:12:31Ooh, that's spicy!
0:12:31 > 0:12:34How much do I owe you? CHING SPEAKS IN MANDARIN
0:12:34 > 0:12:37- VENDOR SPEAKS IN MANDARIN - Wow! Prices have gone up.
0:12:37 > 0:12:39- Wow, they used to be very cheap here. - 10 Yuan - that's £1 - for this!
0:12:39 > 0:12:42- You're joking! You're joking! - No, it's expensive.
0:12:42 > 0:12:44Wow. It's highway robbery.
0:12:46 > 0:12:49'Despite the prices, this is a great place
0:12:49 > 0:12:52'to get a bite-sized taste of China, with foods from every region.
0:12:52 > 0:12:56'The Chinese are known for eating EVERYTHING,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59'especially Cantonese Chinese like me.'
0:12:59 > 0:13:03- Oh, now... Now we're talking!- Oh, no!
0:13:03 > 0:13:05No, no, no, no, no!
0:13:05 > 0:13:07I'd like a small scorpion.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Let's have a cricket. Yes!
0:13:12 > 0:13:13A cricket?!
0:13:19 > 0:13:20Eurgh!
0:13:20 > 0:13:22Mmm!
0:13:22 > 0:13:24CHING LAUGHS
0:13:24 > 0:13:28- Is it meaty right in the middle? - It's not meaty. - Like, when you get to the guts?
0:13:28 > 0:13:32It's like eating a fried piece of crisp.
0:13:32 > 0:13:37I do love offal, and I do love things like chicken's feet...
0:13:37 > 0:13:40- I love that. - ..and all these traditional... You know, duck's tongue.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44But I can't be really Chinese, because I don't eat everything!
0:13:44 > 0:13:47- My stomach dictates who I really am. - Yeah.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Beneath the modern face of the capital,
0:13:54 > 0:13:55there are small pockets of the city,
0:13:55 > 0:13:59where it seems little has changed for centuries
0:13:59 > 0:14:01and there is still a strong sense of tradition.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Jingshan Park is in the shadow of the Forbidden City,
0:14:07 > 0:14:12the Imperial Palace that was home to China's emperors
0:14:12 > 0:14:15for 500 years.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17SHE SINGS IN MANDARIN
0:14:21 > 0:14:24Every morning before breakfast,
0:14:24 > 0:14:27people meet for their daily routines.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36I took classes for a while. I thought I was too young for it!
0:14:36 > 0:14:38HE LAUGHS
0:14:38 > 0:14:40Maybe I'll get back into it now.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52For both Ching and I, this trip is deeply personal.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56We want to understand more about our relationship with our homeland.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Even though I was raised in America, I've been connected to China
0:15:03 > 0:15:06through food from a very early age.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08My father passed away when I was eight months old
0:15:08 > 0:15:12and my mother brought me up in Chicago's Chinatown.
0:15:13 > 0:15:17I grew up in a Chinese bubble cos I didn't see any other people
0:15:17 > 0:15:18except Chinese people.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22We only ate Chinese food, we went to see Chinese movies
0:15:22 > 0:15:23and we only spoke Chinese.
0:15:25 > 0:15:26Cantonese, that is.
0:15:29 > 0:15:30The era I grew up in,
0:15:30 > 0:15:35it was very difficult to be a minority in America.
0:15:35 > 0:15:41You were either made fun of or you didn't exist
0:15:41 > 0:15:43and China was like a dream.
0:15:44 > 0:15:46Like a fantasy.
0:15:46 > 0:15:52That was the life raft I clung to, to be proud of my identity.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56When I finally made it to the homeland in 1983,
0:15:56 > 0:15:58it was not the China I imagined.
0:15:58 > 0:16:02It was still emerging from the trauma of the Cultural Revolution
0:16:02 > 0:16:04of the 1960s and '70s.
0:16:04 > 0:16:07I was pretty appalled.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11It was as if China was almost 50 years behind.
0:16:13 > 0:16:14I just couldn't believe it.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20In Beijing, traditional food culture was nearly wiped out
0:16:20 > 0:16:24as a result of Chairman Mao's communist ideals
0:16:24 > 0:16:26to rid the country of bourgeois influence.
0:16:26 > 0:16:30Red Guards shut down restaurants and burnt recipe books.
0:16:31 > 0:16:37A lot of chefs left China, or else they kept their art secret.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40In other words, they didn't practise it any more in public.
0:16:40 > 0:16:45But, you know, once you cook, you can never forget how to cook.
0:16:45 > 0:16:48And when the reforms came,
0:16:48 > 0:16:52all these people came out of their kitchens and started cooking again.
0:16:58 > 0:17:02To see how traditional cooking is being kept alive,
0:17:02 > 0:17:05Ching and I are headed to a backstreet restaurant
0:17:05 > 0:17:08in one of the hutong districts, old neighbourhoods
0:17:08 > 0:17:11that have survived the city's often brutal modernisation.
0:17:12 > 0:17:17This looks...quite dodgy. Are you sure it's here?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20We're meeting a chef who returned to the capital after the reforms.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24He's been responsible for preserving what, I think,
0:17:24 > 0:17:29is Beijing's greatest culinary tradition, Peking duck.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32Ching, I think in my lifetime I've cooked, perhaps, 10,000 ducks.
