02x01 - Dairy Products

[bunniefuu]

In a microscopic world
that's hard for the naked eye to see,

a huge and chaotic change is happening.

Without using other ingredients,

the people of Yunnan will completely
transform an animal's milk.


It's transformed into
a versatile and distinct flavor.


Yunnan is located in a highland region
with low latitude.


Over years ago,
nomads once gathered and lived here.


A flavor that originated from them
has established its roots here

and became a purely local Yunnan delicacy.
All sold out. There's only one left.
Goat milk cheese,
have a taste before you buy it.

Made from animal's milk,

the aroma of milk is rich
with a unique flavor.

Some avoid it like the plague,

some find it mouth-watering.

This is the cheese
that's exclusive to Yunnan people.


In Yunnan, they are eaten
in so many different ways.

YUNNAN DALI
The Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture

is where dairy farms
are located in Yunnan.


It's also where Yunnan cheese
is very popular.


Every morning,
nearly , kilograms of fresh cow milk


are delivered to hundreds
of households from here.


Time is key in guaranteeing
the cow milk's freshness.

After minutes,

Du Jinhe received
the , liters of fresh cow milk

that she needs today.

Her ingredient is already in place.
DU JINHE
Located kilometers away from Dali,

another type of Yunnan cheese
is popular in the market.


Their ingredient comes from Shilin County
in the southeastern part of Kunming.


The terrain is fairly flat
with a moderate climate.

Grassy fields cover it.

It's an excellent base for goat milk.
LI MEIZHI
Li Meizhi's family has female goats.

They can produce liters
of goat milk in one morning.


This is the starting point
of the flavor transformation.


Once fresh milk comes in contact with air,
bad bacteria are easily produced.


In order to prolong its shelf life
and add flavor at the same time,

each area has its own way.
TEA
XINJIANG

Yunnan people have their own tradition
and technique.


Changing the shape of the milk
is the first step in the transformation.

In Dali,

fresh cow milk is being heated
to degrees Celsius,

awaiting for its partner to emerge.

This is the key tool
to the cow milk's transformation.

Because of it,

protein in the cow milk
will separate and reunite once again.

Only five minutes is required.

The cow milk starts to display
obvious separation.

Du Jinhe added fermented cow milk whey.

It contains a large amount
of lactic acid and enzymes.


The casein in cow milk
meets the acid and solidifies.

The liquid whey separates from it.

The whey won't be wasted.

After filtration
and three days of fermentation,

it will continue to be used.

The cycle starts over and repeats itself.

The transformation is still ongoing.

The home-made iron clamp

completes nearly quick pulls
in seconds.


Not only does it prevent the cow milk
from burning in high temperature,


it lets the casein in the cow milk
to slowly solidify.


Two liters of cow milk produces
less than one liter of solidified milk.


It's smooth, soft, and highly resilient
with a rich milk aroma.


However, the transformation
is not completed yet.

Without further delay,

under degrees Celsius of residual heat,

Du Jinhe needs to quickly give
the solidified milk a stretching exercise.

For five hours,


stretches itself out

while entangled around bamboo poles.

Time and sunshine are needed

before it's covered
with the last layer of flavor.

In Shilin,

Li Meizhi has also started
to prepare the goat milk.

Unlike cow milk,

goat milk needs a higher temperature
to transform.

Based on a one-to-one ratio,

add goat milk whey
that's been fermented for three days.


Under the clear and dense bubbles,
the milk slowly becomes thicker.


Huge amounts
of white milk solids agglutinate.

Goat milk has more protein than cow milk.

After adding the acid,
casein forms a texture close to soy pulp.

The agglutination is even more obvious.

At the same time, whey stimulates
the production of caproic acid

and brings about a gamey aroma.

This is the signature smell
of Shilin cheese.


Without the aid of machines,
Li Meizhi only uses her hands


to squeeze out the moisture
as much as she can

and form their shape.

It's dried naturally
and awaiting for its shape to form.


After two hours of cooling
and agglutination,


only kilograms is left
from kilograms of goat milk.

Its powdery and resilient texture

makes it convenient
to be consumed at any time.


Steam it together with Xuanwei ham
produced in Yunnan.

It's salty, rich, and fragrant.
HAM WITH CHEESE

Using water in place of oil,
fry cook on low heat.

Soft with a charred aroma,

the fragrant smell
of goat milk welcomes you.

FRIED CHEESE
See if he'll eat it.
Kids love cheese.
To Li Meizhi's family,

grilling sliced cheese in charcoal

can best release
the cheese's original flavor


as the high temperature stimulates
the volatile compounds in goat milk.


It has a unique charm
and a strong milk aroma.


It's the flavor Shilin people
are most familiar with.

Located kilometers away,

the cow milk transformation
is still ongoing.

Dali's winter is dry with little rain.

After two days of drying,


It becomes tough.

Oil and fat gather on the surface
with a long-lasting and strong milk aroma.

This is Dali's milk fan.

With a small amount of lactic acid,
the milk fan is moist and light.


Apply some rose sauce
and cook on a charcoal grill.

It produces a strong aroma.

Fry it in hot oil until golden brown.

It's crispy and tasty.

Mixed with golden yellow syrup,
it becomes soft milk fan Sachima.

It's sweet but not greasy.
HONEY MILK FAN

Fresh milk fan dipped in honey
is Du Jinhe's favorite way of eating it.


The sweet syrup covers the thick
and slightly sour milk fan.


Chew it delicately and the flavor slowly
unravels in your mouth,

with a simple and mild aroma.

Yunnan cheese was inspired
by the nomad ancestors

and is still around today.

Its roots were established together with
the unlimited creativity of Yunnan people

and developed into thousands of forms.

Using whey to get the milk's essence
is their unique exploration