01x15 - Meal of Fish

[bunniefuu]

The most basic condiment
and the simplest of processes

are employed to retain
the most exquisite sea flavors.

To Chaoshan locals,

this dish represents
much more than a tradition.

After an autumn rain shower

in the mountains of Fengshun County,
Meizhou, eastern Guandong,

bamboo harvesting season
has once again arrived.

FENGSHUN COUNTY, MEIZHOU CITY

Items weaved from bamboo
are tough and durable,

giving off a faint plant fragrance.

One-third of the bamboo in Fengshun
is used to make these bamboo baskets.

They are sold to Dahao, Shantou,
which is 100 kilometers away.

There, the bamboo baskets
are used for one particular purpose.

Dahao, in the mouth of the Hao River,

has been a thriving fishing town
since ancient times.

Meal of fish is a cuisine developed
from the everyday food of fishermen.

It has become a trademark
of Shantou local flavor.

DA JI

Sixty-four-year-old Da Ji
usually comes to the docks very early.

The Ji family has been selling
meal of fish for over 100 years.

Fresh sea fish
is the single ingredient in meal of fish.

Unable to freeze food in the past,

fishers used seawater to directly cook
the freshly caught sea fish

to preserve it and to fill their stomachs.

This was the origin of meal of fish.

There is a wide variety of fresh seafood.

Da Ji prefers the cheap,
brown-striped mackerel scad.

BROWN-STRIPED MACKEREL SCAD

Brown-striped mackerel scad
are widely found

in the southeast waters of China.

The meat is coarse and full of bones,
with a strong rotten smell.
It rarely appears on dining tables
in other regions.

However, Chaoshan locals
are especially fond of its flavor.

No descaling or gutting is needed.

After soaking in salt water
for 20 minutes,

it goes into a Fengshun bamboo basket.
One layer of salt, one layer of fish.

All fish overlap
and intertwine with each other.

According to tradition,
fish heads are placed counter-clockwise.

This is to show respect to customers.

Brown-striped mackerel scad
is not the only kind of meal of fish.

Depending on the species and size,
Da Ji has different ways of placing them.

Not only does it have to look nice,

but he also must ensure
that during cooking,

the fishes are evenly heated
and kept intact.

MEAL OF CRIMSON SNAPPER
MEAL OF YELLOWFIN BREAM

MEAL OF LIZARDFISH

MEAL OF SAURY

MEAL OF MACKEREL

Different kinds of fish are cooked
for different lengths of time.

From his rich experience
in controlling cook time,

the fish are ready
once an eruption of aroma fills the air.

The bamboo basket goes in the pot as well
so that ingredients are heated evenly.

The salt has seeped into the fish meat,
making it even more flavorful.

When set aside to cool,

holes in bamboo baskets
make it easy for air ventilation

so that the fish meat can dry thoroughly.

The fish skin tightens,
and the whole fish becomes dry and firm.

Wild brown-striped mackerel scad
found in deep oceans

are rich in unsaturated fatty acids
and various proteins.

Meal of brown-striped mackerel scad
is what the Chaoshan locals

consider original flavor.

MEAL OF SHRIMP

Nowadays in Chaoshan region,

there is a wide variety of meal of fish.

All seafood products cooked in salt water
are categorized as meal of fish.

MEAL OF CUTTLEFISH

MEAL OF CRAB

MEAL OF SALANGIDAE

MEAL OF BIGEYES

In the past, the Ji family's meal of fish
could only be sold in the Chaoshan region.

Now, thanks to cold chain logistics,
they can be sold overseas.

The simple food
cooked by the fishermen ancestors

has now become a most popular cuisine.

The annual consumption in Chaoshan
is up to 10,000 metric tons.

In ages when resources were scarce,

meal of fish was usually made
from cheap fishes that were hard to sell.

It served as a way
to keep oneself from hunger.

As time passed by,

this kind of cuisine has integrated deeply
into the lives of Chaoshan locals.

But no matter how it changes,

there is one key condiment
that meal of fish cannot do without:

sea salt.

Marinating seafood in salt water

is an ancient way of preserving food.

Twenty percent saline solution

causes the fish
to release some of its water content.

The meat fibers gradually contract,
ensuring that the fish stays intact,

while the salt preserves
lots of substances

that give the fish meat
sweetness and umami.

HOUZHAI TOWN, NAN'AO ISLAND

Harvesting sea salt in Chaoshan
can be traced back 1,000 years.

Houzhai Town, located on Nan'ao Island,

has kept the ancient tradition
of harvesting sea salt to this day.

With the help of the sea wind
and sunlight,

the seawater in salt fields
gradually crystallizes.

Twelve hours later,
sea salts slowly take form.
Salt and water are all you need
to make meal of fish.

After marinating,
put it in six percent saline solution

and boil on high heat.

When accentuated by salt,
different kinds of fish

can have very distinct flavors.

Of the many midnight snacks in Shantou,

meal of fish is one of the most peculiar.

Some use cheap, miscellaneous fishes

while others like to try using rarer
and costlier fish ingredients.

YELLOW CROAKER

The yellow croaker
found in the South China Sea

is tender, juicy, and rich in fat.

Under the influence of sea salt,
water content is released.

Fish oil is sealed inside the skin.

After it's been cooled,
a magical transformation occurs.

Large amounts of collagen in the skin

fuse with the soup and oil during cooking.

After it's been cooled,
they form an even layer of gelatin.

This is the crème de la crème
of meal of fish.

The delicate and succulent meat
tastes tender and sweet.

This is an ordinary midnight snack eatery
in Chaoshan.

Around 100 kilos of meal of fish
are consumed every day.

Fishermen and the sea
are integral parts of Chaoshan cuisine.

Every population
living in a natural environment

is made up of culinary pioneers.

Meal of fish is a 1000-year-old heritage

and still one of the most regular dishes
on Chaoshan dining tables.

Some people think of Chaoshan cuisine
as complex feasts.

But the true Chaoshan gastronomes
love this kind of ordinary food.

Local life
can be experienced through food.

The flavor may seem mild,
yet it is full of profoundness.

CHAOSHAN