0:17:32 > 0:17:37- 10,000!- Yes. I'd like to see how they make them, traditionally.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39- In here?- Yes.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41- Ni hao.- Ni hao.- Ni hao.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45'Chef Li Chin has turned his family home of 50 years
0:17:45 > 0:17:49'into this restaurant, which he runs with his daughter.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52'Peking duck is to the Chinese what champagne is to France,
0:17:52 > 0:17:54'and Beijing is its birthplace.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59'It dates back to the Yuan Dynasty of the 13th century
0:17:59 > 0:18:01'when it was reserved exclusively for the Emperor's table.'
0:18:01 > 0:18:06Well, the secret of Peking duck is it has to be crispy skin,
0:18:06 > 0:18:08no fat and moist meat.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12And if you don't have that, it's not Peking duck.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16Chef Li Chin has studied the 700-year-old techniques
0:18:16 > 0:18:18of the Imperial Court kitchens.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20SHE SPEAKS IN CHINESE
0:18:27 > 0:18:29THEY LAUGH
0:18:29 > 0:18:34The first step is most important - to separate the skin from the fat.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36It can inflate, so that when it roasts,
0:18:36 > 0:18:41the skin can roast separately in this layer of air while the fat melts.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- And renders.- And renders and keeps the meat moist.- Hm.
0:18:44 > 0:18:47That's the secret of Peking duck.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50- And how I do it is use a bicycle pump.- Hm. I've always...
0:18:50 > 0:18:53It's really easy to do and it does it instantly.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55It's quite a cool thing.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58'But Chef Li Chin is a firm believer that the old ways are best.'
0:19:00 > 0:19:04- Oh, he does it by...- Yeah, blowing into it.- ..blowing into it.- Wow.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Wow, I've never seen that done before,
0:19:10 > 0:19:11by a mouth.
0:19:11 > 0:19:16The Peking duck, it's a type of Mallard duck with white feathers.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19The species is important because of the skin.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23This is why the skin is very important.
0:19:23 > 0:19:24You can't use any type of duck,
0:19:24 > 0:19:28it has to be this type of duck that works.
0:19:28 > 0:19:32It can inflate better and it's the amount of fat that it has in it.
0:19:32 > 0:19:34But in a new health-conscious China,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37there's a growing demand for a less fatty bird.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41Now over half of the ducks consumed are reared from a super lean breed
0:19:41 > 0:19:44of Peking chick imported from England.
0:19:44 > 0:19:48With the entrails removed, boiling water
0:19:48 > 0:19:51and sugar syrup are poured over the duck to tighten the skin.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54It's hung up to dry for four hours and then it's ready to roast.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01It feels like parchment paper. It's essential that it's that dry.
0:20:04 > 0:20:06- One hour.- One hour!- Hour.
0:20:09 > 0:20:10Duck over the flame.
0:20:10 > 0:20:13- And...ooh! - THEY LAUGH
0:20:17 > 0:20:21- That is beautiful.- Beautiful, isn't it?- Oh, it is so beautiful.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31I suppose it gives it, like, a... It's got a lovely fruit flavour.
0:20:31 > 0:20:36When I came to Beijing in the '80s, I had Peking duck.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I was very disappointed. And I went into the kitchen,
0:20:39 > 0:20:46and there were a lot of young chefs who did not have his expertise and knowledge.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- This man is passionate.- Thank you. - THEY LAUGH
0:20:49 > 0:20:51Thank you.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Chef Li Chin's passion has survived not only the Cultural Revolution -
0:20:56 > 0:21:01he battled to save his restaurant when the 400-year-old neighbourhood
0:21:01 > 0:21:04was threatened with demolition to make way for new apartment living.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10Only a third of Beijing's hutongs still exist,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12and the living conditions here can be pretty primitive.
0:21:12 > 0:21:15- How was your loo experience? - It's communal.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18God, there was no privacy.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- Really?- No. No segregation. - Oh, my God!- At all.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24- Everyone's equal here.- Right! THEY LAUGH
0:21:24 > 0:21:29After an hour of roasting, our duck is ready to eat.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33- Wow! I can smell... It smells lovely and smoky. - Can you see all the steam coming out?
0:21:33 > 0:21:35- Slice it the middle. - Look at that skin!
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Oh. My mouth is watering like crazy.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43'The ritual is familiar to people all over the world.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46'A dab of sweet bean sauce, a couple of slices of duck,
0:21:46 > 0:21:48'spring onion and cucumber,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51'all wrapped in a wafer-thin pancake.'
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Mmm!
0:21:54 > 0:21:56That is delicious.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59It's aromatic,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02it's juicy, the skin is crispy.
0:22:02 > 0:22:07I've eaten so many Peking ducks all over the world,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10but this is the mothership.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- HE SPEAKS IN CHINESE - Thank you.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52- It's like a human epic...- It is.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55..that he's gone through all this hardship to arrive here.
0:22:55 > 0:22:57And this is our story.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01And I think he embodies very much what China is about.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05- It's not about complaining.- No. - It's about looking forward.- Yeah.
0:23:05 > 0:23:06- Don't look back.- Yeah, yeah.
0:23:22 > 0:23:24We've been in the capital for a couple of days,
0:23:24 > 0:23:28and we're starting to appreciate the spirit of the Beijingers.
0:23:28 > 0:23:33Being in the north of the country, Beijing is exposed to some harsh, cold winters.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36- Are you warm with a hat on, Ken? - Yeah, I'm very warm with the hat on.
