0:00:04 > 0:00:08'China, home to one in five of the planet's population.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13'The superpower the world fears, but few really know.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18'Ken Hom is the Godfather of Chinese food.'
0:00:18 > 0:00:19Heaven on Earth.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23'He introduced the wok to the West more than 30 years ago.'
0:00:23 > 0:00:26This is the way you should be cooking it.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31'Ching 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 > 0:00:37'..with a modern, inventive approach to the cuisine.'
0:00:37 > 0:00:39- It's like ducks playing in springtime.- Lovely.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45'We're taking a once-in-a-lifetime adventure across China through food...'
0:00:45 > 0:00:48- Rabbit head.- Shall we try one?
0:00:48 > 0:00:51'..to delve into its heart and soul.'
0:00:51 > 0:00:53Bang it, pull it.
0:00:53 > 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 > 0:01:03'It's an epic trip,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06'3,000 miles from the megacities of the East
0:01:06 > 0:01:11'to the forgotten villages of the Wild West.'
0:01:11 > 0:01:14It's like going back to the time of Genghis Khan.
0:01:14 > 0:01:15Aaargh!
0:01:15 > 0:01:18She'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!
0:01:28 > 0:01:30'..cook simple and delicious dishes...'
0:01:30 > 0:01:32That is my Sichuan sausage.
0:01:32 > 0:01:37'..and 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.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58This time, we're in Chengdu.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02It is one of the fastest-growing cities in the world.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07In the interior of the country,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10it has always been an isolated place,
0:02:10 > 0:02:13free from Western influence,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16and remains the most Chinese of China's megacities.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Nearly 1,000 miles from Beijing,
0:02:21 > 0:02:23deep in the heartland
0:02:23 > 0:02:25in Sichuan province,
0:02:25 > 0:02:29Chengdu is known as one of the culinary capitals of China.
0:02:30 > 0:02:35'The food here is the hottest in China and increasingly famous
0:02:35 > 0:02:39'all over the world for its distinctive fiery flavours.'
0:02:39 > 0:02:41Variety, yes.
0:02:41 > 0:02:46'We've come to Chengdu's spice market to explore the explosive tastes
0:02:46 > 0:02:48'that make Sichuan food so unique.'
0:02:48 > 0:02:50This place is like the core,
0:02:50 > 0:02:55the heart, the mother ship of spicy Sichuan food.
0:02:58 > 0:03:02'The people here are obsessed with chillies,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04'claiming they have a medicinal quality,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07'driving out the cold, wet climate.'
0:03:07 > 0:03:10You really feel like trying all of them,
0:03:10 > 0:03:12because some, I've never seen before.
0:03:12 > 0:03:15'I hope they're right, because it really is damp here.'
0:03:16 > 0:03:19HE SPEAKS IN NATIVE TONGUE
0:03:20 > 0:03:24'Even the seeds of the chilli, which we tend to avoid in the West,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26'are sold here as a garnish.'
0:03:27 > 0:03:31They take the seeds out of the ones that are slightly off colour,
0:03:31 > 0:03:35that aren't as desirable, so that's a lot of chilli!
0:03:35 > 0:03:38THEY SPEAK IN LOCAL DIALECT
0:03:38 > 0:03:42Oh, so they stir-fry it, so it's dry toasting.
0:03:42 > 0:03:47'You would think this assault on their taste buds would be unbearable,
0:03:47 > 0:03:49'but it's not all about chillies.'
0:03:51 > 0:03:54So big! Where do you start?
0:03:56 > 0:04:01'There's a second key ingredient that absolutely defines Sichuan food.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06'This innocent-looking husk from the berry of the prickly ash bush
0:04:06 > 0:04:09'is called the Sichuan flower pepper.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12'It creates an incredibly intense numbing sensation
0:04:12 > 0:04:15'that balances the chilli heat of the food.
0:04:15 > 0:04:20'It stimulates the taste buds, unleashing an explosion of flavours.'
0:04:20 > 0:04:22I don't know why I'm actually a little terrified of trying it,
0:04:22 > 0:04:25because I've cooked with it so many times.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33Wow!
0:04:34 > 0:04:35Oh, my God!
0:04:37 > 0:04:40It's really strong, really numbing heat,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42much stronger than what we have in the UK.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45'It's these authentic local flavours
0:04:45 > 0:04:49'that I've come here to cook with and master.'
0:04:49 > 0:04:53The fragrance of lavender taste is unbelievable.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56I know. Lavender and a little citrus spice to it.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59I haven't been here for almost 24 years
0:04:59 > 0:05:04and now I realise how much I miss this fragrance.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08There are not many places in the world where cooking is
0:05:08 > 0:05:13so dominated by just a few key spices.
0:05:13 > 0:05:18We want to begin our exploration of these fascinating, complex flavours
0:05:18 > 0:05:21where some of the most authentic food can be found -
0:05:21 > 0:05:24here in these ramshackle restaurants,
0:05:24 > 0:05:28hidden away in the alleys and backstreets of the city.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32To help us track down one of the best,
0:05:32 > 0:05:34we've enlisted the help of Jenny Gao,
0:05:34 > 0:05:37a food writer raised in Canada, but born in Chengdu.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40She's taking us to a restaurant in the old part of the city
0:05:40 > 0:05:42that's due for redevelopment.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49So, this is the famous fly restaurant Ming Ting,
0:05:49 > 0:05:51and it started off just a couple of tables,
0:05:51 > 0:05:57but as its popularity grew, more and more tables were added.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59As you see, it spilled out onto the street.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02Called fly restaurants
0:06:02 > 0:06:06apparently because of their rough-and-ready approach to hygiene,
0:06:06 > 0:06:11these places have always been the soul of the food culture here.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14Wow! Ni hao!
0:06:16 > 0:06:20Wouldn't it be fun to cook in this kitchen? It's just chaos!
0:06:22 > 0:06:26So it's got chilli bean paste, it's got some garlic and ginger.
0:06:26 > 0:06:33- The fragrance!- Yes. The roar of the wok! How intense it is.
0:06:33 > 0:06:37'I'm desperate to cook with all these amazing spices,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40'but first, I want to taste how the chefs combine
0:06:40 > 0:06:42'chilli and Sichuan flower pepper
0:06:42 > 0:06:45'to create the distinctive numbing heat they call ma la.'
0:06:52 > 0:06:55For all these dishes, you won't get a very strong sensation
0:06:55 > 0:06:57of like, you know, very ma, very la,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00- but after you start eating more and more...- I can feel it now.- I can.
0:07:00 > 0:07:04..you start to feel it on your tongue and on your lips, right?
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Right. My mouth is on fire.
0:07:06 > 0:07:10'One of the most famous local dishes is Ma Po Dofu,
0:07:10 > 0:07:15'a regional classic made with tofu and usually ground beef or pork.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19'But here at Ming Ting, it has a surprising alternative ingredient.'
0:07:19 > 0:07:22They're tricking you by putting a little pig brain in there.
