01x14 - Yusheng

[bunniefuu]

Slices less than half a millimeter thick,

translucent as cicada wings,
and light as silk.

This was once a divine delicacy
forgotten in history.

Its legacy has been preserved in Chaoshan.

Common ingredients
are cut with skillful precision.
This 1,000-year-old flavor
has been passed down to the present day.

CHAOSHAN

After winter arrives
on the seas of Raoping County, Chaozhou,

it is the most turbulent season
of the year again.

However, nothing can stop people
from searching for delicious food.

Yihan Zhuo
is a Chaozhou local food expert.

Every month,
he sails out to sea with his companions

in search of a unique flavor
in the great big sea.

It seems like today is not his lucky day.

It's already past noon,
and not a single fish has taken the bait.

Yihan Zhuo decides to try again
in another location.

After five hours of waiting,
good luck finally arrives.

More sea fish take the bait,
looking extremely fresh and plump.

In Chaozhou, almost every fisherman

has a fish delicacy specialty
up his sleeve.

They obtain materials locally
in a hands-on approach.

They don't use cookware or stoves.

A regular kitchen knife is all they need
to make this delicious dish.

After five minutes,

the fresh sea fish
turns into evenly sliced yusheng.

Each piece of fish meat
is covered in lots of fat.

This is the delicacy that Yihan Zhuo
spent a whole day's effort on.

To Chaoshan locals,

one of the best ways to enjoy seafood
is by eating it raw.

Fresh seafood, tasting fresh and sweet
with no additional seasonings,

is tender and succulent.

The history of Chinese yusheng cuisine

can be traced back to 2,000 years ago,
before the Qin dynasty.

Japanese sashimi
was derived from Chinese yusheng.

JAPANESE SASHIMI

In earlier times, food preservation
was not yet developed on ships.

Therefore, Chaozhou locals usually
made yusheng from local fresh-water fish.

The Han River runs through Chaozhou.

Due to continuous environment protection,
the water in the Han River runs clear.

It was once the main source
of Chaozhou fresh-water fish.

As for why the yusheng cuisine custom
wound up in southern China,

it's anyone's guess.

The fish is caught, skinned, and deboned.

Fish meat must be taken out intact
within five minutes

without getting a drop of water on it.

It is then hung to dry
in order to prevent bacterial growth.

This small shop hidden deep in the alleys

has been selling only yusheng
for half a century.

Weixuan Wu is the third generation
of the Wu family yusheng business.

In autumn,

fish in the rivers eat a lot of food
in preparation for winter.

Freshwater fishes are plumpest
during this season.

It is the best time to savor yusheng.

After air drying for ten minutes,

the fish meat becomes tight and elastic.

Every afternoon before six o'clock,

hordes of diners
crowd the front of Wu's yusheng shop.

Wu's yusheng shop
only serves local grass carp.

As required by Weixuan Wu,

fish merchants must put the fish
into this clear water pond one by one

to ensure they stay intact.

These fish stay
in this clear water pond for one day.

They will be edible
once all impurities have been spat out.

As more and more diners arrive,

Weixuan Wu prepares to pitch in.

The semi-circle gap near the knife handle
is the critical key.

This is a knife that Weixuan Wu
had custom made for himself.

It fits best with the shape of his hand,
making them combine as one.

He presses lightly with fingertips,
touching the surface as little as possible

by keeping the hands cupped.

It not only keeps the fish steady

but also prevents warm hands
from affecting the meat.

He cuts three slices per second
on average.

The slices are so thin that fish bones
are shredded to tiny pieces,

ensuring utmost freshness and tenderness
in the yusheng.

Wu serves three different types
of yusheng,

all with different textures.

As thin as cicada wings, the fish slices
are no thicker than half a millimeter.

Thin, yet intact.

There are 40 blade marks
across this thick,

six-square-centimeter-large slice.

It tastes oily and firm,
not a bit dry or chewy.

The thin strips of yusheng

are silky and elastic in texture,
and taste delicious.

Fish skin is never wasted.

After five seconds in boiling water,
it shrivels upon heat,

tasting elastic and al dente.

Even when sliced most economically,

a three-kilogram grass carp

would only yield 1.2kg of yusheng.

They are also particular
about how they eat yusheng.

Premium quality fish meat

is usually enjoyed
with various refreshing vegetables.

To make the fish meat and vegetables
go perfectly together,

a suitable medium is needed.

Bean paste, sesame oil,
and minced sand ginger

are blended into a sauce,

the basic mixture of condiments
to go with Chaozhou yusheng.

Each yusheng restaurant
has its own special dipping sauce recipe.

It is the secret weapon that keeps
customers coming back for more.

Yusheng slicing
has continued for six hours.

It is past midnight when they close.

- A knife, a small shop,

and half a century
of people bustling about.

The fast development
in shipping and fishing

has sparked the encounter
between ancient cuisine

and overseas ingredients.

Chaoshan locals have started to use
traditional yusheng cuisine techniques

to process a wider variety
of seafood products.

RAW GEODUCK

RAW SHRIMP

Even as a world-renowned
Chaozhou seafood cuisine chef,

he never lets his guard down
when slicing raw lobster.

This 3.5-kilogram lobster
has a one-kilogram shell.

To retain the freshest taste
of the lobster,

it must be processed within three minutes.

It is prowess against a ticking clock.

He carefully removes blood
from the lobster meat.

To guarantee the freshest texture
and best flavors,

his tools must also be specially prepared.

Low temperature is the prerequisite
to retaining the freshness of the lobster.

The lobster meat is soft,
with scattered and fragmentary fibers.

This makes slicing difficult.

He can only go
with the faint grains in the lobster meat,

slicing swiftly and precisely
to make it as thin as a cicada wing.

This requires a great deal of knowledge
about the ingredient.

RAW LOBSTER

This slice of raw lobster
represents the craftsmanship

passed down
through generations of Chaozhou locals

and their innovative approach
to traditional cuisine.

This 2,000-year-old culinary tradition

has been passed down
and preserved in Chaoshan.

Just one knife and one fish

can bring about an exquisite flavor
that has transcended ages.