0:23:36 > 0:23:40- I wish I got one as well!- Really? Oh, you have hair! I don't.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45The locals survive it on a diet of hearty comfort food.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49And we're joining them for a traditional breakfast.
0:23:49 > 0:23:54Smells really good. Aw, this is the kind of food I love!
0:23:54 > 0:23:57- Oh, fantastic!- I feel like we're at a school cafeteria.- Wow!
0:23:57 > 0:24:00You can't come to Beijing without eating a baozi.
0:24:00 > 0:24:02- This is the pork and leek one.- Yes.
0:24:04 > 0:24:08- Mm-mmm!- This is heaven on Earth.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11- HE LAUGHS - It's so juicy inside.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- Mmm! - And the bread is slightly sweet.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17And the dough has to have that pillowy texture about it.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20It's steamed, just like fluffy clouds.
0:24:20 > 0:24:25- It's delicious. - It's actually like eating almost sweet nothingness. Mmm!- Mmm!
0:24:27 > 0:24:30Baozi have savoury or sweet fillings,
0:24:30 > 0:24:34and are found across the country as street snacks.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37In Beijing, there's a unique way of eating them.
0:24:37 > 0:24:41- They serve the baozi with this, like, an intestine...- Soup.- ..soup.
0:24:41 > 0:24:45Like a garlicky soup, quite starchy.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47And inside there's intestine. Yeah.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51The locals can't seem to get enough of it, so why not?
0:24:55 > 0:24:56Mmm.
0:24:58 > 0:25:02I've never had baozis with, like, a rich soup like that before.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05- Very Beijing-y.- Mm.
0:25:05 > 0:25:08Baozi are part of the extensive dumpling family,
0:25:08 > 0:25:11pleated parcels of deliciousness
0:25:11 > 0:25:14that have been at the heart of Chinese cuisine for 600 years.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17In the capital's high-end restaurants,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21culinary pride has been taken to levels of fanatical obsession.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Kitchens are like factory production lines,
0:25:26 > 0:25:30producing thousands of dumplings a day to rulebook standards.
0:25:32 > 0:25:37For me, this is never going to compete with the simple pleasure of a home-cooked dumpling.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40To perfect our techniques, we're going back to dumpling school.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44THEY CONVERSE IN CHINESE
0:25:46 > 0:25:49It is in Nanluoguxiang, one of the hutong areas
0:25:49 > 0:25:53that instead of being bulldozed are now being protected and regenerated
0:25:53 > 0:25:58as the government begins to recognise both their cultural and commercial value.
0:25:58 > 0:26:03Look through there. Look through there, that's the old-style hutong home.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06'The old courtyard houses are being turned into boutique shops
0:26:06 > 0:26:10'and cafe bars, which is showing a sense of community that was central
0:26:10 > 0:26:13'to hutong life for centuries.'
0:26:13 > 0:26:17- Actually, normally, I'm quite good at directions, that's a dead end.- Yes.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20- Shall we just knock on every door? - No, I don't think so.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25'The school teaches traditional home-style cooking to the growing number of Westerners
0:26:25 > 0:26:27'and overseas Chinese moving to China.
0:26:27 > 0:26:32'It's run by Chinese American food writer Jen Lin-Lui...'
0:26:32 > 0:26:34ALL: Hi.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39'..who came here to reconnect with her roots 12 years ago.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42'The school's dumpling master is a native Beijinger,
0:26:42 > 0:26:45'with the intriguing name Chairman Wang.'
0:26:45 > 0:26:48Hello. This is Chairman Wang.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51I learned how to cook from Chairman Wang.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55She was my cooking teacher when I went to a local cooking school.
0:26:55 > 0:26:58We made dumplings a lot. That's how we became friends.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05'We're making the classic Beijing dumpling, Jiaozi.
0:27:05 > 0:27:09'Traditionally, families make them together for the Chinese New Year.
0:27:09 > 0:27:12'We start with a dough for the dumpling skins.'
0:27:12 > 0:27:15Two-parts flour and one part cold water.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19'You can skip this part and buy ready-made wrappers
0:27:19 > 0:27:21'but it's great to make your own, and in Chairman Wang's kitchen,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24'there aren't any shortcuts.'
0:27:24 > 0:27:26SHE SPEAKS IN CHINESE
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Compared to hers, this is not hard enough, actually.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35- You basically just want to add more flour in there.- More flour.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46- I'm too afraid to ask how old she is.- No, no, you never do that.
0:27:48 > 0:27:49You can ask her.
0:27:49 > 0:27:51THEY SPEAK IN CHINESE
0:27:53 > 0:27:54She said, "How old do you think I am?"
0:27:54 > 0:27:56THEY LAUGH
0:27:57 > 0:28:01'The dough rests for 20 minutes, and we start on the filling -
0:28:01 > 0:28:05'smoked tofu and shiitake mushrooms, finely diced.
0:28:07 > 0:28:11'We're also adding rice noodles, chopped carrot and coriander.'
0:28:11 > 0:28:13SHE SPEAKS IN CHINESE
0:28:13 > 0:28:17She's got here a mixture of yellow bean paste
0:28:17 > 0:28:19and also tian mian jiang,
0:28:19 > 0:28:22which is that wheat flour paste, to bind it together.
0:28:24 > 0:28:27'Tian mian jiang is the sauce used in Peking duck pancakes
0:28:27 > 0:28:30'and is similar to hoisin sauce.'
