01x02 - Hu Tieu

[bunniefuu]

A single ingredient
gives it a pure taste and texture.

Distinctly different flavors arise
from adjusting mixture proportions.

Whether it is simplistic or complex,
it all depends on how you look at it.

CHAOSHAN

Every afternoon at three o'clock,
the Zhang family brother and sister team

prepare to serve customers
two hours later.

After 30 years in business,

this small eatery
has attracted many faithful customers.

They come here

for the sole purpose of Zhang's specialty.

Jingzheng Zhang, who is over 70 years old,

is the creator of this delicious dish.

Chaoshan locals prefer using lard
in their cooking.

The rich aroma of animal fat
is released under high temperatures,

waiting for the arrival
of the main character.

Hu tieu is a very popular staple
in Chaoshan.

With Jingzheng Zhang's


he knows how to control the cooking heat
and add the seasoning

like the back of his hand.

After stir-frying it a bit,
it's ready to be served.

Each hu tieu is evenly enveloped
in a thick layer of lard.

Sauteed pork rind and meat
gives it a greasy texture.

Mixed with some refreshing bean sprouts,

it tastes soft and glutinous,
yet all the while refreshing.

STIR-FRIED HU TIEU

The customers here can't get enough
of this bowl of stir-fried hu tieu.

Faithful customers know
Zhang's stir-fried hu tieu

should be eaten while it's still hot,
before the lard solidifies.

That's when it tastes the best.

In many regions of China,

there is a custom
of processing rice into noodles.

Processing methods and ingredients
differ slightly.

As a result,
different shapes and flavors are born.

In Chaoshan,

this kind of processed rice,
called "hu tieu" by locals,

is one of the most important
local staple foods.

Inside this small house,
Hezhou Yang, who is over 70 years old,

has made nearly one million kilograms
of hu tieu.

He learned this skill from his father.

After one year of storage,

the rice's acidity decreases
and its amylopectin content increases,

making it easier to take form
after grinding it into rice milk.

Aged rice is soaked,
then ground into rice milk.

A bucket of mountain spring water
is added.

These are all the ingredients
Hezhou Yang uses to make hu tieu.

The final texture of the hu tieu
depends on the water-to-rice-milk ratio.

Just by observing the consistency
and how it clings to the pot,

Hezhou Yang can judge the final quality
of the hu tieu.

Chaoshan locals have been making hu
for over 500 years.

Large southbound migrants
from the Central Plain

continuously came to the Chaoshan region.

Their offerings to ancestors
were made from wheat flour.

But wheat is not grown in the south,

so rice was used as a substitute.

Hence, "hu" came into being.

By now,

"hu" is used in various
Chaoshan delicacies.

Rice is not the only ingredient.

By adding various ingredients,
a wide array of "hu" dishes are born.

The Chaoshan region consists of mostly
Chaoshan locals and Hakka people.

Hezhou Yang lives in Nanshan Town,
where the residents are mostly Hakka.

Due to different pronunciations,

here it is called "ban" instead of "hu."

Hezhou Yang uses traditional methods
in handmaking hu tieu.

He pours the rice milk on a sheet
to steam-cook.

One-hundred-degree boiling water and steam
causes rice milk to take form quickly.

Pouring a sheet of rice milk
takes the same amount of time to steam it.

When hot out of the steamer,
the hu sheet is too sticky.

HEZHOU YANG

Before cutting it into hu tieu,
it needs to set and cool for a while.

The Hakka use freshly steamed hu sheets
to make a unique Hakka delicacy.

The hu sheet is divided into four parts.

According to one's preference,

while still hot,
it is topped with sauteed tofu,

shredded radish, et cetera.

The Hakka call this dish "ban roll."

The translucent hu sheet
has a chewy texture.
The stuffing is moist
and seasoned to perfection.

It is easy to make, yet full of flavor.

It is one of the Hakka people's
favorite home-cooked dishes.

BAN ROLL

After less than ten minutes,

the hu sheet cools down,
its surface shrinks,

and it becomes less sticky.

This is the best time to process hu tieu.

With masterful knife skills,

the hu tieu width
is kept at roughly two centimeters.

The soft texture
makes it hard to preserve,

so hu tieu are always freshly cut
and sold upon demand.

Today, with over 30 million
Chaoshan locals,
over one-third of them
are scattered around the world.

Hu tieu,
along with these Chaoshan locals,

has spread to various places such as
Hong Kong, Thailand, and Singapore.

Where there are Chaoshan people,
there must be hu tieu.

In the Chaoshan region alone,

the daily Hu Tieu consumption
is nearly one million kilograms.

TONGKENG VILLAGE, JIEDON CITY

Tongkeng Village,

located in Baita Town,
Jiedong County, Jiedong City,

is situated at the juncture
of three main county seats.

It was once the trade hub
of three counties.

The village gradually dwindled
as inter-city transportation advanced.

Nowadays, most people come to Tongkeng
just for a bowl of ordinary hu tieu.

Xianli Guo is a Tongkeng local.

She runs a hu tieu eatery.

XIANLI GUO

Every morning at six o'clock sharp,
she shows up in her backyard

to make the broth

and prepare for business five hours later.

At almost 11 o'clock,

hu tieu eateries in Tongkeng
start opening their doors to customers.

Here, everyone has their own way
of processing hu tieu.

Unlike other places in Chaoshan,

Tongkeng locals prefer thin hu tieu.

Hu sheets that are slightly frozen

contain less moisture and become stiffer.

It's not only easier to preserve,
but also easier to slice.

From her years of experience,

Xianli Guo slices her hu tieu
only two millimeters in width,

only one-tenth of the regular
hu tieu width.

After simmering for five hours,

the large amounts of protein, amino acid,
and fresh flavor from the goose meat

are fully infused into the broth.

After removing the grease and residue
on the surface,

it becomes an excellent broth.

Though thin as silk noodles,
it can withstand a long cooking period,

and tastes even more silky and refreshing.

This is a flavor only found in Tongkeng.

TONGKENG HU TIEU

Many Chaoshan locals who reside elsewhere

often travel several hundred kilometers
back to Tongkeng

just for a taste of this hometown flavor.

Hu tieu has witnessed

Chaoshan people migrating, thriving,
and putting down roots.

A bowl of hu tieu serves as a bond,

keeping Chaoshan people close to home
through memories of its flavor.