01x04 - Brine

[bunniefuu]

Star anise, cinnamon, and amomum villosum.

Various spices in different proportions

evoke rich and diverse
experiences of flavor.

Ingredients so simple
but which give birth to unique flavors.

CHAOZHOU

In Xikou, Chaozhou,

this old restaurant has kept its routine
for over ten years.

Business opens at five p.m.

Hengman Liu's craft of making
braised goose

was passed down from her mother.

Locally grown lion-head goose
is used to make Chaozhou braised goose.

They usually grow to over ten kilograms,

two to three times the size
of regular adult geese.

They are large in size
and its meat is tough,

but becomes scrumptious
after it's been braised.

A dozen of Hengman Liu's braised goose
were sold out in less than three hours.

The origin of its flavor

can only be found in a place
ten kilometers away.

Aged brine is the secret to
the Chaoshan brine.

Every time it is made,

only one third of aged brine
is needed to give flavor.

The true signature of Chaoshan brine
actually comes from underground.

Galangal has a complex aroma

and is spicy with a hint of sweetness.

Only Chaoshan locals use it to make brine.

GALANGAL

Every braised delicacy shop
has its own unique secret recipe.

Everyday ingredients such as star anise,
cumin, cinnamon and cardamom are added.

The different proportion is the secret key
to the hallmark of each shop.

Aside from using different proportions,

Hengman Liu also has a special process
before putting ingredients into the pot.

China has various brine-making traditions.

Unlike Sichuan's signature mild spiciness

and the saltiness and sweetness
characteristic of Guangdong,

braised dishes in Chaoshan
are known for its freshness and richness.

It has a sweet aftertaste.

First she puts it on low heat to simmer,
then turns the heat up 20 minutes later,

so the goose meat
completely soaks up the brine.

Bubbles and grease on top
seal the brine surface and retain flavor,

and should not be skimmed.

This is also why
Chaoshan's brine is unique.

After soaking in the hot brine
for an hour,

the goose meat undergoes
total transformation.

In order to get the best flavor,

the goose meat
needs to be hung for 15 minutes.

After the goose meat is contracted,

it becomes more refreshing and tender.

BRAISED EGG

After braising goose meat,
the brine contains lots of grease.

This is perfect
for braising other ingredients.

Chicken eggs, pork ears,
goose intestines...

They're all braised in the same brine,
yet taste very different.

Shantou has changed rapidly.

New cuisines
continue to appear in Shantou.

Qianli Zhuang runs a trendy restaurant
which serves braised delicacies.

To experiment with new dishes,

he made a special trip here today
to select ingredients.

QIANLI ZHUANG

These goods
were handpicked carefully by me.

Cinnamon is the most crucial ingredient
in Chaoshan brine.

It must be high quality.

Star anise
from Fangchenggang City, Guangxi,

cinnamon from Thanh Hoa, Vietnam,
amomum tsao-ko from Tengchong, Yunnan

and Sichuan pepper from Hancheng, Shaanxi.

Each spice is the best local specialty.

Apart from choosing the best spices,
Qianli Zhuang and his friends

also thought of a unique way
to process the spices.

Let's follow the last recipe.

Make sure the intricate flavor
is well controlled.

I think the sweetness
can be toned down a bit.

They break the tradition
of only using aged brine to make brine.

Instead they use a pot of clear water.

The spices added into it are the key.

All of the spices
must undergo a special process.

GOOSE OIL

Goose oil gives off a flavor
similar to lard,

but its component is similar to olive oil.

It has a more refreshing quality.

When braised on low heat,
good smells fill the air.

At a heat of nearly 200 degrees,
oxidization of the grease continues

and gives off lots of aroma substances.

Within one hour,

these aroma substances
seep into the ingredients,

giving them its unique goose oil flavor.

No grinding is necessary,
they go directly into the pot.

After six hours on high heat,

the volatile oil absorbed by the spices
react with the soy sauce's
sodium chloride.

The aromas continue to emanate.

Because the aroma substances
are locked in the grease,

the brine has a rich, lasting flavor.

BRINE HOT POT

Through this brine hot pot,

traditional cooking
and modern culinary trends

are combined together.

It offers a new way to experience
the flavor of Chaoshan brine.

In Chaozhou,
another delicacy made with brine

can make even the best gourmets drool.

A pouch of a dozen spices,
such as cinnamon, star anise and cumin,

is put in water to simmer.

This is a traditional cooking method
that goes back several hundred years.

Duck heads aged for more than three years
are added after the brine starts to boil.

The heat is controlled meticulously.

Turn the heat down to simmer
before the skin fiber breaks.

This way the duck head
can absorb all the flavor

yet remain intact in appearance.

This is the local custom
of giving offerings to ancestors.

This goose head
made from aged lion-head goose

is two to three times the size
of regular goose heads.

After it's braised,
it becomes gelatinous and elastic,

and is a rare exquisite delicacy.

In China,

you can only taste this unique flavor
in Chaoshan.

Whether during religious
folk festivals, worshiping ancestors,

weddings or funerals,

various kinds of braised delicacies
always appear in Chaoshan local feasts.

Brine, the seasoning
made on a slow simmer,

after hundreds and thousands of years

has become one of the essences
of Chaoshan cuisine.