0:28:30 > 0:28:34We're adding a little dark soy sauce. The light soy sauce is saltier,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37the dark soy sauce adds a bit more texture and colour.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41I remember us cooking with my grandmother, making dumplings.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43It's such a social occasion, actually,
0:28:43 > 0:28:48but I was too small to really learn at such a young age
0:28:48 > 0:28:50but I could hear the sound of this chopping
0:28:50 > 0:28:53and then her and my great-aunt sitting round,
0:28:53 > 0:28:57they used to gossip and talk about the neighbour next door.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59It's wonderful.
0:28:59 > 0:29:04With all this modernisation going on, especially here in Beijing,
0:29:04 > 0:29:08to what extent is this still being done in homes?
0:29:08 > 0:29:11It is being done in homes still but less and less, I'd say.
0:29:11 > 0:29:14It's time-consuming, especially if you want to do them right.
0:29:14 > 0:29:16You make everything from scratch.
0:29:17 > 0:29:19Now it's onto the dumpling skins.
0:29:23 > 0:29:28The hollowed bit in your palm at the centre makes that mound, that shape.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32It's kind of fat in the middle and sloping on the side.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34The rolling pin never leaves the board.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37You're just doing this repetitive motion with this hand
0:29:37 > 0:29:39and turning with the other hand.
0:29:39 > 0:29:42To judge whether you've made a really good dumpling skin,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45you know in the Imperial Courts, if you made the skin really thin
0:29:45 > 0:29:48that you could still read a newspaper behind it,
0:29:48 > 0:29:51you knew you had the perfect thinness of skin.
0:29:55 > 0:29:58Next we fill and seal the dumplings.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02At Chinese New Year, it's the tradition to hide coins inside
0:30:02 > 0:30:05and the one who finds them is blessed with good fortune.
0:30:05 > 0:30:08This is the easy way. You just press and seal it.
0:30:08 > 0:30:12You want a smooth circle on one side and the pleats on the other side
0:30:12 > 0:30:17and a good dumpling is one that sits down and doesn't tip over.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21We're cooking the dumplings two ways,
0:30:21 > 0:30:24the first is simply boiling for 15 minutes.
0:30:24 > 0:30:28The second is pan seared, my favourite.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30This is great because this creates steam
0:30:30 > 0:30:34and because of the steam, it's crispy on the bottom.
0:30:34 > 0:30:36And it cooks with the steam.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38So you want to fill the water
0:30:38 > 0:30:40about two-thirds the way to the dumpling top.
0:30:40 > 0:30:46To get a delicious crispy bottom on your dumpling, add a ladle of oil.
0:30:46 > 0:30:49With ginger and Sichuan pepper.
0:30:51 > 0:30:52- Fragrant oil.- Fragrant oil.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56- Wow!- Beautiful.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58That looks so good.
0:30:58 > 0:31:03You don't understand what that means to me right there, looking at it.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05- It's like home.- It's like home.
0:31:05 > 0:31:09If the dumpling skin is too thick, it's too chewy.
0:31:09 > 0:31:12If it's too thin, the dumpling will break.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14- These look spot on.- Oh...
0:31:18 > 0:31:21The classic way to eat dumplings in the north,
0:31:21 > 0:31:23is dipped in wheat flour vinegar and chilli oil.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27And actually Beijingers also like raw pieces of garlic.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29They munch on those.
0:31:29 > 0:31:32- Do you guys want some of that? - I don't plan to kiss anyone tonight.
0:31:32 > 0:31:33I might as well.
0:31:37 > 0:31:38Wow!
0:31:38 > 0:31:41I can taste the sweetness of the carrot
0:31:41 > 0:31:44and the texture of that smoked tofu.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47It's so delicate and moist.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49Sensational!
0:31:49 > 0:31:50- Mmm.- Mmm.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52This is masterful.
0:31:53 > 0:31:58Hands down, she's dumpling master of Beijing.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Cooking with Chairman Wang's brought back memories
0:32:10 > 0:32:13of being in the kitchen of my grandmother's farm in Taiwan,
0:32:13 > 0:32:15where I spent my early childhood.
0:32:17 > 0:32:18She passed on three years ago
0:32:18 > 0:32:22and I've come to a Buddhist temple to pay my respects to her.
0:32:22 > 0:32:26My grandparents looked after me from a very young age, from about two.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Both my parents were really busy working, trying to,
0:32:29 > 0:32:33er, make a living.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38My memories of food actually all come from
0:32:38 > 0:32:42those very early years of living on that farm.
0:32:42 > 0:32:47We didn't have very much but every day was so much fun.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51The island of Taiwan is off the south coast of China
0:32:51 > 0:32:54and is disputed territory.
0:32:56 > 0:32:59My parents left for work when I was five and we travelled first
0:32:59 > 0:33:04to South Africa and then England where we settled when I was 11.
0:33:04 > 0:33:08When I was growing up I didn't want to be Chinese,
0:33:08 > 0:33:12I wanted to be English. I wanted to be everything that was not Chinese.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16My father forced me to go to Chinese school every Sunday
0:33:16 > 0:33:18and I had to cook Chinese food for my dad.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21I resented that and I hated cooking.
0:33:21 > 0:33:26Erm, but only as the years have gone by
0:33:26 > 0:33:29that, actually, that's the only Chinese part of me
0:33:29 > 0:33:34that remained, was the cooking bit and the food.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37Through it, I now appreciate Chinese culture
0:33:37 > 0:33:41and I'm finding myself, through food,
0:33:41 > 0:33:45and beginning to understand more of where I'm from and who I am.
