03x05 - Gua Gua

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Guagua.

QINZHOU DISTRICT, TIANSHUI, GANSU

Four o'clock in the morning.

Busy footsteps can be heard
deep in the alley.

This small shop at the end

has only made one type of food
for the past years.

The weight reached kg today.

Before sunrise,

the food will be delivered
to nearly a hundred stalls in the city.

XIGUAN

Every day,

Tianshui in southeast Gansu

wake up to this kind of food.

In the local language,

it has a resounding name.

Guagua.

This food, made from buckwheat starch,

is the undisputed
number one breakfast in Tianshui.

Grab it with a bit of force.

Form them into a small, irregular piece.

It seems random, yet it's ingenious.

The pulled-away pieces of guagua
are translucent.

It's firm

with an uneven texture,

which makes it easy
for seasoning to adhere to it.

Mix thoroughly with a spicy sauce,

put them into a hot
baiji
bun,

and you'll feel energized.

GUAGUA BUNS

QINGYANG, TIANSHUI

The buckwheat used to make guaguas
is widely grown in the Longdong Plateau.

It's a very common grain there.

The summer solstice just passed.

The Winter wheat harvest had finished.

In the same field,

farmers sow buckwheat seeds.

Huan County has cool weather.

It has sufficient sunlight.

Buckwheat's growth period is short.

It matures in just three months.

Mature buckwheat is black in color.

Its grains are plump.

Huan County's buckwheat
has a high amylopectin content.

It's easier to mold them
into various shapes.

Different cooking methods

produce a myriad of flavors and textures.

Press the dough with fingers

and it'll have a shell-like pattern.

They absorb sauces

and are smooth to the taste.

ORECCHIETTE

With the use of a tool,
one can make hele noodles.

The shape is set when boiled.

It's soft and thin.

Mixed into pancake batter.

They're light and soft,

crispy on the edges,

with a sweet taste.

Fry buckwheat dough after fermentation,

and they become local donuts

with a firm texture.

FRIED DONUTS

Buckwheat is a landmark crop
in Huan County.

It's also the pride of the locals.

And in Tianshui, people process buckwheat
with another plan in mind.

QINGYANG, TIANSHUI

After noon,

Wen Kejin starts to make guaguas.

Shell the buckwheat,
and crush them into small pieces.

Soak them in water,

and stir repeatedly
until its juice becomes sticky.

WEN KEJIN

Pour them into the stone mill,
and grind the buckwheat

into even finer pieces.

There's one step left
to processing the ingredient.

In order to get thick and silky
buckwheat batter,

Mr. Wen puts his entire body weight
on the wooden handle,

and keeps milling,
filtering them carefully.

For the past years,

the Wen family has to process
hundreds of kilos of buckwheat daily.

Cooking the batter

is the core step of the process.

His wife handles the buckwheat batter,

and Mr. Wen controls the heat level.

This is the teamwork
they've built over decades.

The most strenuous part

needs to be completed by Mr. Wen.

Under high heat, he stirs

so the starch continues to gelatinize.

After one hour,

they gain a uniformly gelatinous texture.

If you cool them down at this point

and let them solidify,

you'd get a jelly that's % water.

XINYANG TOWN, TIANSHUI, GANSU

At Xinyang town in Tianshui City,

there's a fair twice a week

where local snacks are sold.

But it's mainly known

for the buckwheat jelly.

Gently swirl around it
using a special tool

to get long strips.

Translucent with the color of taro,
they're crystal clear

and moist.

They're very smooth and cool to the taste.

BUCKWHEAT JELLY NOODLES

However, it takes
more effort to make guaguas

than jellies.

The stove in Wen Kejin's home
has yet to cool.

In the pot,

the buckwheat batter is still simmering.

By observing their color and thickness,

Mr. Wen knows if the buckwheat batter
has already transformed.

With one last mixing motion,

the buckwheat batter
becomes denser and firmer.

After putting into containers,
it cools down and takes shape.

Thus Guagua is made.

But the process isn't over yet.

Wen Kejin leaves a portion,

and continues to cook it
with the residual heat from the stove.

To the people of Tianshui,

the buckwheat crust is where
the essence of guagua lies.

Done.

After one night,

the moisture from the batter
has largely evaporated

and becomes amber in color.

A bit burnt on the outside,

it's thick and firm.

Spongy holes are formed

just under the crust.

They're fragrant and very chewy.

BUCKWHEAT CRUST

The crust has a mesmerizing aroma
of baked goods,

as well as an overbearing chewiness.

Add one or two pieces
to every bowl of guagua

and it's enough icing on the cake.

The vinaigrette cuts through greasiness.

The sesame sauce is aromatic and smooth
and the chili oil is addictively piquant.

The three flavors

make up an authentic bowl of Tianshui
guagua.

The guagua is ready.

TIANSHUI GUAGUA

Guagua, jelly.

Guagua, jelly.

Every morning,

guagua is the star in Tianshui.

This breakfast takes a lot of effort.

It looks simple,

yet it's the unique way
the people in Tianshui handle buckwheat.

For over , years until now,

they've become an ordinary delicacy
that has taken root locally.