01x05 - Puning Bean Paste

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This is a battle invisible
to the naked eye.

The winning yeast cultivation
changes the outcome of soybeans.

It attacks stealthily,

ruling the taste buds of Chaoshan locals
with its fresh flavor.

CHAOSHAN CUISINE

In this small village
of 66 square kilometers,

a dozen factories produce the same kind
of food.

HONGYANG TOWN, PUNING CITY

In Hongyang, Puning City,
a town of less than 170,000 people,

lies the secret to the cooking
of 14 million Chaoshan locals.

Today is a special day
for Zhuangcheng Fang.

ZHUANGCHENG FANG

This is good sauce.

Fermentation for up to one year

results in the complete breakdown
of soybean protein

and a decrease in phytic acid content.

While the dietary fiber softens,
abundant amino acids are also produced,

making the bean paste fragrant and mellow.

The Chinese have been making
bean paste for thousands of years.

Soybean is not grown in Chaoshan.

As northerners migrated to the south
throughout history,

soybean and bean paste were brought
with them.

There's no lack of soybean
cuisine on Puning's dining tables.

PUNING FRIED TOFU

After bean paste comes out
of the urn, it is boiled on high heat.

This both sterilizes
and tenderizes the soybeans,

which makes it tastier

and also offers the most natural way
to preserve it.

Every time an urn is completed,
the first ladle of bean paste

is naturally used by the family
in their specialty dishes.

Whether or not the one-year-old bean paste
tastes the same as 30 years ago

is very important to loyal customers.

BEAN PASTE WITH WATER SPINACH

BEAN PASTE WITH STEAMED FISH

BEAN PASTE WITH STEWED AUBERGINE

Food experts always come to me
and say they came here specially for it.

My biggest wish is
for it to become a 100-year-old brand.

Hongyang Town is
over 400 years old.

- As time has gone by,

bean paste has also changed drastically.

Nowadays, in the Chaoshan region,

the kind of aged bean paste that he makes
following ancient methods is very rare.

Instead, there is a kind
of golden yellow bean paste

which is lighter in texture.

This is the exclusive flavor code
of Chaoshan locals.

Much like most bean paste makers in town,

Fang makes the bright yellow
Puning bean paste as his father did.

He uses quality northeastern soybeans.

After steaming and air-drying,
flour and yeast are added.

Today,
Fang must put 400 kilograms of beans

into the fermentation room before dark.

Every year, Chaoshan locals eat

over 10,000 tons of Puning bean paste.

Business owner Fang must repeat this work
once every half a month.

For the next three days,

the soybeans' fate
is in the hands of the yeast.

DE'AN VILLAGE, HONGYANG TOWN

The secret to Puning bean paste
lies within this old house.

Weicheng’s yeast cultivation house

is the only hand-made yeast cultivator
left in Puning City.

The weather is warm and humid
in Puning.

Microorganisms thrive here.

It only takes three days
for wheat bran mixed with yeast culture

to be endowed with magical energy.

Thirty-degree Celsius room temperature
wakes up the microorganisms in the yeast.

It's the first step in the transformation
from soybean into bean paste.
After three days,
it has completed its first fermentation

and is moved into a new environment.

The second fermentation process
takes around 90 days,

far shorter than similar processed soybean
made in other Chinese regions.

It is also an important factor
in Puning bean paste’s unique appearance

and distinct flavor.

There's no strict timing
for removing paste from urns.

It all depends on the maker’s experience.

Today, the bean paste
is just the right flavor and color

that appeals to Chaoshan locals.

One hundred grams
of garlic is sauteed until golden.

Pre-cut mud crabs are laid out,

awaiting the arrival
of their best partner.

Processing the bean paste
enhances the unique sweetness

from fermentation.

Hot steam infuses the aroma
of garlic and bean paste

into the crab meat.

BEAN PASTE WITH ROASTED CRAB

Business owner Fang keeps
a serial number for each urn in his head

to ensure the bean paste is out of the urn
at the right time

so that the freshness versus salinity
is just right.

There's no lack of flavor
in Chaoshan,

nor is there any lack of masters.

When the right ingredients
fall into the right hands,

then a classic dish is born.

Chengquan Zhong
has been cooking Chaozhou cuisine

for over 40 years.

In the past few years,
he has been trying to find and bring back

traditional Chaoshan classic dishes
which are in danger of becoming lost.

Today, this dish is made
with simple ingredients.
Puning bean paste is the soul
of this dish.

The chicken is cooked and cooled twice
for the flavor to be absorbed.

The first cooling and marinating process
causes flavor particles to swiftly diffuse

and seep into the chicken fiber.

It is roasted with gentle heat.

The heat helps release the bean paste's
umami to its fullest.

In just 20 minutes,

the bean paste’s sweet flavor
is perfectly infused into the chicken

BEAN PASTE WITH ROAST CHICKEN

The transformation
of the flavor of a soybean

is a record of how a people migrated
and multiplied over the past 2,000 years.

The formation of a flavor needs
to be accumulated over time.

What’s more,
it needs to be protected by its makers.

CHAOSHAN CUISINE