In a nation where food is closely tied with daily life, the Chinese people pay careful attention to food choices and have developed a food culture system.

Few countries in the world come close to China in terms of food source variety. Now a culinary TV documentary has stirred quite a response in China for its rare glimpse into the depth of the nation’s diet.

The show, A Bite of China, was produced by China Central Television Station, China’s largest TV outlet. With the aid of high-definition recording, the documentary series is awash with images of palatable food, ranging from the precious matsutake inhabited in remote mountains to steamed buns, staple food in many parts of northern China.

But the show offers more; it tells of the stories behind the food. Each episode comprises of common people engaged in food production, such as a tofu maker, rice wine brewer and shrimp paste processor. Their life stories are simple yet also filled with issues about human nature, heritage and the struggle between modernity and tradition, which adds twists and luster to the production.

The documentary, some critics say, for the first time gives an overall picture of the Chinese people’s gustatory sense and the development of the relationship between food and people over the past centuries.

“The taste sinks down through the tongue and soon reaches the heart, leaving us unable to distinguish between the taste and the feelings,” one of its scripts read.

In a nation where food is closely tied with daily life, the Chinese people pay careful attention to food choices and have developed a food culture system, which generally focuses on regional specialty, seasonal differences, cooking techniques, physical appearance and aroma as well as health benefits.