“A Bite of China” is a 2-season series documentary on CCTV (China Central Television), but it not really a cooking show. There are no recipes, no advice to home cooks on how to cook this or that. Instead, it focuses on the culinary heritage of China; how food was and still is grown, how it is prepared, and what it means to people. It is a very earnest show, carefully highlighting some of the food culture of the country (15 episodes for a country like China would never be enough, of course).

The production values are also just wonderful. The scenes are all beautifully shot and the directors manage to capture the essence of the scenery, the food, and, most of all, the people. Simple people, with an interest in food that stems from their desire to make the most of what is available to them, to follow and build on the traditions their ancestors passed on to them. Their own earnestness, hard work, and simple values shines throughout the documentary.

The winning element of this documentary is that it focuses on the underlying importance of food to people. It perfectly captures our connection to the earth, the sea, the sky, all the ingredients that come together to sustain us. And it does so beautifully. Thus, “A Bite of China” is highly recommended to you, we believe you can have some new understanding of Chinese people, Chinese food and the country itself.

• Watching Links

>> Episode 1, The Gift of Nature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRHNa9qdtlw
>> Episode 2, The Story of Staple Food: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCgYUKPNCug
>> Episode 3, The Inspiration of Transformation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxQ3j7ls1J0
>> Episode 4, The Taste of Time: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RETcZdsp1k
>> Episode 5, The Secret of The Kitchen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QxvbeZ-9m4
>> Episode 6, Harmonious Flavors: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2TT7tAWBTI
>> Episode 7, Our Fields: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD9KrXJfbhU
>> Website in English: https://www.a-bite-of-china.org/