01x19 - Galangal

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Growing deep underground
for up to three years

and forming a curious and complex aroma...

this exotic ingredient
has taken root in Chaoshan,

becoming a local Chaoshan cuisine flavor.

CHAOSHAN CUISINE

Xinan Village.

Though located in the Hakka region
of Fengshun County, Meizhou City,

all 28 households in the village

are from Chaoshan
and speak Chaozhou dialect.

At 8:00 a.m.,
Qinghua Zeng heads out to work.

Today, he hopes this ingredient
is ripe enough for harvest.

This ingredient, encased in soil,
is a signature flavor of Chaoshan cuisine.

As the soil gradually loosens,

a rich aroma gushes out.

Qinghua Zeng has been waiting for this
for the past three years.

Galangal is native
to tropical Asia.

Of all the plants in the ginger family,

galangal has the most intense
and complex fragrance.

It has the pungent smell of wild ginger,

the fragrant scent of sand ginger,

and a combination of the aromas
of clove, cinnamon, and pepper.

The mountainous soil
near the Xinan Village is rich in sulfide.

Acidic, sandy soil

provides an excellent environment
for galangal to grow.

Galangal grows slowly.

It takes a full three years
before the galangal is certain to be firm

and full of fragrance.

Chaoshan people who historically traveled
to Southeast Asia

brought galangal back to their hometowns.

Now, it has taken root in Chaoshan

and made its way into the local cuisine
in various ways.

Compared to wild ginger,
galangal has coarse fibers

and tastes dry and spicy.

But with a bit of processing,

it turns into the best side dish
to go with many Chaoshan delicacies.

Freshly harvested galangals
have the strongest scent.

In order to retain maximum flavor,

villagers must process them
as soon as possible.

Galangal has low water content.

Flavor molecules are hidden in the fibers.

They use the traditional
manual pounding method.

The strong impacts
fully release the gingerol in the galangal

and enhance the aroma.

Salt is added to the ground galangal
at a ten-to-one ratio.

This imparts a salty and savory taste

while making the galangal milder

and directly edible.

GALANGAL BRAN

Through simple processing,

galangal is transformed
into a favorite dish of Chaoshan locals.

Galangal bran can be seen
in almost every Chaoshan household.

It is sealed and preserved
for year-round consumption.

In the eyes of Chaoshan locals,

galangal can be cooked
with almost any ingredient.

All sorts of marinated,
cold dishes are served with galangal

to enhance the aroma.

They mix in fruit to reduce acidity
and increase sweetness.

GALANGAL BRAN MIXED WITH FRUIT

The combination
of galangal bran and free-range chicken

creates a unique regional flavor.

In the Fenghuang Mountain area
of Chaozhou,

people are especially fond of making
one type of simple cold dish.

Free-range chicken is boiled in water

and slightly air-dried
to make the skin tender.

Galangal bran is the only condiment.

The complex aroma
of the galangal penetrates

into the chicken,

removing the raw meat smell
while sealing in the moisture.

After 24 hours of marinating,
the chicken becomes sweeter and fresher

while still silky and tender.

The skin becomes firm and elastic as well.

CHENGHAI DISTRICT, SHANTOU CITY

Chenghai is
under the jurisdiction of Shantou City

and over ten kilometers
away from the main city of Shantou.

At 7:00 a.m.,
Wudi begins to make brine.

In order to maintain the flavor
of this 30-year-old aged brine,

he adds a fixed amount
of star anise, cinnamon,

cardamom, and soy sauce each day.

However, there is one more seasoning

that is indispensable to Chaoshan brine.

- In China,

each region has its own way
of braising food.

The flavors are somewhat different,
but the ingredients are very similar.

Only Chaoshan locals add galangal
to their brine.

It is the complex and stable aroma
of galangal

that gives the Chaoshan brine
its distinctive flavor.

At 10:30 a.m.,

as lunchtime approaches,

diners begin to gather.

The goose is cooked
in the brine for a full three hours

and hung over the pot of brine afterward.

The circulating vapors
help the surface of the goose to shrink

and keep the meat tender and warm.

Braised goose
is the signature dish

of the Chaoshan brine cuisine.

It is also the only braised food served
in Wudi's restaurant.

Goose intestines
with slightly dry tasting skin

and crispy, sweet casings

are the chewiest and most elastic part.

The meat near the inner side of the leg
is the best.

Fat and lean meat are evenly distributed,

tasting soft and silky.

The fat is rich and fragrant.

BRAISED GOOSE

- A plate of goose meat,

a bowl of rice,

coupled with a bowl of soup make
for a hearty and convenient meal.

For years,
Wudi has stuck to his principle

of selling only 15 geese a day.

Xinmin Zhang,
a Chaoshan gourmet,

began to innovate traditional dishes
in recent years.

Today,
he will try to innovate a Chaoshan dish

which originated 900 years ago:
steamed mutton with soft-shelled turtle.

Dating back to the Southern Song dynasty,

the traditional recipe
consists of more than ten ingredients,

with ten steps to follow.

Because it is overly complex,
hardly anyone makes it anymore.

Today,

by replacing most of the spices
in the traditional recipe with galangal,

Xinmin Zhang hopes to restore this dish.

Preparation of mutton is important.

Although the smell of galangal is strong
and rich,

whether or not it can completely remove
the raw smell of mutton

is something Xinmin Zhang is uncertain of.

Compared to lengthily cooked galangal,

fresh galangal has a distinct
and layered set of aromas.

The minced galangal is mixed with vinegar.

Acetic acid tones decrease
the spiciness of gingerol,

while retaining most of the complex aroma
of galangal.

Xinmin Zhang hopes
his homemade galangal vinegar

can help get rid of the raw smell
and enhance the flavor.

The cut-up mutton is finally combined
with the soft-shelled turtle

to reproduce the Southern Song dynasty
traditional dish.

MUTTON AND SOFT-SHELLED TURTLE

After simmering for up to two hours,

the gelatin of the mutton is blended
into the soup.

The mutton is incredibly tender

with a complex flavor of galangal.

Galangal vinegar helps get rid
of the unpleasant excess of grease.

Xinmin Zhang and his friends are pleased
with this wonderful flavor.

The Chaoshan people
who traveled afar in the early years

brought back galangal.

During the past 400 years, galangal
has gone from being an exotic plant

to becoming a unique flavor exclusive
to Chaoshan locals.

CHAOSHAN CUISINE