[narrator] Sourness is oneof the five fundamental tastes
of the human gustatory system.
[lively music]
[narrator] In Yunnan, the locals usevarious types of local fruits
to create many new flavorsfor people to enjoy.
[quirky music]
[narrator] By stimulating the secretionof saliva and gastric acid,
sourness can increase a person’s appetite.
There are fruits in Yunnanwhose sourness is too extreme.
But after being processed,
they become some of the locals’most favorite snacks.
[upbeat music]
[narrator] However,these extremely sour fruits
are quite difficult to eat on their own.
YUNNAN DEHONG, RUILI
[narrator] The Yunnan people’s creativity
has increased the varietyof their delicacies.
MUTU TIWENG
[narrator] Mutu Tiweng is oneof the experts in using sour fruits.
This is our locally-produced lemon.
It is mainly exportedto foreign countries.
[calm music]
So we normally use lime in our dishes.
A lime is juicier compared to a lemon,and it is more aromatic, too.
[narrator] Lemons and limesare closely related.
Limes contain higher concentrationsof organic acids
and are more aromatic than lemons.
Limes are also more sour than lemons.
In Southeast Asian and Yunnan dishes,limes are widely used.
LIME CHICKEN FEET
LIME CHICKEN
YUNNAN DALI, BAOFENG VILLAGE
[narrator] Quite different from limes,
there is another fruitthat is sour and astringent.
[birds chirping]
[sniffs]
[light music]
[narrator] September is the monthwhen this fruit ripens.
It is commonly foundin every Dali household.
YANG WEIDONG
[narrator] Chef Yang Weidonguses this fruit, too.
[light music]
[narrator] This is a kindof Rosaceae fruit
that is planted locallyin the northwest region of Yunnan,
sour papaya.
Papayas are exotic imported fruits.
They are sweet, juicy,and have a firmer texture.
The acerbic sour papayas, however,are local fruits.
The annual productionof sour papayas in Dianxi
yields approximately500,000 kilos or more.
It can be madeinto a refreshing and zesty salad.
Pestled with spices,it is both sour and spicy.
It is very appetizingwhen stir-fried with meat.
STIR-FRIED MEAT WITH SOUR PAPAYA
Among the many kinds of sour fruitsin Yunnan,
there is one fruitthat is mysterious and hidden.
It only grows wildlyalong the mountain ridges.
Wang Fei decides to go and seek for it.
WANG FEI
[Wang Fei] It’s up there,I’ll go check it out.
Wait for me down here.
Guochen, there is a lot here.
Bring the small basket hereto collect them.
Come.
[light music]
Father, enough. Stop plucking.
It’s so sour.
[quirky music]
[narrator] The ripe sour pomereleases an alluring fragrance,
but it tastes acerbic and astringent.
[lively music]
[narrator] Pestle togethersome salt and chili,
and it turns into an appetizing snack.
COLD SOUR POME
[narrator] Today,Wang Fei will try to use sour pome
to invent a new dish.
Turning acerbic fruits into a dish,
Yunnan people emphasizethe use of ingredients
according to the sournessand taste respectively.
These three chefs will findthe most suitable ingredients
to match with these sour fruits.
YUNNAN DEHONG, RUILI
[narrator] In Mutu Tiweng’s menu,
the best matching ingredient for lime
comes from deep within the mountains.
[chicken screeches]
[quirky music]
[Mutu Tiweng] This home-raised chickenin Jingpo Mountain
can only be caught at night.
It runs freely during the day,
which means it exercises a lot.
So the texture of its meatis more tender and fresh.
[narrator] After grilling,
the skin of the chicken releasesa burnt smell.
Then, cooking it with herbs and spicesfor 30 minutes
lets the spicy aroma slowly seepinto the chicken meat.
[light music]
[narrator] Let it cool,then pull it into strips
to retain the muscle fiber of the meatwhich helps in the marinating process
and keeps its chewy texture.
After adding sand ginger,basil leaves, and coriander,
the chicken meatnow has a multi-layered flavor,
containing the various aromasof each of the added spices.
The key technique in making this dish
is to use those herbs and spicesas precisely balanced as possible.
Lime juice oozes out of its thin membrane,
unleashing its powerful aroma.
[squelching]
[suspenseful music]
[narrator] The fruit acid in the limetenderizes the meat,
and its floral aroma
neutralizes the piquant flavorof the spices.
GHOST CHICKEN
[narrator] Aromatic spicesand tender chicken strips
provide a fantastic dining experiencein both taste and smell.
This is the authenticghost chicken dish of Jingpo.
[upbeat music]
[indistinct chatter]
[narrator] Compared to using lime,
the sour papaya needsa few additional steps in preparing it.
Dong, what are you making?
Sour papaya fish.
[narrator] The Prussian carp’s meatis soft and mildly sweet.
Cooking it with sour papayaturned it into a famous Dali dish.
[burbling]
Prussian carp is fried until golden,then boiled in soup to continue cooking.
The soup is rich,
but the flavor of the fishis yet to be fully elevated.
Yang Weidong thinks that fresh sour papayaisn’t good enough for his dish.
After drying under the sun for two days,
the sour papaya is completely dehydrated
it is now sour enough to be used.
[water burbling]
[narrator] By adding dried sour papayainto the fish soup,
the sourness of the dried fruitfully elevates the flavor of the fish.
It is both acidic and rich.
SOUR PAPAYA FISH
[lively music]
Long time no see.
[all] Cheers!
To everyone!
[narrator]Every year during the sour papaya season,
it is the time when good friends gather.
They have a pot of sour papayaand a cup of wine
to celebrate the year’s good yield.
In Kunming,Wang Fei plans to invent a new dish.
He’s going to cook shrimp with sour pome.
Wang Fei’s biggest challengeisn’t just to create a new dish,
but also to make sure that he gets ridof the fishy smell of the shrimp.
[light music]
[thumps]
[whirs]
[narrator] Sour pome is mixed and blendedwith various spices.
[tense music]
[shouting]
[lively music]
[narrator] The acidic fruitis mixed with hot spices
to give it a sharp, straightforward taste.
The shrimps are put in live.
This is how Wang Fei likes to cook,simple and to the point.
[Wang Fei] Sour pome shrimps are here!
SOUR POME SHRIMP
[narrator] After 20 minutes of marinating,
the acids break down the aminefrom the shrimp,
removing the fishy odorand elevating its freshness.
Fresh, raw shrimp are coatedwith a thin layer of sourness.
The luscious shrimp meat explodesimmediately upon chewing,
giving an acidic flavorwith a sweet aftertaste.
The look of satisfactionon the faces of Wang Fei’s wife and son
is the best compliment to his dish.
[dreamy music]
[narrator] Sour and astringent fruitsare not as valuable at the beginning,
that is, until they are cleverly mixedwith aromatic spices.
The people of Yunnanuse commonly sour fruits
and turn them into delicious delicacies.
This is their way of appreciating food
and constantly discoveringthe flavors of nature.
[closing theme music]
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