Once Upon A Bite:New Documentary TV Series Reflect Nations and Cultures

Xu Jie

Once Upon A Bite， a food documentary television series， made its debut on CCTV on October 28， 2018. The series was directed by Chen Xiaoqing， a foodie who masterminded and directed first two seasons of ， a Chinese documentary television series on the history of food， eating， and cooking in the oriental country. After the two seasons aired respectively in May 2012 and from April to June 2014， Chen and his filming team quit CCTV and launched the  project.

Chen Xiaoqing is the first foodie in China who makes food documentaries which gain high ratings and widespread popularity. His latest 8-episode food documentary was filmed over a period of four years， taking the audience to journey to 22 countries across six continents， focusing on areas where East meets West in the dining scene and delves into the rise and changes in Chinese cuisines worldwide.

A scene of family reunion dinner from an episode of Once Upon A Bite

Chen wanted to make a difference in . Technically， the documentary explores deeply into the micro images of food. Culturally， it provides a global perspective， trying to find the minds in the west and the east who think alike. Chinese ham and Spanish ham juxtapose in the first episode.

“In ， Chinese food accounts for 70% of the documentary whereas the food beyond China accounts for 30%，” says Chen Xiaoqing. “In the second season， it will be fifty-fifty.”

“China is never an island of food. Global exchanges in flavors and tastes have been going on since ancient times，” remarks the director. The documentary gives an example to illustrate the history of food exchanges. Mankind was able to convert wheat into food about 10，000 years ago. The food crop spread across the world about 9，000 years ago. In the west， wheat met fire and became bread. In the east， its encounter with water transformed it into noodles and steamed buns.

Another point the documentary makes is the bond between food and people who are away from home. Chinese food has traveled with Chinese people across the world. Chinese restaurants not only appeal to Chinese away from home， but also appeal to natives of these countries. Take Peru for example. The Chinese were the first Asians to arrive in Peru between 1848 and 1874. These early immigrants came as laborers. Many died in difficult work conditions. Most of survivors were able to stay and establish small businesses and restaurants. They brought Chinese cooking to Peru. Today， wonton and chaofa （fried rice） are popular and typical Peruvian Chinese dishes. The Portuguese cuisine is kept alive in Macao by about 10，000 Portuguese residents. The cuisine includes some Portuguese dishes made with ingredients found in Macao and neighboring regions. These dishes even most natives in the homeland know nothing about.

The third reflection the documentary makes in its episodes is that food ingredients change and some vanish fast. Rapid and vast urbanization and gentrification are wiping out small restaurants in back streets and lanes in cities and in rural towns and villages. Some food disappeared after the filming was over. Crabs from the Taihu Lake are now no longer available as crab ponds around the Taihu Lake have been shut down as the government is now pushing the environmental cleanup projects that aim to wipe out pollution and improve water quality of the lake.

“There were about 1，000 cereal species when I was born. The number dwindled to about 200 when my son was born. The number will be probably further reduced to about dozens in the future，” says Chen Xiaoqing. “What remain will be the species that produce the highest yield， provide best nutrition， take efficient work to cultivate， and take not so many people to take care of，” points out Chen， definitely one of the most famous foodies in China.