Seasons & Episodes
Olives
In Chaoshan, olives are preserved in distinct ways and appear in a variety of dishes, including fresh juices and meat so
Hu Tieu
A quintessentially Chaoshan staple and a taste of home for many, kway teow (rice-noodle strips) can be stir-fried or wra
Marinated Crab
Garlic. Cilantro. Chili pepper. The marinated raw-crab dish varies in style from Puning to Shantou, but it's always fres
Brine
Cinnamon, anise and galangal are among the spices that go into Chaoshan brine, a key ingredient in braised offal, goose
Puning Bean Paste
Long ago, migrants from the north brought soybeans to Chaoshan, now home to a unique bean paste featured in many dishes,
Preserved Radish
An age-old Chaoshan tradition, the preserved white radish can put an innovative spin on various dishes, from spare ribs
Seaweed
To bring out umami and impart the flavor of the sea, the versatile ingredient seaweed can be stir-fried, deep-fried, roa
Oysters
Steamed, marinated, stir-fried, grilled or dried. A classic in Chaoshan cuisine, the oyster is traditionally cultivated
Chaozhou Mandarin Oranges
A regional product, the Chaozhou orange can be deep-fried or dried and preserved to make sweet treats, while its peel ca
Lei Cha
In the Hakka tradition, tea leaves are cooked with fresh herbs, then ground with sesame seeds or peanuts in a mortar to
Tofu Cake
Garlic, fat, liquor and fermented bean curd. The traditional tofu cake is a baked pastry boasting a rich taste profile a
Beef Hot Pot
Expert butchers in Chaoshan sharpen their knives to slice premium beef into perfect, marbled cutlets that are juicy, ten
Beef Meatballs
Inheriting the techniques of previous generations, makers of Chaoshan beef meatballs dedicate hours of hard work to achi
Yusheng
Enjoyed with vegetables and dipping sauce, yu sheng (freshly sliced raw fish) is a delicacy with a long history in Chaos
Meal of Fish
Salted, boiled and air-dried in bamboo baskets, the mackerel scad is among many seafoods that make for a chewy, flavorfu
Fish Sauce
Indispensable to Chaoshan cooking, fish sauce is traditionally made by salt-curing and fermenting hilsa herring, but new
Fish Ball and Wrapped Fish
In Chaoshan, the lizardfish is deboned and pounded to make surimi (fish paste) -- a versatile ingredient with a uniquely
Mussels
Harvested from Nan'ao Island's shores, mussels are a summer delicacy that can be cooked with basil, folded into spring r
Galangal
Galangal arrived in Chaoshan from Southeast Asia a long time ago, imbuing meat dishes like chicken and lamb with a fragr
Chinese Motherwort
Known for both taste and nutritional value, Chinese motherwort is blanched and added to soup and congee as a breakfast f
Dairy Products
Yunnan is known for a variety of dairy products, including Dali rushan: thinly sliced cheese that can be fried, grilled
Nan Piӗ
A local wild berry features in nanpie, which refers t different types of flavorful pastes made from mashed vegetables or
Sa Piӗ
Sa is a culinary tradition that pairs cold meat or raw vegetables with a versatile sauce that is often mixed with pig bl
Lacquer Seed Oil
Derived from the fruits of the Chinese lacquer tree, qiyou is an oil used to cook eggs, congee, pork stew, roast chicken
Ham
Found in local moon cake fillings, Xuanwei cured ham can be thinly sliced, steamed, cooked with egg, stewed or served as
Pickled Vegetables
Salted and partially dried, the sow thistle can be pickled and stir-fried with pork to lend a sour, crunchy flavour, or
Hardy Banana
Wrapped in leaves with a sticky rice or spiced fish, the Musa basjoo – a banana found in Yunnan – can make for a swe
Sour Fruits
Besides being an appetite stimulant, tart fruits like lemon and sour papaya can be added to shredded chicken, carp or a
Rice Cake
The er, a flattened rice flour cake, can be backed into a sticky snack, sliced and stir-fried with vegetables or julienn
Salted Flour
Zha, an old custom, is an assortment of dried fermented vegetables or fish served as side dishes, made with ancient meth
Mutton
In Jiayuguan city, mutton tallow envelops lamb skewers with layers of flavor. In the Ganjia pastures, herders cook lamb
Lily
Baked, steamed or stir-fried, the root of the lily plant is sweet and aromatic. Its flower also serves as a salad ingred
Cooked chopped entrails of sheep
From Linxia to the Hexi Corridor, sheep offal can be found sizzling on hot plates, stuffed into casings and wrapped in c
Flaxseed
In Wuwei County, watermelon farmers enjoy flaxseed rolls as a dry staple food. Flaxseed oil also infuses pastries like Y
Gua Gua
Grown in the Longdong plateaus, buckwheat can be made into jelly noodles, pancake batter and Tianshui guagua, a savory b
Beef noodles
A slow-cooked beef broth is the soul of the hand-pulled Lanzhou beef noodle, a go-to dish for discerning eaters searchin
Gluten
Baked, air-dried or sliced into strips, the absorbent wheat gluten can be added to soups and meaty stews, making it a pe
Souherb
Found in mullet roe and hot pot, souherb is a white soupy ingredient made by fermenting vegetables like endive, celery,
Niang Pi
From Lanzhou to Wuwei, epicures put a different spin on niang pi, a glutenous cold noodle dish that often comes with ses
Potato
Dingxi boasts more than 30 varieties of potato, eaten sliced, mashed or made in the form of noodles cooked with pork or
Hot and sour soup
Intestine noodles
Baking powder
BBQ
Shao
Spring rolls
Dip
Yellow cake
Weilu rice
Pickled cabbage
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