[lively music]
[narrator]It’s like a mesmerizing magic trick.
Ridiculous as it may seem,
it originates from a unique,natural landscape
that has both a differentand a hidden understanding of food.
[birds chirping]
[light music]
[narrator] When it comesto discovering flavors,
the Yunnan people have always been boldyet scrupulous.
Ingredients that grow freelyonly need some simple handling,
giving the most modest, fervent,and authentic flavors of Dehong.
[engine rumbling]
[narrator]There are about 30 ethnic groups
living in the peripheral regionof northwest China.
[quirky music]
[woman] Here’s your nanpie.
[narrator] Using different ingredients,mixing them win with different spices,
and making them into a salad
is known as nanpiein the Tai Nuea language.
It is soft and tender…
[spits]
…but very piquant.
[birds chirping]
[thumping]
[narrator] Making nanpie requiresa very simple tool.
A mortar and pestle is a necessityin every household in Dehong.
[upbeat music]
[thudding]
POUNDED SOUR PAPAYA
[narrator] Pestling and mixing ingredientsmay seem simple,
but the diversity of ingredients
has brought enormous possibilitiesto nanpie.
POUNDED BURNT RICE
YUNNAN MANGSHI, MANGLI VILLAGE
[narrator] In the stockaded village of Dailocated in the southern region of Dehong,
Feng Hanleng is preparing the ingredientsfor her son’s farewell dinner.
The wild, greenish fruitfound in paddy fields
is known as the black nightshade.
The locals call it “the bitter berry.”
[light music]
[narrator] It has a cute round shapebut its taste is extremely explosive.
Black nightshade containsa good amount of alkaloids.
Once you eat it, you will feela strong burning sensation right away.
YUNNAN MANGSHI, LAZHANG VILLAGE
[narrator] As Feng Hanleng is preparinga Black Nightshade Nanpie,
there is a gathering happeningin the neighboring village.
[chanting]
[narrator] Every year on September 15thof the Dai Calendar,
the elderly will gather together
to repent for the pastand pray for the future.
The morning gathering has just ended
but Mie Yuewangbao’s houseis just starting to get crowded.
MIE YUEWANGBAO
[narrator] It’s as if time stopswhen you live in the rural areas.
The way of living and eating habits
are all very traditional.
[lively music]
[narrator] It’s almost noonwhen she finishes working.
Mie Yuewangbao plansto make her signature dish for everyone
to help beat the summer heatand boost their appetites.
[calm music]
[water trickles]
[narrator] The tamarillo is mostly foundin sub-tropical highlands.
It’s small in sizeand has a hard outer skin.
It is sour but lusciously juicy,
and closely related to the tomato.
[engine rumbling]
The average winter temperature in Dehongis approximately 20 degrees Celsius,
making it easier for mankindto obtain more nutritious food.
The snakehead fish is mainly foundat the China-Myanmar border.
It’s juicy, has tiny bones,
and is the best ingredientto make fish nanpie.
[suspenseful music]
[narrator]After preparing all the ingredients,
the fish needs to be extensively handledto further elevate its taste.
[blowing air]
[crackling]
[narrator] The flaming ashes will givethe tamarillos a complete makeover.
During its continuous exposure to heat,
an amazing thing begins happening.
[ominous music]
[squelching]
[narrator] A high temperatureof 200 degrees Celsius
can cause the tamarillo to boil within
and expand to the pointwhere its skin bursts.
After being heated,
the tamarillo skincan be easily peeled off.
[calm music]
[narrator] The flesh is semi-transparent,
but its elasticity remains.
Tabasco peppers, garlic slices,and mock olives
are added in the right proportion.
[squelches]
[upbeat music]
[narrator] A crazy partyis about to start.
[squelching]
[narrator] The ingredientsare then pestled rapidly
to reduce its exposure to air
and to retain the original flavorof the tamarillos and the spices.
It’s done.
[narrator] Rich in pectin,
the tamarillo becomes even smootherand softer after being pestled.
And its sourness is still very significant
even after adding a lot of spices.
[chimes]
[narrator] For many years,
tamarillos have provideda very significant flavor
for the elderly people of Lazhang village.
Even after so many years,
the taste remains the same.
[light music]
[narrator] Mo Yuewangbao,on the other hand,
is still waiting for her lunch.
MO YUEWANGBAO
[sizzles]
[narrator] After grilling for 20 minutes,
the skin of the snakehead fishturns crispy.
A concentrated smell of mineralsis released as it is being grilled.
The fish bones are then removed,
and the toughest part of the fish stomachis pestled.
[soft thudding]
A simple pestlingis enough to quickly soften the fish.
But Mo Yuewangbao has a higher standardfor the tenderness of the fish.
[squelching]
[narrator] She presses the pestleagainst the edge of the mortar
and moves it in a circular direction.
[tense music]
[narrator] As the air continuously enters,
the fish will slowlybecome finer and fluffier.
Pestling and grinding slowlychanges the taste of fish nanpie.
The use of spices releasesa piquant scent,
followed by the richnessof the oil found in the fish.
Such an amazing combination createsa complicated yet flavorsome taste.
It takes an hour to make fish nanpie.
Only by livingthe casual village lifestyle
can one afford to spend that much timein making this dish.
YUNNAN DEHONG, MANGLI VILLAGE
[narrator] Cooking is an art of time.
Some take it slow,while others would prefer to go fast.
As for Black Nightshades,
it only takes ten minutesfor surprises to happen.
After boiling it in the water,
its bitterness wanesand its outer skin becomes soft.
[squelching]
[narrator] This is the best timeto pestle Black Nightshade.
[lively music]
To tune down its bitterness,
Feng Hanleng has picked the zesty basil,
and the slightly minty mock olive
out of more than ten types of herbsin her spice garden.
After a simple pestling and grinding,
the seeds, pulp, and skinof the Black Nightshade
have been separated
forming a complicated flavoralongside all the other spices.
BLACK NIGHTSHADE NANPIE
[light music]
[narrator] It’s easy and quick to make,
and it provides a flavorsome after taste.
Black Nightshade Nanpieis one of the most unique specialties
in this stockaded village of Daiin Mang City.
And only the locals knowhow to appreciate its goodness.
Turning easily obtained wild ingredientsinto modest tasty delicacies,
these ordinary life tricks are enoughto create many flavorsome experiences
in our taste buds.
[closing theme music]