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

Snout & Seek

A collage of images: a 10-foot tall stack of steamer trays, Sichuan dishes, and a Chinese woman with text overtop that says: "Eat like a local in Chengdu with Zhuangzhuang"
Series

Part One: Chengdu Snacks I Grew Up With

A new series: nostalgic dishes from childhood. Zhuangzhuang shares her childhood snacks from Chengdu.
Dozens of rows of soy sauce fermentation urns line the river bank next to a wide green river, each urn has its bamboo lid overturned on its side, resembling a hat resting against the urns.

Soy Sauce Factory near the Chishui River

A look over Xianshi Soy Sauce's factory next to the Chishui river.
A look inside an industrial warehouse where baijiu is using mud pits to ferment, steam rises during the fermentation process.

Steaming Sorghum for Baijiu Brewing

To many people’s surprise, baijiu is made very differently from rice wine. Instead of liquid fermentation, it follows a solid-state process.
Yellow-ish clear water with small white clouds in a large stainless steel vat; a worker uses bamboo trays to wisk the water in the tofu molding process.

Tofu Molding in Water

Making tofu by hand has been part of Chinese food culture for over two thousand years, traditionally traced back to the Han dynasty.
Two rows of small, 12'' brown ceramic pickling jars - one row is plain, the other has a decorative pattern painted on the side.

Ceramic Pickling Jars Are Everywhere

You can't say you've been to Sichuan if you haven't stumbled upon rows of ceramic pickling jars.
Large amber glass-like rocks on an old-fashioned weighing rod with a 1.0kg weight on the end

Rock Sugar for Pickling in Sichuan

These large chunks of rock sugar used in pickling are often not made from sugarcane.
A soy sauce fermentation urn with rich dark black soy beans surrounding the bamboo cistern that collects the rich sauce, topped with a micro net to prevent insects from climbing inside.

Soy Sauce Fermentation in Progress

The beautiful sight of soy sauce fermentation - rich dark soy sauce collects in the middle giving a deep aroma in the air.
A white plate with a circular salmon tartare base topped with fermented brown ants and a pickled chili pepper

Salmon Tartare with Fermented Ants

An unusual topping to salmon tartare - today we bring you fermented ants.
Chef Tang, using a meat cleaver on a large circular wood cutting board inside a typical stainless steal professional kitchen.

Working in a Professional Chinese Kitchen

During our visit to Luzhou, we spent time with our old friend Chef Tang at MountRiver Restaurant.
White wontons in Doubanjiang Broth with lettuce leaves

Wontons in Doubanjiang Broth

Pixian doubanjiang, often described as the soul of Sichuan cuisine, is a traditional fermented condiment.
Various greens in a market - broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, cabbage, litsea roots, cucumbers, and spinach stacked in neat piles at a farmers market.
Photo Story

Spring and Summer Markets in Liangshan

Come discover the Spring and Summer Markets in Liangshan: Wild Plants for Food, Medicine, and Tea.
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.