0:07:22 > 0:07:25- Pig brain?!- Pig brain. - Pig brains with tofu?!
0:07:25 > 0:07:26Yeah, dig in.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29'Despite my dad keeping pigs when I was young in Taiwan,
0:07:29 > 0:07:33'I'd never developed the Chinese love of brains.'
0:07:33 > 0:07:35That's a generous bit of brain.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Oh, my goodness me!
0:07:39 > 0:07:40This is a first for me.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44I can clearly say I've had probably all bits of offal, but not brain.
0:07:44 > 0:07:48- Not brain? - I'm feeling a bit funny, actually.
0:07:48 > 0:07:49Think of it as tofu.
0:07:49 > 0:07:51Right, OK, I'll...
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Mmm. It's really creamy!
0:07:56 > 0:07:57Yes!
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- It reminds me of foie gras. - Absolutely!
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Pig brain is actually very popular in Sichuan,
0:08:03 > 0:08:05as is the brain of a lot of animals.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- Yeah, I think I'll stick to the tofu.- Really?- Right.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12'Ma Po Dofu is one of my favourite dishes
0:08:12 > 0:08:16'and I really want to test out the authenticity of my version
0:08:16 > 0:08:18'on the chefs at Ming Ting.'
0:08:18 > 0:08:20So, I'm going to prep my ingredients here.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24'Like many Sichuan recipes, garlic, ginger, chilli bean paste
0:08:24 > 0:08:28'and, of course, a pinch of that ground Sichuan flower pepper
0:08:28 > 0:08:33'are exploded in hot oil to release their fragrance.
0:08:34 > 0:08:35'Like most of the dishes
0:08:35 > 0:08:39'we'll cook on our travels, it's easy to do at home.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44'It's a little unnerving, though, to have such an expert audience,
0:08:44 > 0:08:48'particularly because I'm adapting the house special,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51'swapping the pigs' brains
0:08:51 > 0:08:53'for Chinese long beans and pickled bamboo,
0:08:53 > 0:08:56'although you could use leeks and shallots.'
0:08:58 > 0:09:03In with my beans, in with the bamboo shoots.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07I'm going to season now with a little bit of soy.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09In with the tofu.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14That looks absolutely beautiful.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18'You can get ground Sichuan flower pepper in Chinese supermarkets in the UK or online.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22'And don't be afraid to experiment to get that balance
0:09:22 > 0:09:23'with the chillies just right.'
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Beautiful.
0:09:32 > 0:09:33Very good.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36Very good.
0:09:36 > 0:09:37THEY LAUGH
0:09:40 > 0:09:44'I love the atmosphere in this place and it's heartening to see
0:09:44 > 0:09:48'that traditional cooking is safe in the hands of these young chefs.
0:09:50 > 0:09:55'And even though Ming Ting's present location is soon to be redeveloped,
0:09:55 > 0:10:00'chef Wu Jing and his staff are positive about the future.'
0:10:00 > 0:10:04He's going to just follow his boss.
0:10:04 > 0:10:09Wherever his boss opens next, that's where he will go.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13- Sichuan!- To Sichuan! Cheers! - Cheers!- Gan bei!
0:10:19 > 0:10:21The next morning,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24we've arranged to meet Jenny on the outskirts of the city.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28Chengdu is at the centre of the government's Go West policy.
0:10:28 > 0:10:35It's invested 300 billion to spark an economic boom in western China,
0:10:35 > 0:10:38on a par with Beijing and Shanghai.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41Can you imagine? This whole area,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44most of these buildings were not here.
0:10:45 > 0:10:50When I was here in 1989, it was still a fairly primitive place.
0:10:51 > 0:10:54Many of the streets were little more than dirt roads
0:10:54 > 0:10:56and people brought produce in from the countryside
0:10:56 > 0:10:59on carts pulled by donkeys.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Now, Chengdu has a population of 14 million
0:11:05 > 0:11:09and the fastest rate of urbanisation in the world.
0:11:09 > 0:11:13In the next decade, it's expected to increase by
0:11:13 > 0:11:16nearly a million people every year.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18There it is, that's the hotel.
0:11:18 > 0:11:19That is the hotel I stayed in.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22It was the tallest building in Chengdu.
0:11:22 > 0:11:24That's it, and you see now,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26it's dwarfed by all these other buildings.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30And they keep building, look how many cranes there are over there.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32It's just amazing.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40I thought it would be a lot of change, but not sort of this much.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42It's shocking at the beginning
0:11:42 > 0:11:45because it's sleepy backwaters here.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49You expect that from Shanghai and Beijing but not from Chengdu.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00'Jenny's been kind enough to invite us to her grandparents' home
0:12:00 > 0:12:03'where she spent her early childhood.'
0:12:03 > 0:12:05My cousins and I used to come
0:12:05 > 0:12:08and we would get together for family lunches,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10you know, dumplings and noodles.
0:12:10 > 0:12:14'It's exciting for me, as I've always believed the best cooking
0:12:14 > 0:12:17'is in the home, and a taste of family life is a great way
0:12:17 > 0:12:19'to get beneath the skin of a city.'
0:12:19 > 0:12:22So, these are my grandparents.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24THEY CHEER
0:12:24 > 0:12:26My grandfather...
0:12:26 > 0:12:28'Jenny's grandparents are in their eighties
0:12:28 > 0:12:31'and, as is traditional in Chinese culture,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34'one of their sons lives at home and takes care of them with his wife,
0:12:34 > 0:12:37'Jenny's aunt.'
0:12:45 > 0:12:46- 84. I'm sorry!- 84?
0:12:49 > 0:12:51THEY LAUGH
0:12:51 > 0:12:55- My grandmother... - It's quite chilly, isn't it?
0:12:55 > 0:12:57So, the reason why it's so cold indoors
0:12:57 > 0:13:00is because there's no central heating in Sichuan.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02There isn't?
0:13:02 > 0:13:06All of the provinces don't actually have central heating because
0:13:06 > 0:13:09I guess the government figures it's not cold enough to need it.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11So, do they were coats indoors, then?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Yes, exactly. When it's winter, everyone wears coats,
0:13:14 > 0:13:15scarves, hats, the whole thing.
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Thank God for the wok and cooking!
0:13:17 > 0:13:19'While Ching gets to know the family,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21'I really want to see the local market
0:13:21 > 0:13:25'and join Jenny's aunt on her daily trip to buy fresh ingredients.'
0:13:32 > 0:13:36'Most days, she's here at the crack of dawn to get the best produce.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40'She spends around five hours each morning
0:13:40 > 0:13:43'shopping and preparing lunch for her family.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46'I offered to help out with a dish of my own...
0:13:46 > 0:13:48More sausages...
0:13:48 > 0:13:50'..and I'm on the lookout for inspiration.'
0:13:50 > 0:13:52No? OK.
0:13:52 > 0:13:57It's a struggle, though, to understand the local dialect.