0:33:45 > 0:33:47This journey is so important because it gives me
0:33:47 > 0:33:53a chance to really delve deeper into Chinese cooking, just to learn more.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09Being as Western as I am Chinese, it's pretty challenging
0:34:09 > 0:34:13cooking authentic food for people in their homes, especially
0:34:13 > 0:34:15in some of the most traditional places outside of the cities.
0:34:15 > 0:34:20I want to see what people are eating, what are they farming?
0:34:20 > 0:34:23Just see what ordinary life is, if there's such a thing
0:34:23 > 0:34:27as ordinary life in China any more because it's so developed.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35In the last 20 years, over 100 million people
0:34:35 > 0:34:40have left their villages to find work in the mega-cities springing up all over China.
0:34:40 > 0:34:47It is strange, isn't it, because you've got deserted towns dotted around?
0:34:47 > 0:34:50There's no life.
0:34:50 > 0:34:52Like a ghost town.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55I'm travelling two hours out of Beijing.
0:34:55 > 0:34:5990 kilometres to the west is Chuandixia.
0:35:04 > 0:35:08Chuandixia is a 400-year-old village.
0:35:08 > 0:35:10It used to be a thriving farming community.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13Now, only 100 villagers remain.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15GREETINGS IN CHINESE
0:35:15 > 0:35:20I'm staying with Mr and Mrs Han, whose family have lived here for generations.
0:35:27 > 0:35:29I thought it was just three generations,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32but he says 13 generations.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37The Hans run a homestay.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40These are like B&Bs that offer a taste of rural peasant life
0:35:40 > 0:35:42that's fast disappearing.
0:35:42 > 0:35:45They're popular with the new, urban middle classes
0:35:45 > 0:35:50who want to escape the city and experience a China of the past.
0:35:51 > 0:35:52So this is it.
0:35:52 > 0:35:57It's a courtyard home and it all belongs to his family.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02This is wonderful. I feel like I really have stepped back in time.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05Central to the home-stay experience is the home-cooked meal
0:36:05 > 0:36:07with home-grown vegetables.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23I'm hoping to learn some traditional country recipes from Mrs Han.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30She's going to teach me how to make cornmeal pancakes.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Cornmeal pancakes are the equivalent of their daily bread.
0:36:42 > 0:36:44When I don't understand something,
0:36:44 > 0:36:48because my Chinese isn't great, she tends to raise her voice.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51She's a real character.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54I'm actually quite scared to cook in her kitchen.
0:36:57 > 0:37:01Let me just finish explaining this. This is corn...
0:37:01 > 0:37:04She said, "Don't open it."
0:37:04 > 0:37:07She said, "Don't be in such a hurry."
0:37:07 > 0:37:10Mrs Han seems a little nervous of strangers in her kitchen
0:37:10 > 0:37:16but I persuade her to let me share the woking, under strict supervision.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18This is slices of pork.
0:37:20 > 0:37:22We're making a stir-fry of pork and wild mushrooms.
0:37:26 > 0:37:30You've got vegetable oil, Sichuan flour pepper,
0:37:30 > 0:37:34you've got some ginger and you explode it in the wok.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36We call it Bal Shang, explode fragrance.
0:37:41 > 0:37:43She's added slices of pork.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47In the summer, they pick mushrooms from the mountains
0:37:47 > 0:37:50and freeze them for winter months when fresh food is scarce.
0:37:55 > 0:37:58She said don't worry about the look of it, it's really good.
0:37:58 > 0:38:01Stir-fry that together.
0:38:01 > 0:38:04A good substitute would be oyster or chestnut mushrooms.
0:38:04 > 0:38:09Then she's added a little bit of dark soy sauce for colour,
0:38:09 > 0:38:10to colour the meat.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12She's also put in a little bit of garlic,
0:38:12 > 0:38:14and a bit more spring onion at the end.
0:38:19 > 0:38:21Just OK.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26It looks mean and moody.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30A bit like the chef!
0:38:35 > 0:38:40Mrs Han's an expert in making a little go a long way.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44She's using the leaves of a pepper plant to make a kind of tempura.
0:38:44 > 0:38:48Oh, this is Sichuan pepper leaves.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53She's put it in egg and wheat flour and she's deep frying it.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57This would work equally well with spinach or kale.
0:38:59 > 0:39:01Wonderful, isn't it?
0:39:07 > 0:39:13Before we eat, Mr Han prepares my sleeping accommodation for the night.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16It's basically a wood fire under your bed
0:39:16 > 0:39:19and the heat from that will just warm the bed.
0:39:19 > 0:39:22It works like an electric blanket but old school style.
0:39:30 > 0:39:31Mmm.
0:39:31 > 0:39:37Mrs Han made with that delicious mushroom.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40Pork and mushroom. Mmm.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55Whilst the homestay gives the Hans a small income of around £4,000 a year,
0:39:55 > 0:39:59above all they seem proud to share their traditional way of life with their guests.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16She's a tough lady.
0:40:19 > 0:40:21Like many villages across the country,
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Chuandixia has seen most of the younger generation up sticks.
0:40:26 > 0:40:3130 years ago, just one in five people lived in urban areas.
0:40:31 > 0:40:33Now, half of the country's population are city dwellers.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39It's been the biggest migration in history.
