33 replies to this topic

[liuzhou]

China television is currently showing a series "A Bite of China" on everyday cooking. It's in Chinese, of course. But even if you don't know Chinese the images will have you drooling.

Episode one is on YouTube here.

To find further episodes search YT for 舌尖上的中国

Edited by liuzhou, 20 May 2012 - 02:17 AM.

[nibor]

Thanks Liu. So beautiful.
It made me want to go out in the forest to pick mushrooms, like I did when I was a child.
We don't get to do that here in the dry sprawling suburbs of southern California.

nibor

[liuzhou]

There are five episodes on YouTube at the moment. All equally beautiful.

They are:

1. Gifts of Nature
2. Story of the Staples
3. Inspiration of Conversion
4. The Taste of Time
5. Secret of the Kitchen

There are seven episodes in total. I'm reasonably sure the last two will turn up soon.

Edited by liuzhou, 20 May 2012 - 10:17 PM.

[dcarch]

Very interesting programs. Too bad there are no English subtitles.

dcarch

[goodkidwe]

Useful source. Fortunately, I can learn both Chinese and Chisese cooking.

[liuzhou]

Episode 6 "Five Flavours in Harmony" is now also available.

[liuzhou]

Here is a link to a better quality version of Episode 6 and a link to the new Episode 7

6. Five flavours in harmony
7. Our farmland

I believe that No. 7 is the last episode.

For those who don' t know Chinese, I'm sure that China Central Television will get round to subtitling it some day. They are capitalists, after all!

In the meantime, just treat it as food porn - no one ever complains what language their porn is in! (or so I'm told!)

[Harvey2012]

Wow, thanks for the links. Food porn indeed! Hope they get around to doing the subtitles.

[liuzhou]

Very interesting programs. Too bad there are no English subtitles.

dcarch

Someone has now posted versions on YouTube with English subtitles. The video quality is not so good and the amateur translations aren't perfect, but they are good enough to get the meaning, and will certainly do until offical translations are released.

So far, the first two episodes have been posted.

A bite of China English subtitles 舌尖上的中國 EP1 The Gift of the Nature

A bite of China English subtitles 舌尖上的中國 EP2 The Story of Staple food

[JTravel]

Thank you so much to leading me to this. We're going to China in the fall and I will watch every show....and have lots of behind the scenes info. Those guys digging for the lotus roots....just one of the amazing things they showed. They are a must for anyone who in interested in Chinese ingredients and food.

[liuzhou]

Thank you so much to leading me to this. We're going to China in the fall and I will watch every show....and have lots of behind the scenes info. Those guys digging for the lotus roots....just one of the amazing things they showed. They are a must for anyone who in interested in Chinese ingredients and food.

The lotus root scene is amazing, yes. I have actually seen them do this. Until I did, I really never appreciated lotus root so much as I do now. Although I always liked it.

Around 12 minutes into episode one is a short section on Liuzhou, the city where I live. I was delighted to see the "sweet bamboo" which is pickled (the translation given for pickled bamboo is 'sour bamboo', which is not quite right) and added to our our local speciality "Luosifen" - what they don't explain is that the rice noodles are served in a spicy soup made from river snails. I eat this at least once a week. It is cheap street food, but truly delicious!

The baby croaker, beans and pickled bamboo is a dish I eat quite often, too.

And that's just one city!

Enjoy your trip.

[liuzhou]

The subtitled episode 3 is now available.

A bite of China English subtitles 舌尖上的中國 EP3 The Inspiration of Transformation

[liuzhou]

The Wall Street Journal has belatedly found this program and produced an interesting piece.

the biggest beneficiaries of the series so far are food vendors. Chinese e-commerce hub Taobao said the first five episodes of the show spurred more than 5.3 million people to search for food-related products on the site. It reported a 71% increase in sales of steam pots and a 80% jump for ham. Food stalls are also seeing a spike in business. According to a CCTV news report, a pig’s feet stall in Fujian province saw sales double after the regional specialty was featured on the show.

The full story is here.

Edited by liuzhou, 11 June 2012 - 11:35 PM.

[liuzhou]

Episode 4 - The Taste of Time

[jo-mel]

Just started watching this series, and I don't think I will EVER eat lotus root again withouth thinking of those hard working brothers! The subtitles help, but the little Chinese I can understand is fun also. AND -- the beautiful music is a plus! Thanks for this!

[liuzhou]

There is also now a book. This is beginning to cost me a fortune!



I bought the whole series on DVD for ¥108 RMB (then found a pirate copy in the local market for ¥7 and bought that, too!)

And now a book for another ¥50.

Edited by liuzhou, 17 July 2012 - 10:51 PM.

[liuzhou]

A bite of China English subtitles 舌尖上的中國 EP5 The Secret of Kitchen is now available on YouTube

[liuzhou]

Oliver Thring, in the Guardian today, describes the series as "the best TV show I've ever seen about food." He also hazards that "it's the best one ever made."

He also says that there are "plans to screen A Bite of China in 20 countries including Germany and the USA"

[Prawncrackers]

Ha Liuzhou, you do know that all the guardian food journalists plunder egullet for their pieces. Felicity Cloake in particular simply repeats her "how to cook the perfect..." series on our cook-off ideas.

But Ollie Thring is right about this series though, it is brilliant!

[liuzhou]

all the guardian food journalists plunder egullet for their pieces.

Maybe. But he does come up with stuff that was never mentioned here - like the plans for screening in other languages. I've never seen that anywhere else and I follow this story carefully in both English and Chinese. In fact, the entire article is full of detail never mentioned here.

I also wouldn't be surprised if Felicity Cloake just happens to come with the same conclusions, because they are correct. She always cites the recipe sources she compares in the 'how to cook the perfect..." series, which is more than can be said for many eGulleteers.

I cannot see any connection between her articles and anything here.

Edited by liuzhou, 12 September 2012 - 07:22 AM.

[Ader1]

It makes the BBC stuff seem amateur in comparison. I think the book is mainly Chinese with just a few headings in English unless they have to editions? Is this correct?

[liuzhou]

I think the book is mainly Chinese with just a few headings in English unless they have to editions? Is this correct?

The book is entirely in Chinese except for chapter headings. As in the pictures above.

So far that is the only edition. No doubt, that will change.

Edited by liuzhou, 12 September 2012 - 08:17 AM.

[JTravel]

We were in China for Sept. Whenever I got a chance to talk to Chinese (who spoke English) I asked them if they were familiar with the series. They were, and were so proud that an American had seen it.
Wish I could have found a pirated DVD...obviously I was not shopping in the right places.
Now I have to watch them all again.

[liuzhou]

China Central TV have now released a seven DVD set with official subtitles in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

It comes with a copy of the book (Chinese only) and costs ¥146.

[liuzhou]

This afternoon, I decided to have a look at the new subtitled version, as mentioned in my previous post. As usual, I had jumped to conclusions and landed in the wrong place.

They are not merely subtitled in the four languages concerned, but are also narrated in those languages - as it quite clearly says on the front. :(

Edited by liuzhou, 27 November 2012 - 03:00 AM.

[liuzhou]

A bit of a double update.

First of all, the entire first series with English, French or Spanish narration is now officially viewable online here.

Secondly comes the good news that a second series is in post-production and will be aired in early 2014.


http://liuzhou.co.uk...china-series-2/

[_john]

I want to try that hariy tofu. looks great.

[Fred12fred]

Coming into this late...(but that just means I can get the english subtitles! )

Thanks for the links. This is fantastic!

[teonzo]

China Central TV have now released a seven DVD set with official subtitles in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.

It comes with a copy of the book (Chinese only) and costs ¥146.

Can you suggest an online vendor where to buy it? Thanks!



Teo

[liuzhou]

Can you suggest an online vendor where to buy it? Thanks!

Try Amazon here!