0:13:57 > 0:14:00How much?
0:14:01 > 0:14:03No, no, no.
0:14:07 > 0:14:09So typical Chinese.
0:14:11 > 0:14:13I'm embarrassed.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15'I've always loved markets,
0:14:15 > 0:14:17'and in China, they're a particular pleasure.
0:14:17 > 0:14:22'Chaotic, and despite the government's pledge
0:14:22 > 0:14:24'to improve food safety,
0:14:24 > 0:14:26'I can't see many fridges.'
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Do you see this for fish, see? Live.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36This is how Chinese want freshness.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41They want to make sure their fish is really fresh.
0:14:42 > 0:14:44Look at this, fresh frogs.
0:14:47 > 0:14:49Turtles, of course.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55'I spotted some rabbit, a specialty in Sichuan.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58'The Chinese actually produce more rabbit than any other country,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01'although they export most of it.'
0:15:03 > 0:15:05They've quickly blanched it in hot water
0:15:05 > 0:15:09and they've pulled the skin off, which is how rabbit is done.
0:15:09 > 0:15:13You would not see this in Beijing or Guangzhou,
0:15:13 > 0:15:15or anywhere I've been in China.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I mean, duck, chicken, of course you see that everywhere,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22but certainly not rabbit, and they just love it.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24It's a great protein and a sustainable food,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27and it was quite poor here, which is why they eat rabbit.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39'While Ken's at the market, Jenny's grandmother is showing me
0:15:39 > 0:15:42'her traditional method for making pickles.
0:15:45 > 0:15:50'She first adds to the pickling water, garlic, chilli and salt,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53'and then uses a method I haven't seen before -
0:15:53 > 0:15:55'two types of rock sugar,
0:15:55 > 0:16:00'a lot of Sichuan pepper and instead of vinegar, she's adding bai jiu,
0:16:00 > 0:16:04'a local 50% proof spirit, a bit like a sweeter version of vodka.
0:16:05 > 0:16:08'Pickles are incredibly popular in China
0:16:08 > 0:16:11'and are an easy way to preserve vegetables.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13'When I was a child in Taiwan,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17'I used to have them for breakfast with my grandmother.'
0:16:44 > 0:16:49'Jenny's grandmother always has a pot of pickles on the go, even today.'
0:16:49 > 0:16:51Wow, I can't wait to try those.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54'The pickling water is so strong that the vegetables
0:16:54 > 0:16:56'are ready in just 24 hours.
0:16:58 > 0:17:00'She serves them the traditional way,
0:17:00 > 0:17:03'with a light drizzle of chilli and Sichuan pepper oil,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06'made from infusing hot oil with Sichuan peppercorns.'
0:17:06 > 0:17:10- Mmm. That is delicious.- So crunchy.
0:17:10 > 0:17:15I've got now the chilli, the numbing heat of that Sichuan pepper oil
0:17:15 > 0:17:18and a little sour from the pickle.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Beautiful, thank you.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27'As soon as we return,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31'Jenny's aunt gets straight to work on the lunch.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34'I'm making a simple rabbit stir fry,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36'but you could use chicken for this dish.
0:17:39 > 0:17:41'I'm using a marinade of soy sauce,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44'sesame oil, with a coating of cornflour.
0:17:44 > 0:17:49'It's usually best left for a couple of hours to take effect.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52'I'm cooking the rabbit with garlic
0:17:52 > 0:17:54'and the less spicy green chillies,
0:17:54 > 0:17:56'as the flesh has a delicate flavour.'
0:17:58 > 0:18:02What people outside of China don't know
0:18:02 > 0:18:07is that even home cooks will heat the wok up until it's very, very hot
0:18:07 > 0:18:09before they add the oil.
0:18:09 > 0:18:13So I've heated it up for a few minutes now.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15This is good firepower.
0:18:15 > 0:18:19As you can see, it's smoking like this. Don't worry.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21You want this to be very hot.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25'You obviously have to be careful doing this at home,
0:18:25 > 0:18:27'but if you pull the wok away from the heat,
0:18:27 > 0:18:29'the flames would die down quickly.'
0:18:31 > 0:18:34This is the way, actually, you should be cooking it.
0:18:34 > 0:18:39This is what gives, um, Chinese food
0:18:39 > 0:18:43its very, very special flavour.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45It seals in the juices.
0:18:46 > 0:18:53Now, it's very important to take all this now and drain this.
0:18:54 > 0:19:00We add the garlic and the chillies and, instead of adding more oil,
0:19:00 > 0:19:03which is a mistake a lot of cooks make
0:19:03 > 0:19:07when they're not familiar with Chinese food,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10we just add a little bit of the broth I made from the rabbit bones,
0:19:10 > 0:19:16and at the very end, I return the rabbit.
0:19:16 > 0:19:19'I'm only braising the rabbit meat for a couple of minutes.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22'In the West, we usually aim for tenderness,
0:19:22 > 0:19:25'but here, people love chewy textures
0:19:25 > 0:19:28'and really appreciate the feel of food in the mouth.'
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Very Sichuanese, then!
0:19:42 > 0:19:44THEY LAUGH
0:19:44 > 0:19:48'While Ken cooks, I'm enjoying spending time with the family.'
0:19:48 > 0:19:52I feel like I've come back home. Yeah, it's very...
0:19:59 > 0:20:03I grew up in a small village with my grandparents in rural Taiwan,
0:20:03 > 0:20:05and then, when I was five,
0:20:05 > 0:20:07left with my parents for South Africa,
0:20:07 > 0:20:12finally arriving in the UK when I was 11 years old.
0:20:12 > 0:20:17When I was growing up at school, I was never proud to be Chinese.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22All I wanted to do was be English,
0:20:22 > 0:20:25and, why couldn't I be more like my English friends?
0:20:25 > 0:20:30And I wanted to dye my hair blonde and, you know, be very Western.
0:20:37 > 0:20:42'Over the years, cooking has helped connect me to my Chinese roots,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45'so it feels important to make something for Jenny's family that,
0:20:45 > 0:20:49'for them, feels authentically Sichuanese.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55'Watching Jenny's aunt cook is really inspiring.'
0:20:57 > 0:21:02She's making a boiled fish dish. Smells good.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05Your aunt is a really masterful cook,
0:21:05 > 0:21:09- and she cooks in high heels, it's amazing.- I know!
0:21:09 > 0:21:11It really is amazing!
0:21:13 > 0:21:15So now she's sprinkling on the chilli flakes.
0:21:17 > 0:21:19She's got some hot vegetable oil.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Wow!
0:21:21 > 0:21:24That looks wonderful.
0:21:24 > 0:21:28I've never done it like that before - sprinkle a dish with chillies
0:21:28 > 0:21:32and then just ladle hot sizzling oil on top.
0:21:32 > 0:21:37It's just beautiful. I'm learning so much, it's wonderful.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40'I want to make a dish with traditional Sichuan flavours.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44'I'm going to call it crispy, fragrant Sichuan sausage.'
0:21:44 > 0:21:47It is about experimenting, I do like to improvise sometimes
0:21:47 > 0:21:49because that's what I do at home.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53'First, I'm boiling some of Jenny's aunt's homemade sausages.'
0:21:53 > 0:21:56It is a Chinese cook's dream to have all these ingredients,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59but I'm going to use the wood ear mushrooms
0:21:59 > 0:22:01because they'll be lovely and crunchy.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03'Texture is always important in Chinese dishes,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'but if you like, you could use oyster mushrooms instead.'
0:22:06 > 0:22:09I've been pointed to these lovely pickled chillies.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I'm going to keep the seeds
0:22:12 > 0:22:16because I know this family likes their food hot.
0:22:16 > 0:22:20These look like spring onions, or scallions,
0:22:20 > 0:22:23but they're actually suan miao, which is the garlic shoots.
0:22:25 > 0:22:29'The sausages should be ready after just ten minutes of boiling.'
0:22:33 > 0:22:37Shape is important, it's all about presentation
0:22:37 > 0:22:39and also cooking techniques.
0:22:39 > 0:22:41The same applies to vegetables -
0:22:41 > 0:22:44if you cut them on the angle, you expose more surface area,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47they'll cook a lot quicker in the wok.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51In with the garlic, then in with all the sausages.
0:22:55 > 0:23:01I'm going to wok fry the sausages first, so they get a bit crisp.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03This is what my grandmother would do,
0:23:03 > 0:23:06cook the ingredients separately, then bring it all together.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Takes a little bit more time but it's going to hopefully be worth it.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16I'm just going to add the vegetables in now,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19all of them together at the same time.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25You do need to be careful, otherwise you'll set your hair on fire.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30'The cooked vegetables are set aside,
0:23:30 > 0:23:33'and then, inspired by Jenny's aunt's fish dish,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36'I'm making a kind of hot oil dressing,
0:23:36 > 0:23:39'based on chilli bean paste and Sichuan flower pepper.'
0:23:45 > 0:23:52Mmm, it's sour, it's spicy, it's hot, it's numbing heat.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56So what I'm going to do is just throw this all back into the wok,
0:23:56 > 0:23:58and toss it all together,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00so that all the flavours are mixed in really well.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12That is my crispy, fragrant, Sichuan sausage
0:24:12 > 0:24:15with wood ear mushrooms,
0:24:15 > 0:24:17garlic shoots and pickled chilli.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18And it's so hot,
0:24:18 > 0:24:21it's a numbing heat.
0:24:23 > 0:24:24This is a true Sichuan dish, I think,
0:24:24 > 0:24:26this will actually blow your head off good.
0:24:26 > 0:24:29I could give some of the fly restaurants a run for their money.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32'Jenny's aunt is treating us
0:24:32 > 0:24:36'to the kind of feast the family only enjoys on special occasions.
0:24:37 > 0:24:40'30 or 40 years ago, they wouldn't have been able to afford
0:24:40 > 0:24:43'so many meat and fish dishes.'
0:24:46 > 0:24:49'It's an amazing spread, including the water-boiled fish
0:24:49 > 0:24:55'with its vibrant layers of hot oil, chilli and vegetables.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56'Braised eel with green peppers.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00'And a delicious, unusual stir-fry shredded potato.'
0:25:06 > 0:25:08This is better than any restaurant, I can tell you.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11Home-cooked food. God, this is pretty impressive.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14'With so much amazing authentic food on the table,
0:25:14 > 0:25:18'I hope I've pulled off a dish that delivers the right balance
0:25:18 > 0:25:20'of spice and numbing heat.'
0:25:33 > 0:25:36Phew! I can have another drink now.
0:25:36 > 0:25:38THEY LAUGH
0:25:41 > 0:25:44We're now three days into our stay in Chengdu.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Our time with Jenny's family
0:25:46 > 0:25:49was a fascinating glimpse into home cooking.
0:25:49 > 0:25:51The next morning, Ching and I
0:25:51 > 0:25:55are on the lookout for some authentic street food.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59That's brilliant, that's just brilliant.
0:25:59 > 0:26:00That's fresh chicken!
0:26:01 > 0:26:05Western chains are moving in here.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09McDonald's has 28 outlets and 7-Eleven are planning to open
0:26:09 > 0:26:14a staggering 350 shops in Chengdu over the next five years.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Even so, we don't have to look far
0:26:16 > 0:26:19to find some delicious Chinese fast food,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22like these traditional baozi buns.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25- Shall we get some pork ones?- Yes.
0:26:25 > 0:26:26Made from steamed bread,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30they're an incredibly popular snack throughout all of China.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34- We saw in Beijing, they have their version.- Mmm.
0:26:34 > 0:26:38Everybody has their version.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40It's sort of like our sandwich.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42It's just delicious.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46In Cantonese, we only have the barbecued pork with no vegetables,
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and that was really nice. I took it to school.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51People were envious, they had these horrible,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54like, cold cut sandwiches
0:26:54 > 0:26:57and I had this wonderful fragrant bao.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59SHE SPEAKS LOCAL DIALECT ..Starbucks?
0:26:59 > 0:27:03Starbucks? SHE SPEAKS LOCAL DIALECT
0:27:03 > 0:27:08- She says she's never heard of Starbucks.- No, she's unaware of it.
0:27:08 > 0:27:11Even though China is modern, I don't think its food culture
0:27:11 > 0:27:17is in any way endangered by all these foreign fast food places,
0:27:17 > 0:27:20- simply because there's a tradition of eating things like this.- Yeah.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25'The real threat to authentic food on the streets of Chengdu
0:27:25 > 0:27:28'is the re-development sweeping through the city.'
0:27:33 > 0:27:36It's like a different planet.
0:27:36 > 0:27:37Yeah.
0:27:37 > 0:27:41They say China has half of the cranes in the world.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46'As the old neighbourhoods are torn down,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50'many of the street food stands have been moved here to Jinli Street,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53'a purpose-built recreation of the old Chengdu.'
0:27:54 > 0:27:56So, this is really modernised now.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58It's modernised, but it's OK.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03Ah, that looks good too.
0:28:03 > 0:28:04They all look good.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06They ALL look good!
0:28:10 > 0:28:13- This is a Sichuan delicacy. - Yes, that's right.
0:28:13 > 0:28:16- It's a dessert, right? A sweet. - It's glutinous rice balls.- Uh-huh.
0:28:17 > 0:28:20- It's called San Da Pao, three big bombs.- Yes.
0:28:20 > 0:28:22THE BALLS THUD
0:28:22 > 0:28:26It's to attract people to come, traditionally. It's the sound of it.
0:28:26 > 0:28:29'The theme park atmosphere seems to have done nothing to dent
0:28:29 > 0:28:33'the Chinese enthusiasm for unusual and wonderful snacks...
0:28:35 > 0:28:38'..like deep-fried rabbit's head.'
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Shall we try one? This is the rabbit head, shall we try one?
0:28:42 > 0:28:45- No way! No, I don't think so.- Yes, I think we should try one, come on.
0:28:45 > 0:28:49I want to try this because I've never tried it before.
0:28:49 > 0:28:53OK, so eight yuan. That's, like, 80p.
0:28:53 > 0:28:55It smells good.
0:28:55 > 0:28:58Oh, that's a proper skull over there.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02There's not much meat on it, except for...
0:29:02 > 0:29:04the cheek.
0:29:04 > 0:29:06Oh.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08You know what it tastes like?
0:29:08 > 0:29:10It tastes like,
0:29:10 > 0:29:12a little bit like a ham.
0:29:12 > 0:29:17She's saying you should open it like a crab claw...
0:29:17 > 0:29:19- Oh, I see.- ..to reveal the meat.
0:29:21 > 0:29:22All right, then.
0:29:22 > 0:29:24KEN LAUGHS
0:29:26 > 0:29:29The seasoning and the spices on it are really tasty, aren't they?
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Mmm, that's what makes it good.
0:29:31 > 0:29:36And it does make something that is a bit gross to eat delicious.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39It's cultural. If you grew up eating this,
0:29:39 > 0:29:41then it wouldn't be disgusting.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45Now, you know what Chinese used to find disgusting?
0:29:45 > 0:29:47When Westerners eat big slabs of steak,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50they found that really disgusting.
0:29:50 > 0:29:52My mother used to recoil.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55She'd say, "Oh, God, how can he eat a big slab of cow like that?"
0:29:55 > 0:29:56THEY LAUGH
0:30:01 > 0:30:04Ken may be keen on rabbit's head, but I want to show him
0:30:04 > 0:30:06what everyone in the city is really eating.
0:30:07 > 0:30:11It's a food tradition that will never be threatened,
0:30:11 > 0:30:16however fast the city grows, and it's one of the national dishes of China.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27THEY SPEAK IN LOCAL DIALECT
0:30:27 > 0:30:32This fiery, bubbling cauldron of broth is known as hot pot.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36You can order pretty much anything you like, but the catch is,
0:30:36 > 0:30:38you have to cook it yourself.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41This is China's fondue,
0:30:41 > 0:30:45except they've been eating hot pot for thousands of years.
0:30:49 > 0:30:52Hello. Ni hao.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56Bamboo shoots. It's fantastic how they slice it.
0:30:59 > 0:31:02There's no cooking here because all they do is prep, right?
0:31:02 > 0:31:03Right.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07'Of course, this being Chengdu,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10'they do a mean ma la, numbing heat version here,
0:31:10 > 0:31:12'and I want to know exactly what goes into it.'
0:31:12 > 0:31:15This is where they make all their soup bases.
0:31:15 > 0:31:17Look at that Sichuan peppercorn.
0:31:17 > 0:31:19That's a lot of flowered pepper.
0:31:19 > 0:31:22'The copper hot pot is shaped like the Yin and Yang symbol,
0:31:22 > 0:31:26'to represent the balance of the mild broth on one side
0:31:26 > 0:31:28'and the spicy on the other.'
0:31:28 > 0:31:31So they put in dry chillies
0:31:31 > 0:31:34and then he puts in the flower Sichuan pepper.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37THEY SPEAK LOCAL DIALECT
0:31:37 > 0:31:40'There are many varieties of hot pot, but in this version,
0:31:40 > 0:31:44'the Yin side gets added flavour from a fish,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47'tomatoes,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49'and what looks like spam.
0:31:49 > 0:31:54'It might seem a weird combination for Western tastes,
0:31:54 > 0:31:56'but the buzz here is amazing
0:31:56 > 0:31:59'and it's clear that for the people of Chengdu,
0:31:59 > 0:32:03'hot pot is just as important a social event as it is a meal.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10'As if the hot pot wasn't already spicy enough,
0:32:10 > 0:32:13'more stock and chilli oil is brought to the table.'
0:32:15 > 0:32:17That's a lot of chilli oil.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21'It's sealed in these bizarre clinical-looking bags,
0:32:21 > 0:32:25'apparently to reassure the customer that the oil has not been recycled,
0:32:25 > 0:32:27'a practice of some hot pot restaurants.
0:32:27 > 0:32:29'But now that the government
0:32:29 > 0:32:32'is beginning to crack down on food safety,
0:32:32 > 0:32:34're-using cooking oil has been banned.'
0:32:37 > 0:32:41It's making me hungry, looking at the spicy red sauce.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45'It seems like we may have allowed the waitress to order too much food,
0:32:45 > 0:32:48'but it was the heat from that lethal-looking broth
0:32:48 > 0:32:51'that I really wanted to try.'
0:32:55 > 0:33:01It's not what I expected. It's not as spicy as I thought it would be.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04Did you not taste the numbing heat?
0:33:04 > 0:33:08- It's kind of like a delayed reaction. - There's a delayed reaction.- Yeah.
0:33:08 > 0:33:10- It's really spicy.- That's true.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13It's only when you say, "Oh, it's not hot" then you go, "Oh!"
0:33:13 > 0:33:15HE CHUCKLES
0:33:15 > 0:33:18- That numbing spice is really addictive.- Yeah, it is.
0:33:19 > 0:33:24'After suffering Chengdu's damp and foggy climate,
0:33:24 > 0:33:28'I think I'm beginning to understand why everyone is obsessed
0:33:28 > 0:33:30'with this unique combination of spices.'
0:33:31 > 0:33:35I mean, it's amazing, the first few days when I was here,
0:33:35 > 0:33:36I felt my bones creaking.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39I thought, "My God, I feel old for the first time."
0:33:39 > 0:33:42And I noticed since I've been eating this kind of food,
0:33:42 > 0:33:48my joints did not sort of creak the way they did the first day.
0:33:51 > 0:33:53'The climate might be damp here,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56'but it's contributed to the area around Chengdu being
0:33:56 > 0:34:01'so fertile that Sichuan is known in China as the land of abundance.
0:34:04 > 0:34:05'But it's not only crops,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08'it also supplies over half the country's pork.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10'My dad kept pigs when I was growing up,
0:34:10 > 0:34:14'so I'm looking forward to visiting a local pig farmer.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18'I'm hoping to try my hand at some traditional pork dishes.
0:34:22 > 0:34:25'Mr Peng is different to most farmers in the region,
0:34:25 > 0:34:28'because his pigs are organic.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38'Nearly three quarters of all the meat eaten in China is pork.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41'To the Chinese, pigs symbolise virility,
0:34:41 > 0:34:42'and traditionally,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45'they've always been an important part of everyday life.'
0:34:46 > 0:34:49Wow, they're really hungry. Hello, piggy!
0:34:49 > 0:34:53'And although the Chinese eat every part of the pig,
0:34:53 > 0:34:56'they still get through nearly two million every day.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01'With so much pressure to churn out pork,
0:35:01 > 0:35:05'organic farming has not been a priority, so I'm happy to discover
0:35:05 > 0:35:08'Mr Peng is obsessive about his pigs' wellbeing.
0:35:10 > 0:35:12'He produces and mixes his own feed
0:35:12 > 0:35:15'and has a radical and unusual approach to their health.'
0:35:22 > 0:35:25These are all Chinese medicine herbs.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27I still can't believe
0:35:27 > 0:35:30they eat so well!
0:35:30 > 0:35:33'Mr Peng's business started slowly,
0:35:33 > 0:35:36'but in the last five years - due to food safety scares
0:35:36 > 0:35:38'and the expanding middle class -
0:35:38 > 0:35:41'the demand for organic food has quadrupled.'
0:35:51 > 0:35:55'He's invited me to his house to meet his wife and to have some supper.
0:35:55 > 0:35:58'In return, I've offered to cook a dish for them.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03'Mrs Peng has prepared a whole selection of different cuts
0:36:03 > 0:36:06'of their own pork which she's boiled for 30 minutes,
0:36:06 > 0:36:12'and before I cook, she wants to show me some classic home-style dishes,
0:36:12 > 0:36:14'starting with a much-prized cold salad.'
0:36:34 > 0:36:36It's funny, isn't it? Because back in England,
0:36:36 > 0:36:38pig's ear is probably the cheapest thing
0:36:38 > 0:36:42because people don't want that and actually discard it, or make it
0:36:42 > 0:36:46into dog food, but here, it's really prized and the most expensive part.
0:36:46 > 0:36:49She's got some baby spring onions.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51'Before it can be eaten, the pig's ear salad
0:36:51 > 0:36:54'needs to soak for a couple of hours in the spicy dressing,
0:36:54 > 0:36:59'which is, of course, made with chillies and Sichuan flower pepper.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05'From all the activity, it looks like I'm in for
0:37:05 > 0:37:07'more than the simple supper I was expecting.
0:37:07 > 0:37:09'With typical Chinese hospitality,
0:37:09 > 0:37:14'Mrs Peng is preparing us a feast using every part of the pig.'
0:37:17 > 0:37:21She said this is like a bridge, a bridge pork rib.
0:37:21 > 0:37:23It's a really wonderful way of steaming here,
0:37:23 > 0:37:28she's just put water at the base, and then put a plate over the top.
0:37:29 > 0:37:31Their wok's amazing.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49'For her next dish,
0:37:49 > 0:37:51'Mrs Peng is making another local speciality,
0:37:51 > 0:37:56'cherry pork made with soy sauce, and a mix of caramelised sugar
0:37:56 > 0:37:58'and a touch of vinegar.'
0:38:12 > 0:38:16It's juicy, really tender and very sweet.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23'I'm planning to cook my hosts a dish using more of
0:38:23 > 0:38:25'that delicious pork belly,
0:38:25 > 0:38:28'a Sichuan classic called twice-cooked pork.'
0:38:38 > 0:38:41'Mr and Mrs Peng are clearly very particular about their food,
0:38:41 > 0:38:46'and they both seem concerned I won't stick to the traditional recipe.'
0:39:06 > 0:39:09The light is used for seasoning,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13for saltiness, and the dark is used for colour, to caramel it.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15There's so many different variations.
0:39:15 > 0:39:20She likes to use the lao chou, which is the dark soy sauce,
0:39:20 > 0:39:24but I like to mix a little bit the light and the dark.
0:39:24 > 0:39:29'For my version of the dish, I'm starting with fermented black beans,
0:39:29 > 0:39:33'mixing them with chilli bean paste, and frying them it all in hot oil.
0:39:34 > 0:39:38'Twice-cooked pork is essentially a stir-fry dish,
0:39:38 > 0:39:40'using slices of pork belly
0:39:40 > 0:39:43'that have already been boiled for half an hour.'
0:39:45 > 0:39:48I'm just going to add a little bit of the dark soy sauce
0:39:48 > 0:39:51and a little bit of the light as well.
0:39:53 > 0:39:55Little bit of sugar.
0:39:55 > 0:40:00'The last ingredient in, as they only need a minute or so,
0:40:00 > 0:40:01'are the spring onions.'
0:40:04 > 0:40:06I hope they're going to enjoy this.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26He's so proud of, you know, the Sichuan classic, classic Hui Guo Rou,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28this isn't even good enough for him.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00He said, it's OK, it's salty, but it's not the real thing.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Mrs Peng said it was good.
0:41:06 > 0:41:09'Mrs Peng has made us so many classic Sichuan pork dishes,
0:41:09 > 0:41:12'each using a different cooking method.'
0:41:12 > 0:41:16Doesn't it look amazing, all the dishes together?
0:41:25 > 0:41:29The dressing on this pig's ear is really good.
0:41:29 > 0:41:30It's very crunchy.
0:41:32 > 0:41:34Cartilage-y,
0:41:34 > 0:41:36but good.
0:41:39 > 0:41:41This is Mr Peng's daughter.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Actually, I'm going to ask her what she thinks of my Hui Guo Rou,
0:41:44 > 0:41:46my twice-cooked pork.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56She said it's good, got good taste. At least someone likes it!
0:41:56 > 0:41:58SHE LAUGHS
0:42:05 > 0:42:07As well as pork and flower pepper,
0:42:07 > 0:42:11there's another locally-produced ingredient
0:42:11 > 0:42:15that Sichuan has made famous and defines the tastes of the region.
0:42:17 > 0:42:22In the few days we've been here, everyone we've met has relied on it.
0:42:22 > 0:42:27If chilli and Sichuan pepper are the heart of the Sichuan food,
0:42:27 > 0:42:30then chilli bean paste is the soul.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37This is incredible.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40I've never seen anything like this in my life.
0:42:40 > 0:42:44I feel like I'm walking into a cemetery or a monastery
0:42:44 > 0:42:46because it's so Zen.
0:42:47 > 0:42:50It's a bit spooky and eerie.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53'At this factory in Pixian, just outside Chengdu,
0:42:53 > 0:42:56'they've been making the best chilli bean paste in the world
0:42:56 > 0:42:58'for over 300 years.'
0:42:59 > 0:43:01SHE SPEAKS IN LOCAL DIALECT
0:43:01 > 0:43:03Two years, this one has been aged for?
0:43:05 > 0:43:07They have three years and five years.
0:43:07 > 0:43:11'The paste is actually very simply made from just three ingredients -
0:43:11 > 0:43:15'broad beans, red chillies and salt.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18'It's then left to ferment in these earthenware crocks
0:43:18 > 0:43:21'for up to five years.'
0:43:21 > 0:43:24That is really superb.
0:43:24 > 0:43:29It's beautiful. It's sour, spicy, beany,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32- just really intense.- Yes.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34It's funny, I would never say this is chilli bean sauce.
0:43:34 > 0:43:37Absolutely, it's never this colour anyway,
0:43:37 > 0:43:39so that means that they haven't been aged as long.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43The quality, Ken, that we've been cooking with is sub-standard,
0:43:43 > 0:43:44what we get back home.
0:43:49 > 0:43:55'The secret of this paste lies in the relentlessly damp Sichuan climate.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58'The humidity in the air helps the years of fermentation,
0:43:58 > 0:44:02'creating a chilli bean paste unlike any other.'
0:44:05 > 0:44:08It's a little bit like wine. You know, when we do wine,
0:44:08 > 0:44:10we're talking about where the grapes come from,
0:44:10 > 0:44:12the terroir, as the French say,
0:44:12 > 0:44:17and I think it's very much this, because this is the heart
0:44:17 > 0:44:19of what Sichuan cooking is about.
0:44:19 > 0:44:24This kind of damp, foggy climate
0:44:24 > 0:44:28that makes this kind of moody chilli bean sauce
0:44:28 > 0:44:31that's the heart of this type of cooking.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39During our time in Chengdu,
0:44:39 > 0:44:43we've seen modern China pushing up against the past...
0:44:45 > 0:44:47..but in the People's Park,
0:44:47 > 0:44:49the surrounding tower blocks are kept at bay,
0:44:49 > 0:44:54and certain traditions that stretch back centuries remain unchanged.
0:44:56 > 0:45:01Chengdu has a reputation as the most chilled-out city in China.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03As the saying goes here,
0:45:03 > 0:45:07"Sunny days are rare, but teahouses are abundant."
0:45:12 > 0:45:17One thing I really remember about my mum is her love of Mah-jong,
0:45:17 > 0:45:20and she could sit for hours just drinking tea
0:45:20 > 0:45:23and just playing with her friends.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26You couldn't get her to pay any attention to anything.
0:45:26 > 0:45:29When she's playing, she's focused on that.
0:45:29 > 0:45:32'Despite Chairman Mao closing down teahouses
0:45:32 > 0:45:36'because he felt gathering places posed a threat,
0:45:36 > 0:45:38'they re-opened in the early '80s
0:45:38 > 0:45:41'and the retired Chinese still come here to play.'
0:45:43 > 0:45:45You hear the clack when they go like that...
0:45:45 > 0:45:50They call it washing the tiles.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56'Just as I'm beginning to relax, a stranger offers me
0:45:56 > 0:45:58'the Chinese equivalent of a shoeshine.'
0:45:58 > 0:46:03Oh, my God! He's got a little... He's got a little flashlight on his head!
0:46:06 > 0:46:09What does it feel like, is it soothing?
0:46:09 > 0:46:13It's not soothing, it's very interesting.
0:46:13 > 0:46:15Whoa, that is a sensation!
0:46:17 > 0:46:19Oh, he's massaging your ear.
0:46:19 > 0:46:22He's massaging my ear, I love it!
0:46:23 > 0:46:26'While the rituals of teahouse life may remain unchanged
0:46:26 > 0:46:32'and where once I would've expected to see the gentle rhythm of Tai Chi,
0:46:32 > 0:46:36'today, people are moving to a different beat.'
0:46:36 > 0:46:38DANCE MUSIC BLARES
0:46:47 > 0:46:51'The dancing reflects a newfound freedom that I hadn't sensed
0:46:51 > 0:46:53'when I came here in 1989.
0:46:58 > 0:47:01'Then, China was still emerging from a period of long isolation
0:47:01 > 0:47:04'and the trauma of the Cultural Revolution,
0:47:04 > 0:47:09'Mao's attempt to impose Communist ideas throughout the country
0:47:09 > 0:47:13'in the 1960s and '70s resulted in chaos and famine.
0:47:14 > 0:47:19'Every aspect of life was affected. Rationing was introduced,
0:47:19 > 0:47:23'the art of cooking was abandoned, and many people fled the country.'
0:47:25 > 0:47:27Chef Li's our Cantonese Executive Chef.
0:47:27 > 0:47:32'People like Chef Li. He escaped to Hong Kong when he was 18,
0:47:32 > 0:47:37'but returned to Chengdu ten years ago, as life began to improve.'
0:48:00 > 0:48:03Oh, he swam! He swam! He swam to Hong Kong!
0:48:16 > 0:48:19Wow, that is amazing.
0:48:19 > 0:48:23'It feels good that Chef Li has returned to China.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26'The influence of chefs like him has done so much
0:48:26 > 0:48:28'to re-invigorate the food culture here.
0:48:31 > 0:48:34'He agrees to give me a hand to make one of my favourite dishes,
0:48:34 > 0:48:37'crispy aromatic duck.'
0:48:37 > 0:48:40What we do in the UK is, we take the duck
0:48:40 > 0:48:46and we put things like five-spice and Sichuan peppercorn on it
0:48:46 > 0:48:51and salt, but here is sort of the real thing.
0:48:51 > 0:48:54'For the dry marinade, it's OK to improvise the ingredients,
0:48:54 > 0:48:59'but the base usually starts with salt and chicken stock powder.'
0:48:59 > 0:49:04And, of course, we're in Sichuan, so you add chillies, lots of it,
0:49:04 > 0:49:06and then the most important thing are these
0:49:06 > 0:49:12lovely Sichuan peppercorns. Really quite powerful.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15He said, "Put it all in!"
0:49:15 > 0:49:18'The rest of the marinade - including cardamom, ginger,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21'fennel seeds and bay leaves - are rubbed in,
0:49:21 > 0:49:25'then the duck is left for three hours to absorb the flavours.
0:49:27 > 0:49:29'The trick to this dish is to steam the duck first
0:49:29 > 0:49:31'for about 45 minutes, then to let it dry,
0:49:31 > 0:49:37'and finally, to deep-fry it until the skin is crisp and golden.'
0:49:42 > 0:49:44Chinese like to gnaw on the bone
0:49:44 > 0:49:47because we feel that that's where all the flavour is.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51The marinade permeates the duck meat,
0:49:51 > 0:49:54and that's what makes it red.
0:49:54 > 0:49:56Absolutely beautiful.
0:50:00 > 0:50:02Out of this world.
0:50:03 > 0:50:07It's much more complex than the aromatic crispy duck
0:50:07 > 0:50:09that we get in the UK.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12It's funny, you don't even taste the chillies, and things like that,
0:50:12 > 0:50:17but it's a very sophisticated mixture of flavours here.
0:50:17 > 0:50:20Outstanding!
0:50:20 > 0:50:23THEY SPEAK LOCAL DIALECT
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Sichuan Province may be one of China's culinary hotspots,
0:50:37 > 0:50:41but no trip here is complete without a visit
0:50:41 > 0:50:45to see Chengdu's most famous residents.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52Oh, my God, they are so funny!
0:50:54 > 0:50:58- It's like they don't look real. - They're so human-like.
0:50:58 > 0:50:59You think at any moment,
0:50:59 > 0:51:02someone is going to take the mask off and go, "Da-da!"
0:51:02 > 0:51:05I love the one in the tree.
0:51:05 > 0:51:10'This panda sanctuary is home to most of the world's panda population,
0:51:10 > 0:51:13'and here, at least, you feel that life will remain unchanged.'
0:51:13 > 0:51:17- This was worth the trip here.- Yeah.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20'Pandas are a massive draw for Chengdu,
0:51:20 > 0:51:26'particularly for Chinese tourists, but we have one last place to go.
0:51:30 > 0:51:34'It's a place where our experience of Sichuan food traditions
0:51:34 > 0:51:38'are brought together and elevated to a new level.'
0:51:38 > 0:51:39- Oh, I can't wait!- I know!
0:51:39 > 0:51:41'Yu's Family Kitchen
0:51:41 > 0:51:44'is one of Chengdu's most celebrated restaurants.'
0:51:53 > 0:51:57That's so beautiful, little hedgehogs.
0:51:57 > 0:52:01'The food is the work of this man, Chef Yu Bo.
0:52:01 > 0:52:03'He's travelled the world, gathering ideas
0:52:03 > 0:52:06'and inspiration for his cooking.
0:52:06 > 0:52:10'And now he's receiving acclaim both at home and abroad
0:52:10 > 0:52:13'for his modern twists on traditional Sichuan dishes.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21'I haven't seen such an innovative approach to traditional food
0:52:21 > 0:52:23'anywhere in China.'
0:52:28 > 0:52:30It looks so beautiful, I don't want to eat it,
0:52:30 > 0:52:32because it looks like a work of art!
0:52:32 > 0:52:37'These pastry brushes are filled with a sweet red bean paste.'
0:52:44 > 0:52:47'It couldn't be a better demonstration
0:52:47 > 0:52:49'of the new culinary confidence in the country.'
0:52:49 > 0:52:51Wow!
0:52:51 > 0:52:55Presentation is fantastic, I can't wait to try it.
0:52:55 > 0:52:59He's a genius, real genius.
0:53:31 > 0:53:34'This feels like an incredible opportunity to try out
0:53:34 > 0:53:37'some of the cooking techniques I've discovered here
0:53:37 > 0:53:40'on one of the best chefs in China.
0:53:42 > 0:53:47'I want to use a traditional flavour combination, unique to Sichuan.'
0:53:49 > 0:53:53It's called guaiwei, it's called strange flavour,
0:53:53 > 0:53:57and actually, it's a combination of all these flavours,
0:53:57 > 0:54:03like the chilli bean paste, some sesame paste, vinegar, sugar.
0:54:03 > 0:54:06You know, sort of all brought together.
0:54:06 > 0:54:08- So we'll just see how it goes. - It's like a dressing.
0:54:08 > 0:54:10It is like a dressing, exactly.
0:54:10 > 0:54:12'I'm kind of nervous because all the chefs here
0:54:12 > 0:54:16'work with such precision and my dish is a bit more rustic.
0:54:17 > 0:54:19'My guaiwei strange flavour salad
0:54:19 > 0:54:23'will taste spicy, sour, sweet and nutty.
0:54:23 > 0:54:27'It's a take on a Sichuan classic, smacked cucumber.'
0:54:27 > 0:54:29You just smash it, it just bruises it
0:54:29 > 0:54:33and it starts to allow you to sort of put the flavours together,
0:54:33 > 0:54:36you know, absorb flavours of dressings.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39It's quite a local way of doing a salad.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42'I'm cutting the cucumber into large pieces,
0:54:42 > 0:54:46'adding sliced mustard green hearts - broccoli stems would work too -
0:54:46 > 0:54:51'and some finely chopped garlic shoots to add at the end.'
0:55:00 > 0:55:03'For the dressing, the strange flavour sauce is actually
0:55:03 > 0:55:07'a mix of icing sugar, with black rice vinegar and light soy sauce.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10'It's a sort of Chinese vinaigrette.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13'To that, I'm adding some smooth peanut butter,
0:55:13 > 0:55:18'which gives a lovely, rich nutty flavour, and then sesame paste.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23'The vegetables are tossed in the dressing
0:55:23 > 0:55:25'and the garlic shoots sprinkled on top.'
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Lay the garlic shoots.
0:55:28 > 0:55:32'Finally, the key regional flavours - Sichuan flower pepper
0:55:32 > 0:55:37'and chilli bean paste - fried in hot oil to release the flavours,
0:55:37 > 0:55:41'a trick I learned from Jenny's aunt, poured over the top.'
0:55:41 > 0:55:43So sort of a hot and cold.
0:55:43 > 0:55:45'And to top it off, chilli oil.'
0:55:47 > 0:55:49Boy, cucumber salad has never been the same.
0:55:49 > 0:55:53'And more ground Sichuan flower pepper.'
0:56:07 > 0:56:11That looks amazing...
0:56:11 > 0:56:13That looks lovely!
0:56:18 > 0:56:22It's a nice, crunchy, refreshing texture.
0:56:22 > 0:56:24I expected it to be...
0:56:24 > 0:56:25More hot?
0:56:25 > 0:56:28Yes, but it's not as hot as I thought it would be.
0:56:54 > 0:56:58He said, "Now that you've taught me, in future, I will definitely try."
0:56:58 > 0:57:00- That's good.- Wow!
0:57:05 > 0:57:09'Chengdu might be the fastest changing city in China,
0:57:09 > 0:57:13'but our time here has been dominated by a sense of the traditional.'
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Before, in the past,
0:57:17 > 0:57:22when I have come to China, I've felt a little bit that I don't fit in,
0:57:22 > 0:57:27but this time, I feel a little bit more comfortable in my own skin.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30Cooking Chinese food, that's made me have
0:57:30 > 0:57:33a real deep appreciation for Chinese culture.
0:57:33 > 0:57:38I could definitely envisage myself coming here
0:57:38 > 0:57:42and spending a lot more time here, especially in Chengdu.
0:57:42 > 0:57:47The chef here has taken things on another level,
0:57:47 > 0:57:52and I think we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg
0:57:52 > 0:57:54about what's really happening in China.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56'Next time...'
0:57:56 > 0:57:58Looks like an ancient medieval city.
0:57:58 > 0:58:00It's really on the far fringes of China.
0:58:00 > 0:58:05'..we'll explore a hidden side of China that feels distinctly un-Chinese.
0:58:05 > 0:58:07'From the Wild West...'
0:58:07 > 0:58:10This is like stepping back 2,000 years.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12'..to the tropical jungle.'
0:58:12 > 0:58:13Look at the chicken head.
0:58:13 > 0:58:17There's some Chinese traditions I don't like.
0:58:17 > 0:58:19'And find out how China's race to modernity
0:58:19 > 0:58:22'is affecting these ancient cultures.'
0:58:22 > 0:58:25It's sort of a Chinese Disneyland.
0:58:28 > 0:58:30Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd