Snout & Seek - Discover Culinary Wonders
Snout & Seek - Discover Culinary Wonders
Culinary Cultural Exploration & Discovery
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Snout & Seek - Discover Culinary Wonders
Snout & Seek

Snout & Seek

Many mason jars filled with fermenting green plums to be used for drinks or seasoning.

Fermented Plums for Drinks and Seasoning

Often associated with Japan, fermented plums are widely used across East Asia, with their own expressions found throughout China.
A shifu uses a bamboo stick to stir a large ceramic urn filled with doubanjiang on a stone patio, next to other urns fermenting.

Doubanjiang Requires Daily Care

Doubanjiang is not something you leave alone. A shifu uses a bamboo stick to stir every day.
A stainless steel wok is alit with bright orange fire as the chef flambés the dish in a professional kitchen.

Flambé in Chinese Cooking

宫保鸡丁 (gōng bǎo jī dīng), or Kung Pao Chicken, is a classic Sichuan dish that brings together fermented condiments and a final touch of baijiu.
Rows of soy sauce urns sit on a tiled patio, their lids replaced with a white mesh to keep out insects while the contents aerate.

Traditional Techniques with a Modern Approach

Soy sauce and doubanjiang are still made by hand in many places, following methods passed down over centuries.
A close up photo of the red doubanjiang dish in a giant urn.

Doubanjiang Is a Time Capsule

豆瓣酱 (dòubànjiàng), or fermented broad bean and chili paste, sits at the heart of Sichuan cooking.
A local expert in Luzhou speaks to Chef Arnold about the key ingredient to baijiu - sorghum - as show holds an enamel-sealed specimen for him to look at.

Learning About Baijiu and Sorghum

Many people know baijiu, but far fewer know what shapes it.
Large bamboo baskets filled with giant spring ginger sit on a market floor, ready to be purchased.

Spring Ginger in a Local Sichuan Market

Ginger runs deep in Sichuan cooking, but not all ginger is treated the same.
Round golden-red dough balls soaked in oil sit in a sieve as they fry in a large fire-heated wok.

Chinese Donut in Southwest China

糖油果子 (táng yóu guǒ zi) is a round dough fried in hot oil and coated in caramelized brown sugar.
Two European white males stand next to a 10-foot large stack of giant bamboo steamer baskets in a storage area.

Giant Steamer Baskets in Luzhou

Giant steamer baskets in Luzhou are built from the bamboo that grows all around Sichuan.
A small bottle of orange liquid sits on a dining table. A small white label with the brand Shan Cheng He in Chinese characters is on the side of the bottle.

Mother Brine of Sichuan Paocai

Mother brine, to many people’s surprise, is an essential part of Sichuan fermentation if you are to make great paocai.
A close up photo of the spiky yellow cili fruits on their tree, surrounded by small green leaves.
Story

Cili: The Understated King of Vitamin C

Come learn about Cili - a local fruit in Mianning, full of vitamin C. This small spiky fruit has been a local staple for hundreds of years.
A local Yi female farmer in her late 50's uses a thin pitchfork-like stick to hoist buckwheat onto a giant pile.
Culture

Buckwheat: The Grain That Sustains the Yi People

Come explore a simple ingredient that sustains an entire way of life for the Yi people in China - Buckwheat.
“Eastern Chocolate” – Liangshan Brown Sugar
Photo Story

“Eastern Chocolate” – Liangshan Brown Sugar

Come and experience a delectable sweet that stands next to chocolate in its decadence - Liangshan Brown Sugar.
Chinese Olive Oil That Rivals the Mediterranean
Story

Chinese Olive Oil That Rivals the Mediterranean

Come and learn about Taiwanese entrepreneur developing world-class extra virgin olive oil in Mianning, Sichuan, China.
Shredded radish and fermented fish in a white bowl.
Culture

Before Sushi: The Ancient Chinese Art of Zha (鮓)

Rice is not only a staple, but a tool for flavor, through fermentation, rice can create entirely new flavors.
Smoked Sichuan sausage and fish are hanging out on display.
Education

24 Flavors of Sichuan Cuisine – Smoked Aroma (烟香, Yān Xiāng) Flavor

Smoke is one of Sichuan cuisine’s most distinctive ways of building flavor. Over days of smoking, drying, and resting - the smoky flavor settles.
Yi people holding bamboo torches aloft, by the hundreds, surrounding a traditionally dressed Yi woman.
Culture

The Yi Torch Festival: Yi Women and Their Kitchens

Behind every Yi Torch Festival celebration is a kitchen where women cook not just food, but memory, ritual, and the bond between family, ancestors, and community.
A farmer lowers a crop of avocados into a black plastic crate already full.
Story

From Avocado to Coffee, A Mind-opening Journey

For people in Yunnan, coffee and avocado are foreign crops that have brought more than economic opportunity. They’ve helped build a better life, and opened a wider world beyond the mountains.