The WORST episodes of Flavorful Origins

#1 - Jingzhou Fish Dishes

Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 12/22/2023

#2 - Olives

Season 1 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/11/2019

In Chaoshan, olives are preserved in distinct ways and appear in a variety of dishes, including fresh juices and meat soups.

#3 - Puning Bean Paste

Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 2/11/2019

Long ago, migrants from the north brought soybeans to Chaoshan, now home to a unique bean paste featured in many dishes, from spinach to steamed fish.

#4 - Wuhan Bean Curd

Season 5 - Episode 1 - Aired 11/22/2023

#5 - Xiangyang Beef Noodles

Season 5 - Episode 2 - Aired 11/24/2023

#6 - Honghu Lotus Root

Season 5 - Episode 3 - Aired 11/29/2023

#7 - Xiangyang Beef Noodles

Season 5 - Episode 4 - Aired 12/1/2023

#8 - Enshi Tofu Vegetable Stew

Season 5 - Episode 6 - Aired 12/8/2023

#9 - Xiaogan Rice Wine

Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/13/2023

#10 - Xiantao Steamed Vegetables

Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 12/15/2023

#11 - Fangxian Wood Ear Mushrooms

Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/20/2023

#12 - Huangmei Fish Noodles

Season 5 - Episode 5 - Aired 12/6/2023

#13 - Salted Flour

Season 2 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/20/2019

Zha, an old custom, is an assortment of dried fermented vegetables or fish served as side dishes, made with ancient methods of food preservation.

#14 - Sour Fruits

Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/18/2019

Besides being an appetite stimulant, tart fruits like lemon and sour papaya can be added to shredded chicken, carp or a sauce for dousing live shrimp.

#15 - Sa Piě

Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 9/11/2019

Sa is a culinary tradition that pairs cold meat or raw vegetables with a versatile sauce that is often mixed with pig blood curd.

#16 - Nan Piě

Season 2 - Episode 2 - Aired 9/10/2019

A local wild berry features in nanpie, which refers to different types of flavorful pastes made from mashed vegetables or fish.

#17 - Hardy Banana

Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/17/2019

Wrapped in leaves with sticky rice or spiced fish, the Musa basjoo -- a banana found in Yunnan -- can make for a sweet snack or a savory dish.

#18 - Lacquer Seed Oil

Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/12/2019

Derived from the fruits of the Chinese lacquer tree, qiyou is an oil used to cook eggs, congee, pork stew, roast chicken and even bee larvae.

#19 - Pickled Vegetables

Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/16/2019

Salted and partially dried, the sow thistle can be pickled and stir-fried with pork to lend a sour, crunchy flavor, or added to white radish stew.

#20 - Beef Meatballs

Season 1 - Episode 13 - Aired 2/11/2019

Inheriting the techniques of pervious generations, makers of Chaoshan beef meatballs dedicate hours of hard work to achieve perfect texture and flavor.

#21 - Ham

Season 2 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/13/2019

Found in local moon cake fillings, Xuanwei cured ham can be thinly sliced, steamed, cooked with egg, stewed or served as cold cuts.

#22 - Tofu Cake

Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/11/2019

Garlic, fat, liquor and fermented bean curd. The traditional tofu cake is a baked pastry boasting a rich taste profile and centuries of history.

#23 - Rice Cake

Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 9/19/2019

The er, a flattened rice flour cake, can be baked into a sticky snack, sliced and stir-fried with vegetables or julienned into noodle-like strands.

#24 - Fish Sauce

Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 2/11/2019

Indispensable to Chaoshan cooking, fish sauce is traditionally made by salt-curing and fermenting hilsa herring, but new methods have cropped up.

#25 - Yusheng

Season 1 - Episode 14 - Aired 2/11/2019

Enjoyed with vegetables and dipping sauce, yu sheng (freshly sliced raw fish) is a delicacy with a long history in Chaoshan.