0:40:39 > 0:40:40Beijing is now home to 20 million.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46It sprawls for over ten times the size of London
0:40:46 > 0:40:47with densely packed suburbs.
0:40:47 > 0:40:50I'm meeting up with my friend, and food writer, Hong Ying,
0:40:50 > 0:40:55a country girl who now lives in the chic district of Chaoyang Park.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58This is her local market, where we're shopping for dinner.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02The variety, I find astonishing.
0:41:02 > 0:41:04This is from America?
0:41:08 > 0:41:10It's an interesting mix of Western imports.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Look what they have here, Brussels sprouts.
0:41:14 > 0:41:19And Chinese favourites - eels, pig trotters and cows' hooves.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21What's that?
0:41:26 > 0:41:29Oh, it's called cucumber flower, I've never even seen it.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33I'm thinking about these chicken wings.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38Hong Ying's life has changed dramatically
0:41:38 > 0:41:40since her childhood during the Cultural Revolution.
0:41:40 > 0:41:44In the countryside, there were severe food shortages
0:41:44 > 0:41:45and families were rationed.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48When you were growing up, it was very hard to get meat.
0:41:48 > 0:41:52How old were you before you tasted your first chicken?
0:41:54 > 0:41:56- 12, wow!- Yeah.
0:42:09 > 0:42:15The great famine in the late '50s and early '60s took the lives of an estimated 30 million
0:42:15 > 0:42:18when Chairman Mao's agricultural reforms failed.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21In Sichuan, where Hong Ying lived, one in seven died.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38When China opened up, Hong Ying moved abroad
0:42:38 > 0:42:41and became a successful food and fiction writer.
0:42:41 > 0:42:44She returned to Beijing ten years ago.
0:42:51 > 0:42:55For dinner, we're cooking two dishes, starting with the chicken wings.
0:42:55 > 0:43:00Now, what I'm making here is just your sea salt and five spice powder.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04I think five spice is a great seasoning.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06Just put it over the chicken wing.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11It comes ready mixed and is a blend of cinnamon, cloves,
0:43:11 > 0:43:14star anise, fennel and Sichuan peppercorns.
0:43:14 > 0:43:15Then throw it in the oven, that's how simple it is.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18The chicken needs to bake for 30 minutes.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21To go with it and making a side dish from the staple
0:43:21 > 0:43:25of Beijing cooking, cabbage, which saw people through the hard times.
0:43:27 > 0:43:30They think cabbage is a homage to Beijing.
0:43:30 > 0:43:34I'm going to stir fry it with this lovely dried shrimp.
0:43:34 > 0:43:39- I could smell it when I took it out. - Yeah.- How good this was.
0:43:41 > 0:43:44Into the wok go some garlic, then the shrimp and the cabbage.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49It's the smell of real Chinese cooking.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53Now I usually add rice wine, but none at hand, I'm winging it.
0:43:53 > 0:43:55Can I add a little bit of the gin?
0:43:55 > 0:43:57HE LAUGHS
0:43:57 > 0:43:58Don't put too much!
0:43:58 > 0:44:00Yes, it's too much.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04That smells good.
0:44:04 > 0:44:07I'm blanching the cucumber flowers we bought in the market
0:44:07 > 0:44:09for a couple of minutes.
0:44:10 > 0:44:11Just like beans.
0:44:11 > 0:44:13Then I give them a minute in the wok.
0:44:13 > 0:44:15They're good.
0:44:15 > 0:44:17I've never used that before.
0:44:17 > 0:44:21Hong Ying started cooking at 11 in the village commune kitchen.
0:44:21 > 0:44:24Each family was rationed just two kilos of rice a month.
0:44:24 > 0:44:27She learned to make the most out of very little.
0:44:27 > 0:44:32Hong Ying, how did you turn what happened to you into a love of food?
0:44:47 > 0:44:49Very philosophical.
0:44:49 > 0:44:51THEY LAUGH
0:44:51 > 0:44:53After half an hour in the oven,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56the chicken wings are golden brown and crispy.
0:44:56 > 0:45:00I'm finishing them off in the wok with garlic and spring onions.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03When you cook it like more than once,
0:45:03 > 0:45:05you have different layers of flavour.
0:45:05 > 0:45:07Remember Chinese cooking is about layers,
0:45:07 > 0:45:10it's not just one-dimensional.
0:45:19 > 0:45:21Mmm.
0:45:21 > 0:45:22These are really delicious.
0:45:25 > 0:45:27You must try the cabbage.
0:45:32 > 0:45:35I learned something from you today.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38Gin. Golden gin.
0:45:38 > 0:45:41I was impressed. THEY LAUGH
0:45:45 > 0:45:48COCK CROWS
0:45:53 > 0:45:58In Chuandixia village, I'm up early to join my homestay host,
0:45:58 > 0:46:01Mrs Han, making our country breakfast.
0:46:01 > 0:46:06It's Tong Dan Bing, spring onion flatbread.
0:46:06 > 0:46:08My mother taught me how to make them
0:46:08 > 0:46:12but I'm pretty sure Mrs Han has her own particular way of doing it.
0:46:12 > 0:46:16The way I was taught is you put a layer of spring onion, oil,
0:46:16 > 0:46:20then you fold it like a pastry almost like a pastry.
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Oh, wow, she's making it...
0:46:24 > 0:46:26(WHISPERS) She's making it a different way!
