The WORST episodes of Flavorful Origins

Every episode of Flavorful Origins ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Flavorful Origins!

Delve into the delectable world of Chaoshan cuisine, explore its unique ingredients and hear the stories of the people behind its creation.

Last Updated: 8/24/2024Network: WeTVStatus: Ended

5.33

9 votes

#1 - 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.

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5.33

9 votes

#2 - 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.

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5.40

10 votes

#3 - 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.

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5.45

11 votes

#4 - 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.

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5.60

10 votes

#5 - 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.

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5.64

11 votes

#6 - 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.

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5.80

10 votes

#7 - 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.

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6.17

12 votes

#8 - 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.

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6.22

9 votes

#9 - 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.

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6.25

12 votes

#10 - 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.

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6.27

11 votes

#11 - 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.

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6.30

10 votes

#12 - 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.

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6.45

20 votes

#13 - 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.

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6.50

12 votes

#14 - 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.

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6.50

10 votes

#15 - Brine

Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/11/2019

Cinnamon, anise and galangal are among the spices that go into Chaoshan brine, a key ingredient in braised offal, goose head and hot pot.

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6.56

9 votes

#16 - Chinese Motherwort

Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 2/11/2019

Known for both taste and nutritional value, Chinese motherwort is blanched and aded to soup and congee as a breakfast favorite.

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6.60

10 votes

#17 - Fish Ball and Wrapped Fish

Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 2/11/2019

In Chaoshan, the lizardfish is deboned and pounded to make surimi (fish paste) -- a versatile ingredient with a uniquely smooth and elastic texture.

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6.62

13 votes

#18 - Marinated Crab

Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/11/2019

Garlic. Cilantro. Chili pepper. The marinated raw-crab dish varies in style from Puning to Shantou, but it's always fresh and tender.

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6.64

11 votes

#19 - Galangal

Season 1 - Episode 19 - Aired 2/11/2019

Galangal arrived in Chaoshan from Southeast Asia a long time ago, imbuing meat dishes like chicken and lamb with a fragrant punch.

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6.67

12 votes

#20 - Meal of Fish

Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 2/11/2019

Salted, boiled and air-dried in bamboo baskets, the mackerel scad is among many seafoods that make for a chewy, flavorful and simple main dish.

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6.69

13 votes

#21 - Beef Hot Pot

Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/11/2019

Expert butchers in Chaoshan sharpen their knives to slice premium beef into perfect, marbled cutlets that are juicy, tender, and ready for hot pot.

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6.69

13 votes

#22 - Lei Cha

Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 2/11/2019

In the Hakka tradition, tea leaves are cooked with fresh herbs, then ground with sesame seeds or peanuts in a mortar to make lei cha, a fragrant drink.

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6.73

11 votes

#23 - Mussels

Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 2/11/2019

Harvested from Nan'ao Island's shores, mussels are a summer delicacy that can be cooked with basil, folded into spring rolls and added to fried rice.

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6.75

12 votes

#24 - 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.

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6.77

13 votes

#25 - Seaweed

Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/11/2019

To bring out umami and impart the flavor of the sea, the versatile ingredient seaweed can be stir-fried, deep-fried, roasted and sprinkled on soup.

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