Adam has been to Beijing more times than he can count. His mother has lived here for decades, and during his time as a corporate lawyer, he had plenty of opportunities to visit her here. Before he visits this time around, he’s keen to uncover the capital’s food and culture. Things move at frightening speed in Beijing and as he ventures out into the streets, he can’t believe how much its changed since he was last here. Being China’s capital, Adam first discovers its imperial cuisine and how this food still exists with some following their imperial family background, recreating food fit for an Emperor today.
The mountainous region of Anhui is stunningly beautiful and Adam can see why its ethereal landscapes have inspired poets, artists and photographers for thousands of years. Many in China refer to Anhui as a “big agricultural province”, a euphemistic term implying the region is backward, but that doesn’t preclude it from being the source of one of the eight great regional cuisines of China. Known for its use of wild game and herbs and simple methods of preparation, Adam expects a stark comparison with the elaborate cuisine he has just experienced in Beijing - and he's certainly going to get it here.
Renowned for its affluence, Jiangsu’s extravagant cuisine is recognised in Chinese culinary circles as one of the most prestigious forms of cooking. The emphasis here is on presentation – the best ingredients are meticulously prepared using intricate knife skills. Food is art and here it’s thought to be just as important to feast the eyes before satisfying the palate and sating the appetite. Adam begins his journey in the city of Jinhua, in search of one of the region’s most cherished ingredients – ham. Here Adam is introduced to century-old methods used to make this dry-cured meat and it’s this technique that Marco Polo allegedly brought back with him to Italy – so it could be said that without Jinhua, Italy would have no prosciutto!
Adam takes a side trip to a city he knew all-too-well during his years working as a corporate lawyer for the Disney company: Shanghai. This global metropolis doesn’t officially fit into any of the regions Adam is visiting for the eight great regional cuisines, but given he’s in the neighbourhood, he can’t pass by without dropping in to see how the city has changed since he last visited. By Chinese standards, Shanghai is a very new city. Less than 200 years ago, this was just a small fishing village but in the modern era, Shanghai has become a vital port, bustling with traders from every corner of the globe. These traders have all left their culinary mark, and Shanghai cuisine now has a flavour all of its own.
Confucius was one of the most prolific moral and social philosophers of the pre-modern era so it’s not surprising to learn that he had a thing or two to say about food. Adam is in Qufu at the Confucius Temple and Mansion to find out more. Born in 551 BC, Confucius’ thoughts on cuisine had a profound effect on Chinese gastronomy. Protect the environment; Eat seasonally; And adhere to the proper way of preparing and serving food, by respecting the ingredients. Adam meets up with Master Peng Wenyu, a descendant of a Confucius Mansion chef and a veteran of the elaborate Confucius-style banquet cuisine. Master Peng takes Adam to try a Confucius banquet so he can see for himself the meticulous and conscientious food preparation involved and as he sits down in a private room, Adam is treated to a banquet – not as extensive as the 180-course meals enjoyed by Confucius’ heirs – but an indulgence, nonetheless.
Whilst the Han ethnic group makes up 92% of China's population, Yunnan holds the largest number of ethnic minority groups, with 25 here out of the 55 that are recognised. Adam is keen to explore different ethnic minorities within the province. Discounting the impact of the powerful forces within Yunnan ethnic minorities leaves out way more for Chinese cuisine than it embraces. Instead, the minority groups give the country a spectrum of unique foods that reflect the local culture, traditions, history, and ingredients and that’s what Adam is here to discover.
The Sichuan Province is best known in the West for its fiery cuisine, but Adam suspects there’s much more to it than meets the eye. Adam arrives at this rich crossroad and this time he’s joined by celebrated chef and author Fuchsia Dunlop who is an expert on the region. Fuchsia and Adam visit the local spice market to search for the chilli pepper, the fundamental ingredient of Sichuan cuisine, while they come across uncover the Sichuan pepper. Although it’s known as a ‘pepper’, it’s actually a citrus fruit and Adam tries it to experience its numbing flavour to understand that quintessential Ma La (numbing hot) flavour, that Sichuan cuisine is famous for.
Adam Liaw is in Fujian – a place with a long history of migration where the movement of people left an enduring mark that manifested in its food and culture. Fujian cuisine is known for its huge variety of seafood and wild foods from the mountains. Cooks here have become known for their deft touch with seasonings, vinegar, wines and soy sauces and Adam visits Gulong Soy Sauce Factory, the largest dry yard in Asia that uses the traditional brewing method to turn 55,000 pots of soybeans into soy sauce. It's here that Adam learns about the two-year fermentation process and tastes firsthand the deliciously thick and salty sauce before using it in a local Fujian dish.
Hong Kong looms on the horizon, its glittering peaks towering over the lush foliage tumbling down the steep peaks that punctuate the city. Adam has arrived in a city where the average Hong Kong resident eats out an astonishing 23 times a month. To help him find his way around, Adam meets up with his friend, Hong Kong-based food writer Janice Leung who takes Adam to her favourite Hong Kong BBQ restaurant, the Michelin starred Yat Lok and the meat sweats are on! Over the water, Adam then heads next to Guangdong Province to explore the birthplace of Cantonese cuisine with local Shadow Yan as they explore some of the finer desserts made with buffalo milk, brought to the region by European traders in the 16th century.
Hainan Island is known as “Oriental Hawaii” and it enjoys the same palm-fringed golden beaches and tropical climate. Over the years, many Hainanese left the island migrating to Southeast Asia in search of a better life and history has also influenced the island's food and culture. With a multitude of dishes explored, including jiaji duck, hele crab and wenchang chicken, it’s time for the family reunion and Adams wife and kids arrive in Haikou so they can all travel to Adam's grandfather’s village together. Keen to know more about his family, Adam and his uncle Sian go for a tour of the village where they find the Liaw family hall. Here all their family history is recorded and Adam works out he is the 13th generation of 30 Liaw’s who have come over from the mainland.