0:46:26 > 0:46:30She cuts it like a cake and then she folds it back on itself
0:46:30 > 0:46:34in like a clockwise direction and then she kneads it again.
0:46:34 > 0:46:36Quite a good technique, actually.
0:46:36 > 0:46:39It means it has these stretchy kind of layers.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49She has to cook it until the dough is cooked through.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06Normally...
0:47:06 > 0:47:11we have a thin layer of, um...egg,
0:47:11 > 0:47:14beaten egg, like a crepe that we put on top and we roll it.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16That's how I'm used to eating it
0:47:16 > 0:47:19but she's going to be serving it with boiled eggs.
0:47:19 > 0:47:21I haven't tried it with boiled eggs before.
0:47:21 > 0:47:27I'm going to risk rocking the boat here and make my crepe version too.
0:47:27 > 0:47:31It's really simple. Just eggs, salt and spring onion.
0:47:33 > 0:47:36With the wok on a medium heat, add the beaten egg mixture,
0:47:36 > 0:47:40swirl it around so it coats the wok and creates a thin egg crepe.
0:47:40 > 0:47:45Once it's cooked on one side, flip it over and cook the other side.
0:47:45 > 0:47:49This is how we have it normally in Taiwan.
0:47:51 > 0:47:52Like that.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55Tong Dan Bing, with an egg, like that.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58This is how we would serve it in Taiwan.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10She says it's very good.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12Phew! Finally!
0:48:12 > 0:48:14Now we can eat.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19To accompany our two different versions of the flatbreads,
0:48:19 > 0:48:22Mrs Han has also made corn porridge.
0:48:22 > 0:48:26Because we're in the north of China, they don't really grow rice here,
0:48:26 > 0:48:30so instead they have sweet corn porridge.
0:48:30 > 0:48:36You know, it's got a wonderful, smoky flavour to this.
0:48:36 > 0:48:37It's really delicious.
0:48:45 > 0:48:47Mmm.
0:48:55 > 0:48:56Thank God!
0:48:56 > 0:49:01She said everyone has their own way of cooking and their own style.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18It's our final night in Beijing.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21We're back in the heart of the modern city
0:49:21 > 0:49:25and its most exclusive street where the new rich come to shop and eat.
0:49:28 > 0:49:33We're cooking with a chef who is leading the capital's food revolution.
0:49:34 > 0:49:36Chef Da Dong brings tradition
0:49:36 > 0:49:39and innovation together in culinary theatre
0:49:39 > 0:49:44and his specialty is, of course, the nation's favourite - duck!
0:49:46 > 0:49:49This proud Beijinger became a chef on his father's advice
0:49:49 > 0:49:51that he would never go hungry.
0:49:51 > 0:49:55He's dedicating himself to reviving the reputation of Chinese cuisine
0:49:55 > 0:50:00after it was blighted by years of oppression and poverty.
0:50:28 > 0:50:30This is the big difference.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34Chefs before in China only knew about their region.
0:50:35 > 0:50:41Actually, they never had the opportunity, or the time or the money, to travel anywhere else.
0:50:44 > 0:50:46This is one of his signature dishes,
0:50:46 > 0:50:49sweet and sour duck balls in a crispy yam basket.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54This is not like sweet and sour you've ever seen anywhere.
0:51:07 > 0:51:11It's like the duck has given birth to the duck balls and that's the duck eggs.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13It's all very poetic.
0:51:13 > 0:51:17Inspired by this beautiful creation, we're now cooking for him,
0:51:17 > 0:51:22making our Da Dong style dishes, using his delicious Peking duck.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24We will show them.
0:51:24 > 0:51:27A Cantonese and a Taiwanese can take on a Beijinger.
0:51:27 > 0:51:31I'm doing a twice cooked crispy duck and apple salad.
0:51:31 > 0:51:33I'm inspired by the flavour of the fruitwood,
0:51:33 > 0:51:37you know, they use the apple trees, the pear trees.
0:51:37 > 0:51:40This is like the way that they slice and carve their ducks
0:51:40 > 0:51:44so I thought maybe we'll do some apples in little pieces.
0:51:44 > 0:51:45Oh, beautiful.
0:51:45 > 0:51:47This is kind of like carving a duck.
0:51:47 > 0:51:49Now for the duck.
0:51:49 > 0:51:53The leg meat is more juicier, more succulent
0:51:53 > 0:51:56and because I'm going to fry it again,
0:51:56 > 0:51:58I need that juicy, meaty part
0:51:58 > 0:52:02and then I'm just going to chop it into bite-size pieces.
0:52:02 > 0:52:07Rough is OK, even with the skin.
0:52:07 > 0:52:11I'm just going to put a little bit of five spice,
0:52:11 > 0:52:15just a little bit. It really does help to bring out the flavour of the meat.
0:52:15 > 0:52:18And then, corn starch and we're ready to deep fry.
0:52:23 > 0:52:25The duck only needs a minute in the wok.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28As it's already cooked, I'm just sealing in the flavour.
0:52:28 > 0:52:35While it's hot, the outer edges where the cornflour, like this...
0:52:35 > 0:52:36lovely golden and crisp.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42We'll just drain the excess fat.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44Next is the salad dressing.
0:52:44 > 0:52:48I'm using XO sauce, a spicy seafood sauce made from dried shrimp,
0:52:48 > 0:52:50dried scallop and chillies.
0:52:50 > 0:52:53Then I'm going to use some of this Tian ming jiang.
0:52:53 > 0:52:56The sort of sweet bean paste.
