Yan Can Cook: Spice kingdomYan Can Cook: Spice kingdom
He’s back! Long before the popularization of foodie culture, Chef Martin Yan was a TV trailblazer, captivating public television audiences with his culinary skill and kitchen charisma. KQED is proud to welcome back beloved Martin Yan as he takes us along on an exciting new adventure to Chengdu in his latest television series Yan Can Cook: Spice Kingdom.
Martin Yan brings his signature program Yan Can Cook to the “Panda Capital of the World”. Immersing himself in Chengdu culture, Chef Yan learns (almost) everything there is to know about bamboo, samples a few of the country’s estimated 30,000 hot pot restaurants, and explores the mountain music of Sichuan (best known for its spicy cuisine).
Yan Can Cook: Spice Kingdom
Yan Can Cook: Spice Kingdom
Episodes
1. Panda-monium!
Martin explores the multifaceted wonders of bamboo. Join him as he visits the adorable giant pandas at a research compound in Chengdu, attends a bamboo banquet, and discovers artists who work with this sturdy and adaptable plant.
2. Tomorrow’s Chengdu
Martin visits Tianfu, a new capital of tech in China. See what Tianfu software developers are eating, from a popular Mao Chai restaurant to the dazzling molecular gastronomy of Chef Huang.
3. Hot Pot, anyone?
Hot pot is almost a religion in Chengdu. On this episode, Martin explores several of Chengdu’s estimated 30,000 hot pot restaurants, each with its own unique style. Martin takes to the streets to ask people about their deep feelings surrounding this revered dish.
4. Tea Time!
Outside of Chengdu there are several well known tea plantations. Martin explores the local tea cultivation process, samples different types of popular brews, attends a tea serving ceremony, and visits the oldest tea house in People’s Park in Chengdu. In the studio Martin cooks up dishes that use tea as an ingredient or flavoring agent.
5. The voice of the mountain
Sichuan is a mountainous region, best known for its spicy cuisine. But the Sichuan locals who have been living in these mountains for centuries have another bragging point – music. Mountain music is used not only for expression but to record local history. Martin meets up with Mr. Zhang, a famous mountain singer, and learns about the culture and cuisine of the mountains.
6. That which sustains life
Chengdu is known as “The Land of Abundance”, thanks in part to Dujiangyan, its centuries-old irrigation system. Martin visits this historical site to witness firsthand the source of Chengdu’s fertile farmland, stopping to sample produce from local farms and orchards along the way.
7. Poetry in a cup
Wine making or baijiu making in China goes back thousands of years. Martin visits a famous Chengdu distillery for a close up look on how Chinese baijiu is produced. He narrates famous Chinese legends connected to the culture of wine. For a more contemporary look he attends a typical Chinese banquet and shows the popular Chinese drinking games and toasting.
8. Hot, hot and extra hot!
If there is only one word to describe Sichuan cuisine, that word is HOT. Martin dives into the world of chili peppers and chili bean paste by visiting the world’s largest bean paste factory and the world’s biggest chili market. He puts the chili peppers to good use at a chili banquet and later explores the hottest restaurant in Chengdu for a midnight snack.
9. “Small Bites”
In Chengdu, a snack is called a small bite, or ‘xiao chi’. But a ‘xiao chi’ is really a lot more than just a simple snack. It can be an appetizer, a street food, but it can also be a cleansing of the palate between courses, or when you assemble many on them on a table, they can make a fabulous banquet. On this show Martin takes small bites but tells a big story.
Episode 10: Rising Stars
There are 230 million children under the age of 15 in China. On this show Martin meets up with many talented ones from Chengdu. They are future opera divas, poets, pop singers, sculptors and of course, chefs! Chengdu, the next generation, is front and center on this episode.
11. Fine Art, Fine Food
The art scene is thriving in Chengdu. Martin tours an artist community and sees first hand how local artists create ceramics and file paintings. To add his personal touch he added an encrusted chicken in the community kiln. For a taste of true culinary art he visits the home restaurant of Chef Lan, lauded as the best chef of Chengdu.
12. Back to Roots
Many small family farms around Chengdu have turned into chic Bed and Breakfasts. They are popular with many of Chengdu’s residents who can trace their roots back to the country. Martin joins a farming family for dinner at their house. He rolls up his sleeves and learns about authentic farmers cooking.
13. One belt, one road, one world
The New Silk Road Railway connects Chengdu to Western Europe by high speed train. This is the 21st century version of the historical silk road, which opened China to the west and vice versa a thousand years ago. Martin samples some of the new food imports from Spain and Denmark, and marvels at the tremendous scale of China’s industrial projects.
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