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

Red capped mushrooms picked in a basket.

Wild Mushrooms from Yunnan

Photo: Wild mushrooms from Yunnan
Soy sauce laborer removes the bamboo hats from the rows of soy bean fermentation jars.

Working Among the Soy Sauce Jars

In the soy sauce factory, workers move carefully among rows of fermentation jars. They watch the weather throughout the day.
Three trays of fermenting soybeans rest on shelves on top of one another.

Soybeans Fermenting in the Temperature-controlled Room

Steamed soybeans are first coated with flour, then sent into a temperature-controlled room to ferment naturally. As the process begins, a layer of Aspergillus oryzae grows across the beans, appearing as a soft green coating.
The top of a brown weather-worn ceramic vinegar jar stamped with its vat number in black ink.

Ceramic Jars for Vinegar

Ceramic jars are used for vinegar fermentation in Sichuan. They are valued for their ability to maintain steady temperature and humidity, which leads to a smoother and more stable fermentation process.
The Spirit of Rice: How an Ordinary Grain Becomes the Heart of a People
Story

The Spirit of Rice: How an Ordinary Grain Becomes the Heart of a People

No ingredient is as simple in requirement, yet as generous in what it gives. Rice is not only a staple. It is family.
An elderly Sichuan, Chinese woman sits in the faded red wooden doorway to her shop in Yaoba Historic Village.

A Niang Niang sits in the doorway of her shop in Yaoba

A 嬢嬢 (niáng niang, meaning auntie) sits in the doorway of her shop in Yaoba Historic Town in Luzhou.
Professional chef stir-frying using a wok and professional gas stove in a professional kitchen with fire shooting out.

A Luzhou Chef at Work

In a Luzhou restaurant kitchen, a chef cooks over powerful flames that rise from the wok.
The modern sprawl of Luzhou, flanking the Yangtze river with a simple modern arch-style bridge connecting two sections of the city.

Morning in Modern Luzhou

A summer morning in Luzhou shows how the city blends old and new.
The top layer of soy beans during their fermentation process in a traditional ceramic jar.

Soy Sauce Fermentation Jar

Inside the soy sauce fermentation jar, the white crystals on top are salt particles.
A scan of an old painting of rocky mountains in Yunnan before a forest and river in the foreground.
Places

Yunnan’s Sunlight, Wind, Mountains, and Nature-Led Cuisine

Introducing, Yunnan - one of China's best kept secrets (until recently).
Old red brick building with a Chinese style roof in the historic town of Yaoba in Sichuan, China.

Summer in Yaoba Historic Town

A summer day in Yaoba Historic Town in Luzhou, Sichuan. The heat is intense and the sky is clear. People
The city of Luzhou, Sichuan, China flanks the Yangtze river.

Luzhou, the River City

Luzhou sits along the Yangtze River, a landscape shaped by flowing water. This abundance of water makes centuries of soy
Sichuan winter sausages dry by the dozen along with dried fish hanging from bamboo trusses.

Winter Sausages in Sichuan

Winter in Sichuan is marked by the annual tradition of drying sausages. Families prepare minced pork, ribs, and fish with
Fermented Long Beans with Minced Pork
Recipe

Fermented Long Beans with Minced Pork

Tangy fermented long beans, savory minced pork, gentle spice, and bright aromatics.
Tea Eggs (Cháyè dàn / 茶叶蛋)
Recipe

Tea Eggs (Cháyè dàn / 茶叶蛋)

Learn to make stunning marbled tea eggs at home and enjoy alongside your favourite meals.
A ginger and tuxedo cat lounging on their respective cat beds in the sun on a hardwood floor.
Story

My Maodong Experience in 2025

A slow living approach to winter, guided by food, memory, and simple pleasures
A glass pickling jar filled with long green beans, Sichuan peppercorns, baijiu, chili peppers, and other vegetables on a redish backgrou
Recipe

Sichuan Pao Cai (Sìchuān pàocài / 四川泡菜) – Sichuan Fermented Vegetables

Learn to make Sichuan Pao Cai - a foundation of daily Sichuan cooking.
A bamboo ladle pours dark rich soy sauce back into the centre of a soy sauce fermentation urn from whence it came.

Smooth Pour of Soy Sauce

Photo: A smooth pour of soy sauce still fermenting during the manufacturing process.