A Bite of China: Episode 1 Gift of Nature

(By: Queen Lee youtube.com)

Recently, a TV program which is produced by China national television channel CCTV, has become a great hit sweeping over China. This high-definition documentary offers insights and distinctive perspectives about the geographical, historical and cultural dimensions of what Chinese people eat. In the following blogs, I would talk about traditional Chinese catering based on the episode and hope I can give you a brand-new perspective and more insightful understanding about our catering culture.

(By: english.cntv.cn)

China has the world's most strange natural landscapes, plateaus, mountains and forests, lakes and rivers, coastline. We are blessed by nature and have lots of raw food ingredients, which are gifts from nature. Intelligent Chinese people make full use of your indigenous ingredients and enjoy the purest and most delicious tastes of our gifts.

Matsutake

The matsutake only have 2-day short fresh life, which is known as an elf-like food. They only survive at certain high altitude amount and free of pollution area, which also make them extremely expensive. Even with the simplest way to cook them, roasting, a high-quality and luxury ingredient like matsutake can also have a fascinating mineral flavor and intense scent which will linger at your mouth for a long time.

                                                                                           (By: www.freeinfo.com)
                                       

                                                                                           (By: www.rpgwebgame.com)
Winter bamboo

On the menu of traditional Chinese cuisine, there is another food that grows in mountain. The winter bamboo shot hides in the earth and it’s hard to find in the surface. Only the experienced bamboo digger can easily locate the position of shoots.

                     (From http://tuiar.com/blog/8869705) 

 The way to retain freshness of bamboo is very hard. Bamboo shoots are only a kind of bud, which is the most vigorous part of the whole plant organism. Winter bamboo shoots can be found in four major Chinese cuisines. Cooks prefer it also for its pure flavor, which is very easy to take in other taste. It is incredible when it cook with the fatty meat.

Dongpo Pork with winter bamboo

                                                                              （By: www.zhms.cn)

 There are much more raw ingredients in this episode. I highly recommend you to watch the video and I assure you will have a brand-new view about Chinese catering.