0:00:04 > 0:00:08China, 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 > 0:00:18Ken 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 > 0:00:38Like ducks playing in springtime.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43'We're taking a once-in-a-lifetime adventure across China,
0:00:43 > 0:00:44'through food...'
0:00:44 > 0:00:47- Rabbit head!- Shall we try one?
0:00:47 > 0:00:49'..to delve into its heart and soul.'
0:00:49 > 0:00:53Bang it, pull it.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Food is the best way to explore Chinese culture
0:00:55 > 0:00:58because we really live to eat.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04It's an epic trip - 3,000 miles, from the mega cities of the east...
0:01:05 > 0:01:08..to the forgotten villages of the wild west.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13It's like we've been back to the time of Genghis Khan.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17Eurgh! She's just decapitated it!
0:01:17 > 0:01:23'We'll uncover the familiar, the secret and the surprising...'
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Wow, I've never seen that done before.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31'..cook simple, delicious dishes.' That is my Sichuan sausage.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36And reveal the secrets of China, old and new.
0:01:36 > 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.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53We've left the heaving mega cities of eastern China far behind...'
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Yes!
0:01:59 > 0:02:03'..to embark on an intrepid journey across China's vast
0:02:03 > 0:02:04'western frontier.'
0:02:04 > 0:02:09It looks like an ancient medieval city we've come to.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12It's really on the far fringes of China.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16We're travelling 3,000 miles, from the tropical jungle of Yunnan,
0:02:16 > 0:02:19to the deeply-divided Muslim city of Kashgar.
0:02:20 > 0:02:24These regions are home to many of China's 55 ethnic minorities,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27who make up almost 10% of the population.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32Historically,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36these minorities were seen as a threat to the realm by Han emperors.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40We want to discover the fate of their culture and cuisines in modern China.
0:02:41 > 0:02:43I think it's beautiful - it's like a ritual.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47We're spending our first week in Yunnan province
0:02:47 > 0:02:49in southwest China,
0:02:49 > 0:02:53on the border with Vietnam, Laos and Burma.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58- Ah, we're here! - Yeah, it's beautiful!
0:03:00 > 0:03:04This is Yuanping village, home to the Dai minority,
0:03:04 > 0:03:07who settled in Yunnan in the seventh century.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12Is this the village chief?
0:03:13 > 0:03:18Tribal chiefs like Bo Wangjian have been head of Dai villages for centuries.
0:03:22 > 0:03:27Once an hereditary post, today chiefs are elected by villagers
0:03:27 > 0:03:31and report to their district Communist Party government.
0:03:36 > 0:03:38COCK CROWS
0:03:38 > 0:03:41These families live in homes with few modern conveniences.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43This is the house?
0:03:43 > 0:03:48With no electricity, cooking takes place over a simple open fire.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55Wow, it's a limited kitchen, huh? I'd like to cook here.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57That's wonderful.
0:03:57 > 0:03:58THEY LAUGH
0:03:58 > 0:04:00Tell him we'd like to cook
0:04:00 > 0:04:04and share with him our love of cooking,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08and especially the ingredients that you find here.
0:04:08 > 0:04:09THEY SPEAK MANDARIN
0:04:16 > 0:04:19We'll be cooking for the chief later, but first we're heading out
0:04:19 > 0:04:24into the local farmland to learn more about the Dai way of life.
0:04:25 > 0:04:30What I like is how they take the creek, how they irrigate the field.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32- I like that very much.- Yeah.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36The Dai people were one of the first cultivators of rice in China.
0:04:36 > 0:04:40Today, like 128 million of China's rural poor,
0:04:40 > 0:04:44the villagers of Yuanping live on less than a pound a day.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49To survive, they must utilise everything in their environment.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54These local foresters prove just how resourceful they must be.
0:04:54 > 0:04:59How do they know how to, you know, harvest bamboo?
0:04:59 > 0:05:02Cos it is a skill, cos their knife skills are incredible.
0:05:06 > 0:05:10This is as strong as steel. And it's flexible, too.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13- And it can be reused again and again.- Yeah, absolutely.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Yunnan has 250 types of bamboo
0:05:16 > 0:05:20and the Dai villagers have found ingenious uses for it
0:05:20 > 0:05:23from building houses, bridges and farm tools
0:05:23 > 0:05:26to making food and medicine.
0:05:36 > 0:05:40For these foresters, who spend long hours working up the mountains,
0:05:40 > 0:05:43one bamboo tree will provide them with all the kitchen utensils
0:05:43 > 0:05:45they need to make lunch on the go.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56It's a big bowl. Look at this - they've made these, as well.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59I like this. I want one of these.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Now they are making chopsticks
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Oh brilliant! Bamboo chopsticks!
0:06:04 > 0:06:08Amazing - can they make us a bamboo steamer to take home, as well?
0:06:29 > 0:06:32Everything here is sustainable, natural!
0:06:33 > 0:06:37'The men are making two dishes for lunch using the bamboo stalks.'
0:06:37 > 0:06:41So first, the aromatics. Wow!
0:06:41 > 0:06:44Yum! That looks great.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47'First is a fragrant chicken stew
0:06:47 > 0:06:49'with chilli, ginger and Vietnamese mint.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52'The ingredients are stuffed inside the bamboo stalk,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55'water is added, then rolled-up banana leaves are used
0:06:55 > 0:06:58'to seal the contents to keep in the moisture.'
0:07:00 > 0:07:04This shows what Chinese civilisation and food is all about.
0:07:06 > 0:07:07It's ingenious,
0:07:07 > 0:07:13because it's using everything from your environment in a nice way.
0:07:14 > 0:07:18'The second dish is made of glutinous rice and peanuts,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22'which are packed inside a smaller bamboo stalk.'
0:07:22 > 0:07:24My grandmother always said, "Don't waste rice,"
0:07:24 > 0:07:28because you know each grain of rice is like a bead of sweat,
0:07:28 > 0:07:33because it takes such hard work and back breaking to collect each grain.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Now he said you can cook it, yeah!
0:07:36 > 0:07:39'Both bamboo stalks are put on the open fire
0:07:39 > 0:07:40'to cook for about half an hour.'
0:07:43 > 0:07:46It's certainly a new thing for me.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48I've never seen anything like this, and I think it's fantastic.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53Oh, he's stirring!
0:07:57 > 0:08:00I think this ritual shows that China is still very agrarian.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03Almost half the population has moved to the urban areas,
0:08:03 > 0:08:08but still it has a very rich, agricultural heritage,
0:08:08 > 0:08:12and I think this type of ritual expresses that.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15- Chicken is done!- Oh, it's finished?
0:08:15 > 0:08:18- Chicken soup.- That looks good.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Oh, wonderful.
0:08:20 > 0:08:22There goes the head!
0:08:22 > 0:08:24THEY LAUGH
0:08:24 > 0:08:26Now he's going to crack it open.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28He's cracking it open.
0:08:28 > 0:08:30Oh, that looks good. Wow!
0:08:35 > 0:08:37You can taste all the herbs.
0:08:37 > 0:08:38It's spicy, too. That's wonderful.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40That is really wonderful.
0:08:40 > 0:08:42There is that bamboo fragrance...
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Which is very unusual.
0:08:44 > 0:08:46..and that really beautiful delicate sweetness.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48It's beautiful.
0:08:48 > 0:08:52They have their tradition, and it's nice that they maintain it.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56The eldest here!
0:08:56 > 0:08:58Oh, thank you(!)
0:08:58 > 0:08:59HE LAUGHS
0:08:59 > 0:09:02There's some Chinese traditions I don't like.
0:09:02 > 0:09:04HE LAUGHS
0:09:08 > 0:09:10'After lunch, we head back to the village
0:09:10 > 0:09:13'to prepare dinner for our host, the chief.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18'Whilst Ching and the women go river fishing for some of tonight's ingredients...'
0:09:18 > 0:09:21CHICKEN SQUAWKS
0:09:21 > 0:09:22'..I start on the chicken.'
0:09:22 > 0:09:25You must cut, like here.
0:09:25 > 0:09:27CHICKEN SQUAWKS
0:09:27 > 0:09:31Just one, and you let it bleed and the blood is not wasted,
0:09:31 > 0:09:33because you put it with salt
0:09:33 > 0:09:36and you can make a sort of blood pudding with it.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38It goes in soup, or is stir-fried.
0:09:38 > 0:09:40You can't feel the heart beating any more.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42And that's it.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46I did that when I taught professional chefs how to cook,
0:09:46 > 0:09:49and half the class almost fainted,
0:09:49 > 0:09:53and the other half went to complain to the dean,
0:09:53 > 0:09:58and the dean said to me, "Ken, please don't ever do that again!"
0:09:58 > 0:10:00But, if you want to really learn about food,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03I think you have to take the good and the bad.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06You just can't go to the supermarket and say, eat chicken,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09you have to know how it's killed.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13If you don't like it, it bothers you, then don't eat it.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14Simple as that.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17'The chief and I are going to cook a dish each with this chicken
0:10:17 > 0:10:20'to feed ten people.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24'This might look small compared to what you'd find in Britain,
0:10:24 > 0:10:27'where we eat on average three times more chicken
0:10:27 > 0:10:30'per person than the Chinese.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34'But in a country where there are over one billion mouths to feed,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36'that kind of consumption is unsustainable.'
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Meat is to garnish the veggies.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41In the West, veggies are a second thought.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43You usually have a big piece of meat,
0:10:43 > 0:10:47then you have all these vegetables that are a second thought,
0:10:47 > 0:10:50and as we know, that's not good for your health.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52To me, that's really the lessons.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57I think the West can learn from Chinese dietary practices.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59'I'm cooking a chicken stir-fry,
0:10:59 > 0:11:02'which, in true, resourceful Dai style,
0:11:02 > 0:11:06'is using ingredients sourced within 50 yards of where I'm standing.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09'Even the sauce for the marinade is home-made.'
0:11:09 > 0:11:12I asked the chief, "Can I have some rice wine?"
0:11:12 > 0:11:16And this is a home-made brew that he makes!
0:11:16 > 0:11:20Phew, God, if I taste this, I won't be able to cook!
0:11:20 > 0:11:21HE LAUGHS
0:11:23 > 0:11:26Ooh! That's - wow!
0:11:26 > 0:11:28THEY LAUGH
0:11:28 > 0:11:30I think I'd better give it to the chicken!
0:11:30 > 0:11:34'I'm leaving the chicken to marinate for half an hour in light soy sauce
0:11:34 > 0:11:37'and the chief's home-brewed rice wine.'
0:11:37 > 0:11:39SHE LAUGHS
0:11:42 > 0:11:46'The Dai ladies do all the fishing for their village.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49'There are more than 600 rivers and lakes in Yunnan,
0:11:49 > 0:11:52'with millions of people depending on them for food and water.'
0:11:54 > 0:11:57I've never seen this unique way of fishing.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00They're just upturning rocks and getting really in there.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04But it's a very clever technique,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07cos you kind of sandwich the net between your feet,
0:12:07 > 0:12:08then you use your hands
0:12:08 > 0:12:11to bring the vegetation
0:12:11 > 0:12:15and the sea bed into the net.
0:12:15 > 0:12:19Oh! Oh!
0:12:19 > 0:12:21She's got two big quans!
0:12:21 > 0:12:23It's just a river fish.
0:12:26 > 0:12:27Crab?
0:12:27 > 0:12:31'Living below China's official poverty line, the Dai women
0:12:31 > 0:12:34'can't afford to overlook any potential source of protein in the river.'
0:12:36 > 0:12:38She said that you can eat this.
0:12:38 > 0:12:41It looks like some weird river centipede thing!
0:12:41 > 0:12:44I was like, "Eurgh!"
0:12:46 > 0:12:49Ah! She's just decapitated it!
0:12:51 > 0:12:53"You can eat that," she said, "it's delicious."
0:12:55 > 0:12:58They really have a respect for the environment.
0:12:58 > 0:13:00They said they don't fish every day.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Which means they give the river a chance to recover,
0:13:03 > 0:13:06and the fish to thrive.
0:13:18 > 0:13:22For the time being, the women are safe to fish in these waters.
0:13:22 > 0:13:25But this might not be the case for much longer,
0:13:25 > 0:13:29because in recent years, many of Yunnan's waterways have become
0:13:29 > 0:13:33contaminated with pollution from its cities, less than 40 miles away.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47Back at Mei's house, we're going to prepare our river catch.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49A lot of the fish are still alive.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55Did you see that? Just with one knife cut,
0:13:55 > 0:13:58she guts it.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01And gets rid of the intestines, and the belly,
0:14:01 > 0:14:05in one fell knife swoop, even though the fish is so small.
0:14:08 > 0:14:12She just rips the head off, and the tail off the sort of centipede.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15'I came to China to expand my knowledge of Chinese cooking.
0:14:15 > 0:14:19'Learning how to gut a centipede is certainly doing that.'
0:14:22 > 0:14:25She said women know how to cook,
0:14:25 > 0:14:28and also that the men wash the dishes. I understood that bit.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Men don't understand -
0:14:34 > 0:14:35they only know how to eat.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37SHE LAUGHS
0:14:44 > 0:14:49So I've got here the small river fish and local garlic,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52wild garlic, some ginger,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56some small chillies, the local chillies,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58and then there's the Vietnamese mint,
0:14:58 > 0:15:01and then they've got here some coriander as well,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03and then some spring onion.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07'I'm going to make a classic Dai dish of fish cooked in banana leaves.'
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Just finely chop it.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18My grandmother would always peel it, and the Chinese believe that
0:15:18 > 0:15:20when you peel ginger,
0:15:20 > 0:15:25it becomes more heat-giving property, more Yang. More fiery.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29If you keep the ginger skin on, then it makes the dish more Yin,
0:15:29 > 0:15:30it's more cooling.
0:15:30 > 0:15:35'First, I put chopped ginger, garlic and chilli onto a banana leaf,
0:15:35 > 0:15:40'closely scrutinized by my sous chef, who is keen to offer tips.'
0:15:44 > 0:15:49She said, "Chop it, chop all the herbs together
0:15:49 > 0:15:52"so it's really fine." I would have just thrown it all together,
0:15:52 > 0:15:54but this is the way they're used to doing.
0:15:54 > 0:15:59OK, so we put this all on the leaf, like that.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02'Wrapping the food in a banana leaf
0:16:02 > 0:16:05'seals in moisture and flavour, much like foil or oven-proof paper.'
0:16:05 > 0:16:07And then, you just tie it.
0:16:07 > 0:16:12'Being here with Mei and her family takes me back to my childhood
0:16:12 > 0:16:16'under the supervision of two other formidable family cooks -
0:16:16 > 0:16:18'my grandmother and mother.'
0:16:18 > 0:16:22So she's just securing the package within some bamboo?
0:16:22 > 0:16:27'I'm planning to steam the fish, but my sous chef has other ideas.'
0:16:27 > 0:16:31Oh, then that's how they would normally cook it!
0:16:31 > 0:16:35She said it's tastier like this than steaming it.
0:16:36 > 0:16:41She said, if you steam it, it doesn't taste very good!
0:16:41 > 0:16:45'While it cooks for 20 minutes, Mei offers me an appetiser.'
0:16:45 > 0:16:50This is a baby. This is the centipede.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52'The water centipedes she caught at the river have been
0:16:52 > 0:16:55'boiled in a spicy broth of chillies, ginger and herbs.'
0:16:55 > 0:16:59She said, "Don't be afraid, just eat it!"
0:17:04 > 0:17:07It's like texture like prawns.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10It's like river prawn texture, river shrimp.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13It's not bad. It's not bad, actually.
0:17:15 > 0:17:16'At the chief's house,
0:17:16 > 0:17:21'he's doing his bit to prove not all men are useless in the kitchen.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24'He's making chicken soup with ginger and chilli.'
0:17:24 > 0:17:26This dish is relatively simple.
0:17:26 > 0:17:29He's very smart not to do anything complicated!
0:17:29 > 0:17:32But I think people don't realise, when you're cooking at home,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35you should keep it really nice and simple.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39'I'm using chilli and garlic to make one of my favourite dishes -
0:17:39 > 0:17:41'chicken stir-fry with fresh herbs.'
0:17:41 > 0:17:44I'm just going to put my chicken in.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49Adding the marinade in there...
0:17:50 > 0:17:55..and I'm going to add all my lovely herbs here.
0:17:55 > 0:17:57'This is what I love about Chinese food. All you need is a wok,
0:17:57 > 0:18:03'a flame and fresh ingredients to make a simple and delicious supper.
0:18:05 > 0:18:09'To go with the chicken, I'm making a classic Yunnan dish.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12'Pineapple rice.'
0:18:14 > 0:18:16Ginger, a little bit of salt.
0:18:19 > 0:18:20Then we do our rice.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23'The key ingredient in this dish is pre-cooked cold rice,
0:18:23 > 0:18:29'ideally a day old, stir-fried in very hot oil.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33'To break up the clumps, give the rice a good stir.'
0:18:33 > 0:18:37'Then add the pineapple and fresh mint.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44'The wood fire gives it a lovely smoky flavour.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48'With fresh local ingredients,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51'this is traditional village cooking at its best.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- In Thailand, we say "hom". - What mean "hom"?
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Fragrant - if something smells good,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58- we say "hom".- "Hom"?
0:18:58 > 0:19:02Fragrant? We are ready.
0:19:02 > 0:19:06Just have to wait for Ching and the rest of the women for the fish.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10Yeah, everyone is hungry.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14So this is the banana leaf wrap, that's the fish.
0:19:14 > 0:19:16Ah, beautiful!
0:19:16 > 0:19:18ALL: Wow!
0:19:18 > 0:19:19She says it's very good!
0:19:19 > 0:19:22This is a soup the chief made,
0:19:22 > 0:19:27and this is pineapple rice.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32- You know what you just ate?- No. - It's a centipede.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Oh! That's an interesting flavour!
0:19:36 > 0:19:37It's quite sweet.
0:19:37 > 0:19:40Yes, but I wouldn't order it every day.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42THEY LAUGH
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Wow, this rice is delicious!
0:19:51 > 0:19:54So inspired by their use of the local ingredients,
0:19:54 > 0:19:55fishing for your own fish.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58You can't get fresher than that. Isn't that wonderful?
0:19:58 > 0:20:01- They're really close to the earth. - Nature.- Yes.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15'It's our second day in Yunnan Province,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19'and we're enjoying a traditional breakfast at the guesthouse.'
0:20:20 > 0:20:22Look at her outfit, so beautiful.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25- That looks like some sort of vegetable.- It's fiddlehead fern.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29- And I love it - chillies, like in Thailand.- Garlic, chillies.
0:20:29 > 0:20:35This is the most unusual breakfast I've had in China, so far.
0:20:35 > 0:20:38This is supposed to be the birthplace of tea,
0:20:38 > 0:20:39in the whole of China.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42So I'm excited to try the pu-erh tea,
0:20:42 > 0:20:44cos that's one of my favourite teas.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47It's awfully good for you, it's very cleansing,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49and it helps to lower cholesterol,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52and helps prevent heart disease - all these good things!
0:20:54 > 0:20:58Pu-erh tea, named after a town in Yunnan, came to prominence
0:20:58 > 0:21:03when it was drunk by emperors during the Tang Dynasty, 1,300 years ago.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10Today it's a global export industry worth millions of pounds.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Unlike most teas which can lose their freshness soon after production,
0:21:14 > 0:21:18pu-erh tea is fermented, which improves the taste,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20texture and aroma.
0:21:21 > 0:21:24The most sought-after pu-erh teas can take 30 years to mature
0:21:24 > 0:21:28and one cup of leaves can reach up to £1,000.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37After a two-hour journey,
0:21:37 > 0:21:40I arrive at the tiny village of Zhanglang,
0:21:40 > 0:21:43home to the Bulang minority, who have been growing,
0:21:43 > 0:21:46tending and harvesting tea for thousands of years.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Oh look! There's some tea being dried in the sun!
0:21:53 > 0:21:56It's a very underdeveloped part of Yunnan.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Wow, we're really high up
0:22:04 > 0:22:08and this is a gorgeous little village!
0:22:08 > 0:22:12'Zhanglang is home to 45 families, 80% of whom make a living
0:22:12 > 0:22:17'from selling pu-erh tea leaves to processing factories.
0:22:17 > 0:22:22'Shau-Li and Shau-Lu are two young tea picker friends.'
0:22:22 > 0:22:24THEY SPEAK MANDARIN
0:22:25 > 0:22:28They started tea picking when they were 11 and 12.
0:22:28 > 0:22:29So very young!
0:22:32 > 0:22:35They went to primary school, there's a school in the village,
0:22:35 > 0:22:38but they left school about ten.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40And they've been tea picking ever since.
0:22:40 > 0:22:44'We head outside to the plantation so the girls can show me the ropes.'
0:22:46 > 0:22:49China's emerging free market economy and state promotion of tea
0:22:49 > 0:22:52over the last ten years resulted in an export boom.
0:22:53 > 0:22:56Many villages in Yunnan converted their subsistence land
0:22:56 > 0:22:59into tea terraces.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05This is just, the size of it! It's huge!
0:23:05 > 0:23:09I've never experienced a tea plantation this big.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11'But an investor buying frenzy
0:23:11 > 0:23:14'led to lots of fake pu-erh teas flooding the market.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16'And in 2008, the bubble burst,
0:23:16 > 0:23:20'and thousands of tea producers went out of business.'
0:23:23 > 0:23:26They're super-fast!
0:23:26 > 0:23:30It's like a blink and then they've gone through a whole bush.
0:23:30 > 0:23:35'But with their organic production methods and indigenous skills,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37'passed down through the generations,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40'the Bulang were able to brand the authenticity of their pu-erh tea
0:23:40 > 0:23:42'and ride out the collapse.'
0:23:44 > 0:23:45So this is the best part,
0:23:45 > 0:23:49this is the part that they pick off the leaves of the tea.
0:23:49 > 0:23:53First the tender shoot, that's coming out,
0:23:53 > 0:23:56and the top two leaves - that's the most prized bit.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59And it's because it has more tea fragrance,
0:23:59 > 0:24:01as opposed to the older leaves.
0:24:01 > 0:24:03I've never cooked with these pu-erh green tea leaves before,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06so I'm really excited.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08It's very tender...
0:24:11 > 0:24:14..slightly bitter, but it's good for you!
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Cos actually, with tea, in traditional Chinese medicine,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20they say that you must have tea in your diet,
0:24:20 > 0:24:23because there's that bitterness that we lack.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25You can get salt, sweet, sour,
0:24:25 > 0:24:30fiery, pungent flavours from many different vegetables,
0:24:30 > 0:24:32and fruit, but you can't get bitterness, that flavour profile.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34But you can get it from tea.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38'After a couple of hours, we're heading back to prepare dinner
0:24:38 > 0:24:41'with the leaves we've picked.'
0:24:41 > 0:24:43I think the grandmother's the culinary expert.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47She's looking at me out of the corner of her eye!
0:24:47 > 0:24:50'Even though I've been cooking for years,
0:24:50 > 0:24:55'it's always a little nerve-wracking entering another woman's kitchen.'
0:24:55 > 0:24:58THEY SPEAK MANDARIN
0:24:58 > 0:25:02She was saying normally they cut the chicken into smaller pieces,
0:25:02 > 0:25:04but I haven't cut it small enough!
0:25:08 > 0:25:12'For dinner, I'm making chicken, infused with pu-erh tea leaves.
0:25:14 > 0:25:16'First I'm adding freshly-picked leaves and chicken
0:25:16 > 0:25:19'to the hot oil in the wok.'
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I love it, it's really woody and smoky
0:25:22 > 0:25:25from the wood fire underneath.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29'After stir-frying for about four minutes, I add a cup of pu-erh tea,
0:25:29 > 0:25:31'made from sun-dried leaves.'
0:25:33 > 0:25:34I'm just going to pour the tea in,
0:25:34 > 0:25:39together with some of those leaves. Now I'm just going to
0:25:39 > 0:25:42slowly let the chicken infuse with the flavours of the tea.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44So a quick taste of the seasoning.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50You know that the infusion, that soup base,
0:25:50 > 0:25:55has now become really sort of bittersweet from the chicken.
0:25:55 > 0:25:56It's really delicious, actually.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01I quite like the idea of putting some of these pea aubergine in!
0:26:01 > 0:26:02Just a handful.
0:26:03 > 0:26:07And what I might do is just add another element of sweetness,
0:26:07 > 0:26:11and that is from the leaves of the local pumpkin plant here.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15So I'm just going to toss that with the pumpkin leaves,
0:26:15 > 0:26:20in this tea chicken broth, and then, yeah! We're good to eat!
0:26:20 > 0:26:22'If you want to try this recipe at home,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25'you can use green tea leaves instead of pu-erh
0:26:25 > 0:26:30'and substitute the pea aubergines with diced purple aubergine.
0:26:32 > 0:26:37'Now it just remains to be seen what Grandma makes of my efforts.'
0:26:45 > 0:26:48She said, "The flavour is good! Not bad!"
0:26:52 > 0:26:54HORN BEEPS
0:26:57 > 0:27:01'I'm on my way to Jinghong, Yunnan's fastest growing city.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05'It's just 40 miles north of the tiny mountain village of Zhanglang.
0:27:05 > 0:27:07'But it feels like a world away.'
0:27:09 > 0:27:11I actually didn't expect this.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14Like a mass construction site.
0:27:14 > 0:27:17And things are being excavated like crazy.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20The construction is at a frenetic pace.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23'I came to China expecting it to have changed
0:27:23 > 0:27:26'since my last big trip, 23 years ago.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30'But this city is beyond what I imagined -
0:27:30 > 0:27:35'brash, gaudy and jam-packed with tourists.'
0:27:35 > 0:27:40It's sort of a Chinese Disneyland. The whole place, Las Vegas.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42This place will really take off.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45'Cultural tourism has been an integral part
0:27:45 > 0:27:48'of China's modernisation strategy for 20 years.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55'Here in Jinghong, there are 13 different ethnic minorities,
0:27:55 > 0:28:01'and their colourful festivals and foods draw Chinese visitors from all over the country.
0:28:02 > 0:28:04As the city adapts to the demands of tourism,
0:28:04 > 0:28:08I want to know if these minorities have retained
0:28:08 > 0:28:10their distinct cultural identities.
0:28:10 > 0:28:14I'm in a suburb of Jinghong where many Dai families have set up
0:28:14 > 0:28:18small cottage industries producing traditional Yunnan food
0:28:18 > 0:28:23for the tourist trade, including one of my absolute favourites.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26It's something I grew up with, my mum was a great fan of it,
0:28:26 > 0:28:30she used to send me out, getting fresh rice-noodle stir-fries,
0:28:30 > 0:28:32and it was a special treat.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35Is this it? Oh, it's huge, wow.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39Hello, Mr Ken, how are you?
0:28:39 > 0:28:42This is Mr Ai! How are you?
0:28:44 > 0:28:47Mr Ai and his wife used to be farmers.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49Now they run a successful business supplying noodles
0:28:49 > 0:28:52to some of the busiest tourist restaurants in the city.
0:28:52 > 0:28:55And it's all done from their garage.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57This is made from rice flour?
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Yes, yes it is.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03They soak the rice first and then, they grind it,
0:29:03 > 0:29:05and then move it to that big pot.
0:29:05 > 0:29:08After the rice is ground into flour,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11it's combined with water to make dough.
0:29:11 > 0:29:16The exact quantities are a closely guarded family secret.
0:29:16 > 0:29:18Finally the dough is passed through a noodle extruder.
0:29:18 > 0:29:21It's almost an art, the way she's handling it.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27See, none of it breaks, she knows exactly at which point to cut it.
0:29:27 > 0:29:30I love it, it's like putting out your laundry!
0:29:30 > 0:29:35It all has to do with the weight, and she, she takes it,
0:29:35 > 0:29:39and she feels the weight of it, it's too heavy on one side,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42and, I guess it's an art, she's been doing it for a while.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44She's amazing.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46Mrs Ai invites me to have a go.
0:29:49 > 0:29:51It's not as even as hers!
0:29:55 > 0:29:57What a mess!
0:29:58 > 0:30:01No prizes for guessing which one is mine.
0:30:03 > 0:30:07Rice-noodles have been established fare in Yunnan for centuries.
0:30:07 > 0:30:10They're gluten-free with a silky texture
0:30:10 > 0:30:13that absorbs flavours more efficiently
0:30:13 > 0:30:15than the less spongy wheat noodles,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18which makes them perfect for soups and stir-fries.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20SHE SPEAKS MANDARIN
0:30:20 > 0:30:24I would like to invite you to have my noodles.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26I would be so happy!
0:30:26 > 0:30:29It's great to see Dai migrants from the countryside
0:30:29 > 0:30:33making a successful living in the city producing traditional food
0:30:33 > 0:30:35for the burgeoning tourist industry.
0:30:35 > 0:30:39The rice-noodles, apparently, have been an old family recipe,
0:30:39 > 0:30:44they were selling it out of their farm before, and they decided
0:30:44 > 0:30:48to be more entrepreneurial, which is what has happened in China,
0:30:48 > 0:30:49you have these very small families,
0:30:49 > 0:30:52that are starting business like this.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56This is really the base of capitalism, and who knows,
0:30:56 > 0:31:00maybe in the next 30 years, they'll be a gigantic corporation!
0:31:00 > 0:31:02HE LAUGHS
0:31:02 > 0:31:04Based on this family recipe!
0:31:04 > 0:31:09After breakfast, Mr Ai is keen to show me around his house.
0:31:09 > 0:31:13Nice living room, a nice sofa...
0:31:13 > 0:31:15Oh, that's their son?
0:31:15 > 0:31:17THEY SPEAK MANDARIN
0:31:17 > 0:31:20He's very cute. How many bedrooms?
0:31:21 > 0:31:23Four. Four bedrooms.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26Wow, it's very, a very big house!
0:31:26 > 0:31:29HE SPEAKS MANDARIN
0:31:29 > 0:31:32He says his house is smaller than others!
0:31:32 > 0:31:36Oh, really? The neighbours' is much bigger!
0:31:36 > 0:31:42Business is clearly booming for Mr Ai and things can only get better
0:31:42 > 0:31:47with £1.5 billion earmarked for tourism development in Jinghong.
0:31:49 > 0:31:50There's an airport over there!
0:31:50 > 0:31:53You're kidding, wow! That's the airport?
0:31:53 > 0:31:54Yes, it's under construction.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58So many tourists will come and they need more airport
0:31:58 > 0:32:01to meet the demand.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03I see.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08This tourist city might have a Disneyland feel to it.
0:32:08 > 0:32:09But from what I've seen today,
0:32:09 > 0:32:13the minorities here are really embracing the opportunities it offers.
0:32:13 > 0:32:19And it's not at the expense of their cultural and culinary traditions.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21They have ambitions.
0:32:21 > 0:32:25They thought that their culture, and everything that went with it,
0:32:25 > 0:32:27like their cuisine, would be wiped out.
0:32:27 > 0:32:32And instead, it's thriving like crazy!
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Nowhere is this more evident than in the local market.
0:32:42 > 0:32:45This is exciting! It's things I've never seen before!
0:32:49 > 0:32:53These local ladies are so elegant with their gloves
0:32:57 > 0:33:00This excites me. Wow, this is beautiful.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04It's our final night in Yunnan.
0:33:04 > 0:33:06Ching is about to join me in Jinghong
0:33:06 > 0:33:09so I'm picking up some local ingredients for dinner.
0:33:09 > 0:33:11Now, this is something I really wanted to try here,
0:33:11 > 0:33:16especially in Yunnan because Yunnan is famous for bamboo.
0:33:16 > 0:33:19So several bamboo shoots would be nice.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23We have tried these noodles before,
0:33:23 > 0:33:26and I want to try one of my favourites,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28these are rice-noodles as well,
0:33:28 > 0:33:31and they've actually been partially cooked by steaming,
0:33:31 > 0:33:35and it's again made with rice-flour and water.
0:33:46 > 0:33:49Oh, God, that does look like... Looks like Las Vegas!
0:33:49 > 0:33:52All these bright lights, and look, we've got Thailand over there.
0:33:52 > 0:33:56Since rice-noodles are a specialty of Yunnan,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59I'm using them to make one of my favourite dishes,
0:33:59 > 0:34:03stir fried rice-noodles with broad beans and bamboo shoots.
0:34:04 > 0:34:07It's really important when you cook rice-noodles
0:34:07 > 0:34:09to get the flavour of the wok right.
0:34:09 > 0:34:12I love that smoky gou wei, it's so great.
0:34:12 > 0:34:17I'm going to add a tiny bit of this lovely chilli oil, the garlic...
0:34:17 > 0:34:19Wow, that is fantastic.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23But what I'm going to do, I'm just going to take it out for a second,
0:34:23 > 0:34:26and I'm going to stir-fry the rest of the vegetables.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30I love it, you're a perfectionist cook like my grandmother,
0:34:30 > 0:34:32she'd always cook each ingredient perfectly
0:34:32 > 0:34:36and them bring them back into the wok to warm through,
0:34:36 > 0:34:40and then add the seasoning, like you know, the soy sauce, the vinegar...
0:34:40 > 0:34:42Well, good Chinese cooking is in steps,
0:34:42 > 0:34:45what I mean by that is you cook one thing
0:34:45 > 0:34:46and then you take it out.
0:34:46 > 0:34:51I'm putting in the bamboo shoots and the broad beans,
0:34:51 > 0:34:55adding a little bit of rice wine to that.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Lovely soy sauce!
0:34:58 > 0:35:03There, we just let that cook on quite a high temperature
0:35:03 > 0:35:06- until it's sort of cooked and wilted.- It looks good.
0:35:06 > 0:35:08Oyster sauce.
0:35:08 > 0:35:12Yum! I love oyster sauce! Am I allowed to try some?
0:35:14 > 0:35:17Mmmm! Oh, that's so good!
0:35:17 > 0:35:20That is delicious!
0:35:20 > 0:35:24This dish is really Yunnan for me, especially with this rice-noodle,
0:35:24 > 0:35:28which is very unusual, soft, and...
0:35:28 > 0:35:30- Mmmm.- It's really delicious.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36Ching, I don't know about you, but even with all this incredible change
0:35:36 > 0:35:39in this place, I don't think the food will change!
0:35:39 > 0:35:42Simply because of its long tradition.
0:35:42 > 0:35:46They're so proud of their produce, and for me,
0:35:46 > 0:35:49the way when I saw the tea farmers farm their farm, and you know,
0:35:49 > 0:35:53if that tradition has been going for thousands of years, I know for sure,
0:35:53 > 0:35:58tea and food go hand in hand, their food will absolutely be preserved.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00It's so good. Cheers, Ken!
0:36:00 > 0:36:02To Yunnan, and its food, and its people.
0:36:02 > 0:36:06- And to pu-erh tea, and the beer. - Yes! Absolutely.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08- And Disneyland.- Disneyland!
0:36:16 > 0:36:19We're on the second stage of our epic journey
0:36:19 > 0:36:22across China's vast Western frontier,
0:36:22 > 0:36:25where few travellers dare to venture.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30After travelling more than 3,000 miles northwest,
0:36:30 > 0:36:32we arrive in Kashgar in Xinjiang province,
0:36:32 > 0:36:36which lies on the border with Afghanistan and Pakistan.
0:36:37 > 0:36:41Kashgar is home to a veiled minority, whose culture
0:36:41 > 0:36:46is at odds with the modernising zeal of the ruling Han Chinese.
0:36:46 > 0:36:51Gosh, this looks like an ancient medieval city we've come to.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54It's really on the far fringes of China.
0:36:56 > 0:37:00This city was once a major centre on the Silk Road,
0:37:00 > 0:37:03the 7,000 mile trade route that connected
0:37:03 > 0:37:08China's Yellow River Valley with India and the Mediterranean.
0:37:08 > 0:37:11Today, Kashgar is a deeply divided city.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15In the old town, the Uyghurs, Turkic Muslim people from central Asia,
0:37:15 > 0:37:20strive to preserve their ancient culture and religious practices.
0:37:21 > 0:37:26While in the new city, the recent influx of Han Chinese,
0:37:26 > 0:37:29who make up 92% of China's population,
0:37:29 > 0:37:33build their skyscrapers with the riches of the region's oil and gas.
0:37:36 > 0:37:40This is where the Far East meets the Middle East.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47I don't feel like I'm in China, I feel like I'm in Central Asia,
0:37:47 > 0:37:48but it's not China.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51It's where there have been violent protests
0:37:51 > 0:37:56from disenfranchised Uyghurs against the Han Chinese.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59And where tradition and modernity are in open conflict.
0:38:03 > 0:38:04We've come to the market to find out
0:38:04 > 0:38:08if Uyghur culinary and religious customs are surviving
0:38:08 > 0:38:10in this ethnically divided city.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17This is certainly the most exotic place we've been to in China.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20We're met by our guide, Mohammed.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23Hi! Hello!
0:38:23 > 0:38:24Hey!
0:38:24 > 0:38:28Nice to meet you, I am Mohammed. Welcome to Kashgar!
0:38:28 > 0:38:31- Nice to meet you, Mohammed! - Just arrived?
0:38:31 > 0:38:34- Yes, we did, yeah. - Ah, come on, I show you around.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36- OK, thanks!- It's a pleasure.
0:38:37 > 0:38:421,000 years ago, this market would have been overrun with caravans
0:38:42 > 0:38:45bringing goods in and out of China on the Northern Silk Road.
0:38:47 > 0:38:51Today, with over 5,000 stalls, it's jam packed with traders
0:38:51 > 0:38:54hot off the Karakoram Highway from Pakistan.
0:38:55 > 0:38:56Raisins!
0:38:56 > 0:39:02These are apricot seeds, those are sunflower seeds,
0:39:02 > 0:39:04people just mix a little bit of everything,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06put it into their pocket.
0:39:07 > 0:39:09- Mmm!- It's delicious, yeah?
0:39:09 > 0:39:11Very good.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14- You know apricot seed is very good for men. - HE LAUGHS
0:39:14 > 0:39:16Really? Oh.
0:39:16 > 0:39:18I won't ask you why! You eat this, you don't need Viagra.
0:39:18 > 0:39:20HE LAUGHS
0:39:22 > 0:39:26Wandering through the market, it's striking to see one food
0:39:26 > 0:39:30that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else in China.
0:39:30 > 0:39:32- Ah, wow, this is what I wanted to see.- Wow! Delicious!
0:39:32 > 0:39:35- Can we buy one?- Yes!
0:39:36 > 0:39:40Here, naan bread is sold on virtually every street corner.
0:39:40 > 0:39:41Mmmm!
0:39:41 > 0:39:43Oh, this I love.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45- It's sesame seeds with onion?- Salt?
0:39:45 > 0:39:47Yeah, they just put those on top.
0:39:47 > 0:39:502,000 years ago, the nomadic cattle herders
0:39:50 > 0:39:53travelling through this region,
0:39:53 > 0:39:56relied on this bread to sustain them in the desert.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Today, Uyghurs consider it to be sacred.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01Bread means life.
0:40:01 > 0:40:04So you can't throw bread away? It's like throwing away your life?
0:40:04 > 0:40:08Never! Even if it's too old, I'd rather take it to somebody,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10to just feed their sheep, you know?
0:40:10 > 0:40:13With this. I never throw it into the rubbish.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18Naan bread is traditionally baked in large outdoor tandoor ovens.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22The hot clay walls of the oven bake the bread crispy on the bottom
0:40:22 > 0:40:25but leave it soft in the centre.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28But the skill lies in getting it to stick onto the oven wall.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30OK. Oh, God!
0:40:33 > 0:40:38Good, good, good, good, good, good, good, just push it, oh no!
0:40:38 > 0:40:43It's fallen down, oh! Ching! Oh, my God, Ching, oh no!
0:40:43 > 0:40:45- Where is it?- Oh, no, my bread!
0:40:45 > 0:40:51Oh, God! God, I dread to do this now.
0:40:51 > 0:40:52- Just slap it on, Ken.- OK.
0:40:55 > 0:40:57Ah!
0:40:57 > 0:40:59SHE LAUGHS
0:41:01 > 0:41:03There it is?
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Is it? It's not exactly like his.
0:41:06 > 0:41:11Wow, there's mine. It's a new take on a calzone.
0:41:13 > 0:41:15THEY LAUGH
0:41:15 > 0:41:17Poor Ching!
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Hey, this could be a new innovation here,
0:41:20 > 0:41:24this style of bread, it's a new way of eating!
0:41:26 > 0:41:31In 2009, the Chinese government began a £300 million clear up
0:41:31 > 0:41:37of Kashgar, demolishing mosques, markets and centuries-old houses
0:41:37 > 0:41:40in the Uyghur dominated old city.
0:41:40 > 0:41:42How many people still live around here?
0:41:42 > 0:41:48About 200,000, more than half of the population of the Kashgar city
0:41:48 > 0:41:50are living in the old city.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52It's really packed now!
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Is it because it's convenient?
0:41:54 > 0:41:58Because they've been living in this town for many, many generations,
0:41:58 > 0:42:00about 1,000 years and, you know, they grew up here,
0:42:00 > 0:42:04they like their home, you know most of the houses are inherited
0:42:04 > 0:42:06from their, you know, parents, or grandparents.
0:42:06 > 0:42:10Everybody knows each other in the neighbourhood.
0:42:10 > 0:42:11Right.
0:42:11 > 0:42:15Many Uyghurs are trying hard to resist assimilation
0:42:15 > 0:42:17with the Han Chinese.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20And one way they're doing it is through food.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23One thing us Cantonese don't eat much of is lamb.
0:42:23 > 0:42:28But in Kashgar, it's both a ceremonial and an everyday meat.
0:42:28 > 0:42:33And every Kashgari knows there's only one place to buy it.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46Thousands of people swarm into Kashgar every Sunday
0:42:46 > 0:42:48for the livestock market.
0:42:53 > 0:42:57It's a disorientating cacophony of animals,
0:42:57 > 0:42:59car horns and bartering traders.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02COW MOOS
0:43:02 > 0:43:05Today is particularly busy because Noruz is coming up,
0:43:05 > 0:43:10an ancient Persian festival celebrated by Uyghurs,
0:43:10 > 0:43:11which marks the coming of spring.
0:43:11 > 0:43:16And lamb is as essential to that as turkey is to a British Christmas.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21With the market so busy,
0:43:21 > 0:43:25we're relieved to have Mohammed's friend Wahub to show us around.
0:43:25 > 0:43:29This animal market has been happening for over 2,000 years.
0:43:29 > 0:43:30Wow!
0:43:32 > 0:43:37It's crazy, I feel like we've stepped back in olden times.
0:43:37 > 0:43:40It's like, back to the time of Genghis Khan!
0:43:40 > 0:43:45We're meeting the number one roast lamb chef in Kashgar.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47He's got an order for a new year's celebration
0:43:47 > 0:43:50and is here to find the best sheep.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52Hello!
0:43:52 > 0:43:55This is one of the best quality sheep. Three years old.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58Three years old, you can tell by the teeth?
0:43:58 > 0:43:59Yes.
0:43:59 > 0:44:02And why would you buy the three-year-old, is it different?
0:44:02 > 0:44:05Yes, if it's younger, it's better quality.
0:44:05 > 0:44:09The taste of sheep is more delicious.
0:44:12 > 0:44:17If the sheep's ear is bigger, it's much better.
0:44:17 > 0:44:18Really? For taste?
0:44:18 > 0:44:22For taste and for breeding.
0:44:23 > 0:44:27We're keen to know how the chef is going to prepare and roast the lamb,
0:44:27 > 0:44:30so he invites us to his kitchen to observe an age-old tradition.
0:44:33 > 0:44:35Hello!
0:44:36 > 0:44:38This is the sheep? That he's going to slaughter?
0:44:38 > 0:44:43He's going to slaughter it here, it must be done by Halal way.
0:44:43 > 0:44:45It it's not, it's not possible to eat.
0:44:45 > 0:44:49Before he slaughter, he must read the Koran.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54He's reading the Koran and slaughtering.
0:44:54 > 0:44:5839-year-old Osmanjan has been in the business for 15 years,
0:44:58 > 0:45:01learning his skill from his father.
0:45:01 > 0:45:05Very quick. That was fast, huh?
0:45:05 > 0:45:07After the sheep is slaughtered,
0:45:07 > 0:45:13air is pumped into the skin to make it easier for the chef to remove it.
0:45:15 > 0:45:16He's a real expert.
0:45:16 > 0:45:20He is a real expert.
0:45:20 > 0:45:23The Muslim people, we don't eat the blood.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26- That's why you don't save it? - We don't save it.
0:45:26 > 0:45:30Cos we keep the blood, chicken's blood, pig's blood,
0:45:30 > 0:45:32and we make little, like rice cakes.
0:45:32 > 0:45:33A sausage.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36- And we grill it, it's actually quite good. No?- No.
0:45:36 > 0:45:37It's reassuring to see
0:45:37 > 0:45:40that a centuries old Islamic culinary tradition,
0:45:40 > 0:45:42is still going strong.
0:45:42 > 0:45:45It's like an eggy, starchy wash?
0:45:45 > 0:45:49Yes, and also when it's roasted, it's not burned.
0:45:49 > 0:45:51Oh, protects it from the burning.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55- I mean, it's not what I expected it to look like.- No, no.
0:45:55 > 0:45:57THEY SPEAK UYGHUR
0:46:04 > 0:46:08Grandfather, and grandfather's father.
0:46:08 > 0:46:11For many generations.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13And his two uncles.
0:46:15 > 0:46:17He's the number five.
0:46:17 > 0:46:18Wow!
0:46:29 > 0:46:31He said a prayer.
0:46:31 > 0:46:35He says this at the start, and it helps with a successful ending.
0:46:38 > 0:46:40I think it's beautiful, it's like a ritual.
0:46:40 > 0:46:42Yes, like that, yes.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50The chef has asked me
0:46:50 > 0:46:53to make a dish to complement the lamb for the new year's feast.
0:46:53 > 0:46:56I've cooked a lot of places in my time but this, this beats it!
0:46:58 > 0:47:03I want to use local ingredients but with my Chinese style of cooking.
0:47:03 > 0:47:05There's the chef's daughters, over there.
0:47:05 > 0:47:07They look like him!
0:47:07 > 0:47:10I'm making my version of a very famous Uyghur dish called polo.
0:47:10 > 0:47:17This is rice pilaf flavoured with onion, fine strips of carrot,
0:47:17 > 0:47:19dried fruit and nuts.
0:47:19 > 0:47:24Add a little bit of water just boiling here,
0:47:24 > 0:47:28which I'll flavour with some saffron that I got at the market.
0:47:28 > 0:47:30The saffron should go into hot water.
0:47:30 > 0:47:33This helps release the aroma that will infuse the dish.
0:47:33 > 0:47:37I'm also adding a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of cumin.
0:47:37 > 0:47:39That'll be flavourful.
0:47:39 > 0:47:42Cumin isn't a spice we use much in Chinese cooking
0:47:42 > 0:47:44because it's got such a strong flavour.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48But it's very popular in Middle Eastern dishes.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52When the oil is hot in the wok, add two chopped onions
0:47:52 > 0:47:54and stir fry for about a minute.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58Then add the carrots, salt and pepper
0:47:58 > 0:48:01and stir-fry for another couple of minutes.
0:48:01 > 0:48:03I'm just putting in some celery,
0:48:03 > 0:48:05trying to use everything that it's in their resources.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07That's local, yeah.
0:48:07 > 0:48:10I'm going to cover that, because that will maximise the temperature.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14This should be left to simmer for around eight minutes.
0:48:14 > 0:48:21I have here some lovely pistachio and apricot seeds, and some raisins.
0:48:21 > 0:48:26We're really here at the crossroads of east and west.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31And this is very Middle Eastern, using all these nuts.
0:48:32 > 0:48:34Next, the rice goes in.
0:48:34 > 0:48:41Now this rice is a little bit like short grain, we'll just warm it up.
0:48:41 > 0:48:46What I'll add is my liquid of water and saffron,
0:48:46 > 0:48:50a little bit of salt and spices.
0:48:50 > 0:48:54Finally add the pistachio nuts, apricot kernels raisins
0:48:54 > 0:48:57and chopped celery leaves.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09It's different, it's good different, the taste is good,
0:49:09 > 0:49:11and it looks pretty and colourful.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13OK, thank you, Chef.
0:49:13 > 0:49:19The onions are really sweet, the rice is cooked through and tender,
0:49:19 > 0:49:22the raisins in there really add a sweetness, yeah,
0:49:22 > 0:49:26and the apricot kernels, a good crunch! Good texture.
0:49:37 > 0:49:41Wow! That's amazing!
0:49:42 > 0:49:44Wow!
0:49:46 > 0:49:51That's great! It looks so ceremonial.
0:49:52 > 0:49:54After a few embellishments,
0:49:54 > 0:49:57the lamb is ready to go to the new year's feast.
0:49:57 > 0:50:02Noruz is the most important date on the Uyghur calendar,
0:50:02 > 0:50:05so it's an honour to be able to deliver the lamb
0:50:05 > 0:50:09and my rice polo to a family celebration.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12So, Ken, we go to the men, the men's party,
0:50:12 > 0:50:14and, Ching, you go to the ladies' party here.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16- Oh, OK, so it's separate. - It's separate.
0:50:16 > 0:50:20OK. Well that's nice, isn't it? But that's their culture.
0:50:20 > 0:50:22So it's something I'm not used to.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25So is this a tradition that men and women eat separately?
0:50:25 > 0:50:29- Yes, that's one of our traditions - Is that every day, or...?
0:50:29 > 0:50:31No, once a year.
0:50:31 > 0:50:34Once a year? Other times they eat together?
0:50:34 > 0:50:35They eat together, yes.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39OK, so how will the women have the lamb?
0:50:39 > 0:50:43They bring some big plates, and just take it to the ladies' part.
0:50:46 > 0:50:49All the food today was made by all the women, by all, uh,
0:50:49 > 0:50:56her mum-in-law's family, and the sisters, they don't question,
0:50:56 > 0:50:59you know, that's the way they have lived for many, many years.
0:50:59 > 0:51:05I'd like to wish them all a very prosperous new year!
0:51:05 > 0:51:06HE SPEAKS UYGHUR
0:51:20 > 0:51:24We've left the new year's celebration behind to go to Mohammed's house
0:51:24 > 0:51:29where we've been invited to his family's Noruz festivities.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31Mohammed, is this it?
0:51:31 > 0:51:33Yes, we have arrived, yeah.
0:51:33 > 0:51:37Once again we're entering the domain of a formidable group of women.
0:51:37 > 0:51:41- This is my mother. This is my wife. - Hello.- Hello.
0:51:41 > 0:51:45This is my uncle's wife. This is my younger sister.
0:51:49 > 0:51:52It's going to be a real privilege to cook with these women.
0:51:52 > 0:51:56Particularly as men are usually banned from their kitchen.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00Wow, Mohammed, your wife is really quick,
0:52:00 > 0:52:03really good at making the noodles, huh?
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Everything is prepared by hand, it tastes better, huh?
0:52:06 > 0:52:08- I agree.- I agree.
0:52:08 > 0:52:12The Uyghurs, like Italians, are pasta specialists
0:52:12 > 0:52:15and claim to make 72 different varieties.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19Today the ladies are making two family favourites.
0:52:19 > 0:52:21So the thickness should be all the same.
0:52:21 > 0:52:23Mohammed's wife is showing me
0:52:23 > 0:52:25how to make laghman,
0:52:25 > 0:52:28the famous hand-pulled noodles of this region.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30SHE SPEAKS MANDARIN
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Oh, OK!
0:52:33 > 0:52:37I said that this is quite a thick noodle, and she said,
0:52:37 > 0:52:41"No, it goes through another stage, we pull it to make it thinner."
0:52:41 > 0:52:43It's a two stage process.
0:52:43 > 0:52:48First we roll the dough, made of flour and water, into long sausages.
0:52:49 > 0:52:53Then we coil them around the circular base of an oiled tin
0:52:53 > 0:52:56and leave them to rest for half an hour.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10Well, the dough is ready now.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19Meanwhile, Mohammed's mother is making chuchura,
0:53:19 > 0:53:21which is a dumpling soup.
0:53:21 > 0:53:23So this is for the dumpling,
0:53:23 > 0:53:26how long has she been making these dumplings?
0:53:26 > 0:53:28THEY SPEAK UYGHUR
0:53:31 > 0:53:33About 50 years!
0:53:33 > 0:53:38I can just tell by the way she moves, she's, she's very skilled.
0:53:38 > 0:53:42First she rolls out the dough, which is made from egg whites
0:53:42 > 0:53:46rather than yolks so that she can stretch it out more.
0:53:46 > 0:53:50Instead of having a very big thing to roll, she rolls it,
0:53:50 > 0:53:51like, on one thing.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56This is how Italians also do pasta.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59I paid my way through university by giving lessons
0:53:59 > 0:54:02in how to make Italian pasta.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07Now, I feel like the student.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09Side by side, wow!
0:54:09 > 0:54:11It's so clever
0:54:11 > 0:54:15This was worth the trip out here, to see this.
0:54:15 > 0:54:16Absolutely.
0:54:16 > 0:54:20Once Mohammed's mother has cut the dough into small squares,
0:54:20 > 0:54:24we roll them into parcels, which are then stuffed with alfalfa sprouts.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31Oh, they're just like tortellini! That's a vegetable tortellini!
0:54:33 > 0:54:35Take a little bit...
0:54:37 > 0:54:41- Fold it into itself, like that. - Like that?
0:54:42 > 0:54:47As the honorary male cook, I want to know if I've passed the test
0:54:47 > 0:54:49with the women of the house.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51THEY SPEAK UYGHUR
0:55:00 > 0:55:02Ken is OK though.
0:55:02 > 0:55:06I think she's telling him off!
0:55:06 > 0:55:08You should come in the kitchen more often!
0:55:08 > 0:55:10She says she was really impressed,
0:55:10 > 0:55:14she said, "Our men should come to the kitchen too!"
0:55:14 > 0:55:17Aw, yeah I agree! All men!
0:55:17 > 0:55:19It needed no translation, it needed no translation!
0:55:19 > 0:55:21THEY LAUGH
0:55:21 > 0:55:24The dumplings need to boil for five minutes
0:55:24 > 0:55:26until they become translucent.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30Meanwhile, I head outside to find out how Mohammed's aunty
0:55:30 > 0:55:32is getting on with the rest of the meal.
0:55:32 > 0:55:37- So this is just the sauce for the noodles, right?- Yeah.
0:55:37 > 0:55:39There's no meat in this one?
0:55:39 > 0:55:41There is meat in it! Lamb in it.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44Oh, OK, lamb everywhere!
0:55:47 > 0:55:52I'm helping Mohammed's aunt finish the laghman noodles.
0:55:52 > 0:55:55The first step is to pull each length of the noodle
0:55:55 > 0:55:57onto an oiled board.
0:55:57 > 0:55:58Just pull.
0:55:58 > 0:56:03She's kind of working the dough, spinning it.
0:56:03 > 0:56:08Then she winds the noodles around her hands.
0:56:08 > 0:56:12And now for the most difficult part, stretching them out.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16It looks like she's playing cat's cradle! Wow!
0:56:16 > 0:56:18Wow!
0:56:20 > 0:56:24Then they go into a wok of boiling water for three minutes.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26Uh, she took it like that.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30SHE GIGGLES
0:56:30 > 0:56:33This is a long piece of noodle!
0:56:35 > 0:56:41Bang it, pull it, bang it, slap it against the board, that's it!
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Ta-da!
0:56:47 > 0:56:49It's the end of our time in Kashgar
0:56:49 > 0:56:53and our exploration of China's ethnic minority cuisines.
0:56:53 > 0:56:56- Please.- Thank you. - We'll start with the noodles.
0:56:57 > 0:56:59This is the one you pulled?
0:56:59 > 0:57:03Mm, this I really, really am in love with the noodles.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05It really is springy and delicious,
0:57:05 > 0:57:07it's really satisfying making your own noodles!
0:57:10 > 0:57:14China is so diverse, so many different people,
0:57:14 > 0:57:19different ideas, different religions, different cultures.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23The Dai minority, the Bulang minority, through food that's,
0:57:23 > 0:57:28that's their identity, then now the Uyghurs, that's their culture,
0:57:28 > 0:57:30just right on the plate right there.
0:57:30 > 0:57:34It says it all. It's magnificent!
0:57:34 > 0:57:40Mohammed, to you, and your whole family, thank you very much!
0:57:41 > 0:57:46What I've learned and discovered by coming to Kashgar and Yunnan,
0:57:46 > 0:57:49is I think it's deepened my understanding about China.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53Even though they're within the Chinese nation,
0:57:53 > 0:57:56they haven't lost their local traditions,
0:57:56 > 0:57:58which I think is very important.
0:58:02 > 0:58:05'Next time, we journey to Guangdong province...'
0:58:05 > 0:58:07This is where my culinary soul is.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10'..to explore the many faces of Cantonese cuisine...'
0:58:10 > 0:58:13Oh, my God, alligators!
0:58:13 > 0:58:16'..and culture in the city where my parents met.'
0:58:16 > 0:58:19They're going to sing my mother's favourite aria.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22Very touched.
0:58:22 > 0:58:25Before we complete our journey across China
0:58:25 > 0:58:28with an emotional pilgrimage to our ancestral homes.
0:58:28 > 0:58:32My food memory started here and I think I have come a full circle.
0:58:45 > 0:58:48Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd