【ENGSUB】《辣椒的征途》第1集 追溯辣椒进入中国的起点 探寻辣椒带来的风味变迁【CCTV纪录】

Summary

The video explores the journey of chili across China, tracing its origins from the Americas to various regions in the country. It highlights how different ethnic groups, such as the Jino, Dai, and Korean communities, have incorporated chili into their culinary traditions. From Yunnan's wild millet peppers to Quanzhou’s subtle use of spices, and the ethnic Korean chili sauces of northeast China, chili has significantly influenced Chinese cuisine. The video delves into regional dishes, showcasing how chili connects communities, enriches flavors, and adds a spicy touch to the lives of people across generations.

Takeaways

• 🌶️ Chili peppers, introduced to China over 400 years ago, have significantly influenced Chinese culinary culture, particularly in regions like Yunnan and Quanzhou.
• 🌿 The Jino people of Yunnan have a deep connection with the natural environment, gathering ingredients from the forests, including the rare wild millet pepper, which adds a unique spiciness to their traditional dishes.
• 🍲 The Yunnan cuisine is marked by its use of a variety of dipping sauces, with chili being a common and essential ingredient, reflecting the region's love for spicy flavors.
• 🔥 The Dai people of Yunnan are known for their烧烤 (grilling) and roasting techniques, where the flavor of the food is largely derived from the dipping sauces, which are always spiced with chili.
• 🍛 In Quanzhou, chili is used more subtly, often as a component in complex spice blends like curry, reflecting the city's historical role as a spice trading port.
• 🍢 Quanzhou's Curry Steak, a snack with a unique blend of spices including chili, is a testament to the region's adaptation of foreign flavors, originally brought by Chinese returning from Southeast Asia.
• 🥬 The ethnic Korean population in Yanbian, Jilin province, has a tradition of using chili in their cuisine, particularly in the making of spicy cabbage, which is a staple in their diet.
• 🧂 The process of making chili sauce in the Korean ethnic community is labor-intensive and traditional, involving hand-cleaning of chilies and fermentation over a year for the best flavor.
• 🍽️ Chili sauce is not just a condiment for the ethnic Korean people but also a symbol of family and community, enhancing the flavor of their lives and meals.
• 🌐 The journey of chili across China showcases how it has been integrated into various local cuisines, from the spicy Yunnan flavors to the subtle spiciness in Quanzhou, and the essential role it plays in the Korean ethnic diet in the northeast.

Q & A

What is the significance of chili in Chinese culinary culture?

Chili has become an important label for Yunnan cuisine and has significantly changed Chinese culinary culture by adding a special flavor to various dishes, making them spicy and aromatic.

How did chili first enter China?

Chili began its worldwide journey after the discovery of the American continent, first taking root in Southeast Asia, and then entered the Yunnan region of China through natural spread, particularly in the forests of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.

What is the role of Zhou Sao in the Jino community?

Zhou Sao is a Jino Mountain Runner who adheres to the traditional way of living off the mountains and water, gathering ingredients from the forest, including the rare wild millet peppers, which are a key ingredient in their spicy diet.

What is the special ingredient that Zhou Sao gathers from the mountaintops?

The special ingredient that Zhou Sao gathers from the mountaintops is the wild millet pepper, a small but extremely hot pepper that is a perennial shrub of the genus Capsicum.

How is the wild millet pepper used in Jino cuisine?

In Jino cuisine, the wild millet pepper is stir-fried with Zanthoxylum simulans, a spice unique to the Xishuangbanna region, until the skin is slightly burnt, creating a dish called burnt chili.

What is Duosheng and how is it prepared by the Jino people?

Duosheng is a minced raw meat dish that the Jino people enjoy during important festivals. It is prepared by pounding lean raw beef tenderloin into soft minced meat, adding burnt chili and coriander for flavor, and then mixed with a special broth made from bitter beef intestine.

How does the Dai people's use of dipping sauce reflect their love for chili?

The Dai people's love for chili is reflected in their use of dipping sauce, which is a must for every meal and is made with a wide range of spices, including chili, to create different flavors for various dishes.

What is the role of chili in Quanzhou cuisine, and how is it different from other regions?

In Quanzhou, chili is used as a subtle flavoring rather than a dominant spice due to the local preference for milder tastes. It is often combined with other spices to create complex flavors, such as in curry, which is a distinctive snack in Quanzhou.

How did the ethnic Korean population in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture incorporate chili into their cuisine?

The ethnic Korean population in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture uses chili extensively in their daily diet, particularly in dishes like spicy cabbage and chili sauce, which have become integral to their culinary culture.

What is the process of making traditional ethnic Korean chili sauce as described in the script?

The traditional ethnic Korean chili sauce is made by selecting first-class chili, wiping them clean, and then fermenting them with soybeans that are steamed and hand-pounded into pieces. The mixture is then fermented, ground into powder, mixed with salt and chili powder, and finally, maltose syrup is added before sealing for over a year to achieve the best color and taste.

How does the script describe the journey of chili across China?

The script describes the journey of chili from its introduction to China in the Yunnan region, through its integration into various local cuisines, to its widespread adoption across the country, deeply influencing the diet of Chinese people who love spicy food.