0:52:56 > 0:52:59A little bit of sugar,
0:52:59 > 0:53:01a little bit of black rice vinegar.
0:53:02 > 0:53:05- It's going to be sweet and sour.- Right.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11- How's the sauce?- It's OK. It's a little bit too vinegary.
0:53:11 > 0:53:14I think I need more of the sweet bean paste and a little bit more sugar.
0:53:14 > 0:53:17If it's too vinegary, you just add a little bit more sugar.
0:53:20 > 0:53:23So, a little spicy, sweet...
0:53:23 > 0:53:25Lovely.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32That's like ducks playing in spring time.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37My dish is minced up with lettuce cups.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42I'm going to stir fry the Peking duck with radish and cucumber,
0:53:42 > 0:53:45along with some fresh water chestnuts.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48I want to get those really, really hot.
0:53:48 > 0:53:50OK, some ginger, garlic,
0:53:50 > 0:53:53spring onion...
0:53:53 > 0:53:55I'm ready to wok and roll here.
0:53:57 > 0:54:00- Smells good, Ken.- Yeah.
0:54:00 > 0:54:01I'm going to add my duck.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06All these condiments he uses for his Peking duck,
0:54:06 > 0:54:09so this is a bit of a homage to him, as well.
0:54:09 > 0:54:13That looks good, I love the colours, the pink and green.
0:54:13 > 0:54:16A little bit of rice wine.
0:54:17 > 0:54:21Water chestnuts, and what I like is a little bit of peanuts for crunch.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26I'm also using the sweet bean sauce
0:54:26 > 0:54:29and adding a touch of my favourite, oyster sauce.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32That'll be ready.
0:54:32 > 0:54:34Lovely.
0:54:34 > 0:54:38I love watching Ken with the wok, the way he works it with the flame,
0:54:38 > 0:54:40he's infusing the ingredients with a deep, smoky flavour.
0:54:41 > 0:54:43Oh, good work, Ken.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48I'll finish it off.
0:54:48 > 0:54:51It'll have a bit of crunchiness.
0:54:51 > 0:54:55There's a lot of flavour, you only need a little bit.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57Finally, I'm using the fattest part of the duck,
0:54:57 > 0:55:01the skin, to add extra crouton, light crunch to my dish.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04- Like the crackling. - The crackling of a duck.
0:55:04 > 0:55:06That's going to add that crunch.
0:55:06 > 0:55:11And I couldn't resist stealing a bit of his edible flowers.
0:55:11 > 0:55:13Beautiful!
0:55:13 > 0:55:15Do think we're going to be able to impress Da Dong?
0:55:15 > 0:55:18It takes a lot to impress him!
0:55:21 > 0:55:25I've cooked for 52 years, but right now I feel like I'm back in school.
0:55:37 > 0:55:38Oh, thank you.
0:55:56 > 0:55:58And now for mine.
0:56:08 > 0:56:13To end our time in Beijing, Da Dong has made us a feast of duck delicacies.
0:56:13 > 0:56:19It's a homage to the grand Imperial Court banquets of China's past.
0:56:19 > 0:56:20Salted duck livers...
0:56:20 > 0:56:21Oh!
0:56:21 > 0:56:23- ..braised duck tongues... - This is beautiful.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26..and stir-fried duck hearts.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28Oh, my goodness, that is rich.
0:56:28 > 0:56:31It feels good in your mouth and Cathays call it hoisin.
0:56:31 > 0:56:32Oh, hoisin?
0:56:32 > 0:56:36Yeah, it's like, mmm!
0:57:01 > 0:57:04I'm so surprised and so touched
0:57:04 > 0:57:07that I see this in my lifetime.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12When I used to come to China, I thought,
0:57:12 > 0:57:17"Oh, my God, we're so behind, is it ever going to catch up?"
0:57:17 > 0:57:23Now, I see people like Da Dong
0:57:23 > 0:57:28and I'm sure I'm going to see many places in China,
0:57:28 > 0:57:29how it's changing
0:57:29 > 0:57:32and it makes me proud.
0:57:32 > 0:57:37It's a full circle, coming to terms with who I am
0:57:37 > 0:57:39and, erm...
0:57:39 > 0:57:43I was right to be proud to be Chinese.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45Cheers!
0:57:45 > 0:57:47It's fantastic.
0:57:47 > 0:57:50Next time we journey to the Sichuan province,
0:57:50 > 0:57:53the spicy heartland of China.
0:57:53 > 0:57:54Wow!
0:57:54 > 0:57:55It's a really numbing heat.
0:57:55 > 0:57:59Where the food is fiery and the chilli pepper is king.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01This is likely to blow your head off, Ken.
0:58:01 > 0:58:05We'll explore one of the world's fastest growing mega-cities.
0:58:05 > 0:58:09I thought there would be a lot of change, but it's shocking.
0:58:09 > 0:58:12But it's still deeply Chinese.
0:58:12 > 0:58:14He's massaging your ear.
0:58:14 > 0:58:15I love it!
0:58:15 > 0:58:20We'll venture into the rural backwaters to cook traditional dishes.
0:58:20 > 0:58:25This pig's ear's really good. Cartilagey. It's good.
0:58:25 > 0:58:30And find out why Sichuan cuisine is now being celebrated around the world.
0:58:30 > 0:58:35I'm discovering things here that are an inspiration to me.
0:58:48 > 0:58:51Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd