[calm music]
[narrator] Rice is oneof the most commonly found foods
on the Chinese dining table.
It possesses great potential
to be turned into many different forms
and presented in various ways.
[tranquil music]
[indistinct chatter]
[narrator] This kind of breakfastis only found in Yunnan.
It has a strong rice fragrance.
It’s very soft and easy to chew.
Accompanied by such delicacies,
a brand-new day awaits.
[burbling]
RICE CAKE WITH PORK
[narrator] “Er” refers to anythingthat is made from rice flour.
It may havemany different forms and flavors,
but they all have the same texture.
STEWED RICE CAKE
ERKUAI
[narrator] One kilogram of ricecan make three kilograms of rice noodles,
but it’s only enough to makeone and a half kilograms of rice cake.
[calm music]
[narrator] Rice cake is more compact,so it’s more filling.
Yet at the same time,
its chewiness givesan interesting dining experience.
YUNNAN DALI, BAOFENG VILLAGE
DUAN JIANHUA
[narrator] At 8:00 a.m.,the machine is activated.
Duan Jianhua and his wife haveto process 100 kilograms of rice today.
[rustling]
[narrator] The use of machineshas increased production rates.
But the most important procedurestill requires human hands.
One portion of rice flouris mixed with one portion of water.
This step requiresa pair of hands stirring continuously
to make sure the batter is evenly mixed.
[upbeat music]
[narrator] If the batter flowsfrom the hands for five seconds,
that is a sign that the batterwill produce a chewy rice cake.
A testing procedure discoveredthrough 20 years of experience.
[machine whirring, rattling]
[narrator] The batter is heated up rapidlyto form soft, thin strands.
[light music]
[narrator] This transformation of rice
still requires one last step.
YUNNAN KUNMING, GONGDU REGION
[narrator] Although automated productionis common nowadays,
conventional handmade rice productscan still be found.
DING ZHILIN
[narrator] 36-year-old Ding Zhilin
is one of the few chefs in Kunming
that still uses conventional methodsto make “er”.
[upbeat music]
[narrator] He doesn’t use any machinesto make “er” at all.
He uses only his handsfor the entire process.
Different from Duan Jianhua’s methodof grinding the rice directly,
Ding Zhilin’s methodtakes a lot longer to do.
[calm music]
[narrator] Rice is soaked in waterfor two hours
and steamed for 40 minutes.
Then, it is ready to be used.
These two chefshave completely transformed this rice
and are waiting to proceedto the next step.
Natural beeswax is addedto prevent the dough from sticking.
Kneading is about to start.
[squelching]
[lively music]
[narrator] After five minutesof continuous kneading,
the texture of the riceis starting to change.
Its original shape begins to disappear,
and it starts to forma compact hole structure.
[rasps, thumps]
[thuds]
[narrator] Pressing itinto a palm-sized cake
is the way to makeauthentic Yunnan erkuai.
Its firm yet chewy texture
eases the later stagesof storage and processing.
[birds chirping]
[hisses]
[narrator] On the other hand,Ding Zhilin’s rice is 70 percent cooked.
This is because the rice has to remainfirm and sticky at the same time.
The rice is ready to be pounded.
Next, Ding Zhilin and his brothers
are going to performan almost forgotten technique.
[ominous music]
[narrator] To activatethis 200-kilogram stake,
he needs help from eight people.
[creaking]
[thumps]
[loud thudding]
[loud thudding continues]
[narrator] They need to work togetherto pound the dough once every second.
Three minutes of continuous poundingis done to let the amylopectin in the rice
combine togetherto form a firmer structure.
Rice lost its original form,
and now, the rice doughhas an even texture.
[calm music]
[calm music continues]
[narrator] Compared to the kneaded erkuaimade by Duan Jianhua,
Ding Zhilin’s pounded erkuai
is chewier and bouncier,
which will provide better texturesfor dishes.
-[burbling]-[sizzling]
[narrator] Turning rice into rice cakeis just the beginning.
When the rice cakeenters Yunnan’s culinary world,
that is when its potentialis fully realized.
[calm music]
[crackling]
[narrator] Under the pressure of heat,
the remaining water in erkuaiis fully removed.
Starch expands when heated,
and releases a strong,wheat-like fragrance.
Grilling it in this way,the Yunnan people call it grilled erkuai.
[lively music]
[narrator] After being grilled,
erkuai now has two different textures.
It’s crispy and burnt on the outside,and sticky inside.
Peas are ground into a powderand mixed with water to form a stew.
It’s smooth and savory.
Then, it’s eaten with grilled erkuai,
a new flavor inventedby the people of Yunnan.
[slurps]
[sizzling]
[narrator] In 200 degrees Celsiusboiling hot oil,
erkuai showcases its other side.
High heat adds a layerof burnt fragrance to the erkuai.
The water from the vegetablestenderizes the erkuai
and produces a thick sauceat the same time.
[calm music]
STIR-FRIED RICE CAKE
[narrator] Stir-fried Erkuaihas a smooth surface but firm texture.
It needs to be chewed slowly
to enjoy it to the fullest extentof its flavor.
[burbling]
Boil it in water,
and it gives your taste budsa whole new experience.
Cut erkuai into slicesand it becomes rice noodles.
Rice noodles havea stable starch structure,
so they can be boiledfor a very long time.
But the Yunnan peopleprefer a harder texture,
so they will only boil itfor a little while.
The rice noodles are removedfrom the boiling water
once they have softened.
[light music]
[narrator] Then, pork broththat has been boiled for two hours
is used as a base.
The natural fatsoaks into the rice noodles.
The soup is mild but flavorsome.
Topped with minced porkstir-fried with onions,
the combination is a bowl ofauthentic Xizhou rice noodles from Dali.
[light music]
[narrator] After a lot of effort,a grain of rice is transformed into “er”.
Originally a biscuitthat people ate as a snack,
now, it has turned into oneof the signature flavors of Yunnan.
A hidden knowledge of agriculturejust might be found
through the making of “er”.
[tranquil music]
[closing theme music]
Subtitle translation by Coleen Chua