03x10 - Potato

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POTATO

ANDING DISTRICT, DINGXI, GANSU

Dingxi, located in the Loess Plateau,

is dry all year round.

Rainwater is very precious.

They now have tap water,

but this kind of cellar for rainwater

is still preserved in each household.

Zhang Zehan is not an exception.

With a complicated terrain
and an extreme lack of water,

Dingxi isn't the ideal place
for planting grains.

However, the relatively
concentrated rainfall and sandy soil

happen to be suitable
for growing a certain root crop.

People here have an important food
for survival and settlement because of it.

Potatoes.

Locals call them
yangyudan.

Dingxi

is one of the most important
potato production areas in China.

There are over varieties,
with different shapes and colors.

Their tastes are also different.

STEAMED PURPLE POTATO

The locals' favorite variant
is called
xindaping
.

It is almost unique to Dingxi.

It is big and plump,

with shiny skin and a uniform shape.

Compared with other varieties,
xindaping'
s starch content is higher.

After boiling, its surface cracks.

A cracked potato
is the most visual way the locals use

to judge the potato's quality.

Harvesting potatoes takes a whole day.

Lunch needs to be eaten in the field.

Zhang Zehan digs the soil
and piles up stones.

He's making a ground oven.

Fresh potatoes are roasted on the spot.

Simple and quick.

Two kilometers from here,

his wife is also making
a common household dish.

The high heat releases fragrance.

Hand-pulled noodles are added,
and stir-fried until dry.

The potatoes become a soft purée,
covering the noodles.

It has a simple and firm texture.
It's warm and sticky.

POTATO BRAISED NOODLES

Four hundred years ago,

potatoes were introduced to China.

It can be eaten as a filling main course.

It can also be used with other ingredients
to complement their flavor.

It can act as the staple
or the main course of a meal,

allowing potatoes
to be used widely in Chinese recipes.

COLD POTATO SLICES

In Dingxi,

there is a local specialty snack.

After ceaseless pounding,

the amylopectin in potatoes
are fully extended,

and gains the dense elasticity
of rice cakes.

MASHED POTATO ba*ls

Zhang's wife brings lunch to the field.

The potatoes roasting in the ground oven
are about to be ready as well.

After three hours of roasting,

the moisture evaporates.

Under its tight skin,
starch granules expand.

The Maillard reaction builds aroma within.

The potatoes are ready.

We can eat them.

Success!

With the soil's heat and aroma,

the roasted potatoes
have skins that are dry and thin.

Lightly break them open.
They're clear and bright inside.

It feels soft

with a subtle sweetness
and a pleasant graininess.

GROUND OVEN ROASTED POTATOES

Potatoes.

The most widely grown crop in the world.

For thousands of years,
it has changed how people live.

In Dingxi, not only does it provide
a stable income for farmers,

but it also accompanies their daily meals
with its simple flavor.

Of course, the people of Gansu
aren't satisfied

with just cooking potatoes simply.

They have a more intricate
processing method.

Extracting starch from the tubers

is the start of their
grand transformation.

Ma Nuhai's family
knows the technique to do it.

Boiling water is added to form a dough.

Repeated manual kneading is required.

The dough's texture becomes
more and more uniform.

The starch molecules
gradually become interconnected,

to form a stable,
smooth, and sticky texture.

-All right.
-We can make thin ones too.

Thin ones or leek-sized?

A special wooden scoop determines
the final size and shape.

The dough absorbs the force from the palm,
bursts through the scoop's holes,

and falls down.

In the nearly boiling water,

the noodles cook and hold shape
in less than seconds.

The noodes are quickly cooled.
Cold water washes away excess starch.

The clean and moist noodles
are springy and chewy.

Potato noodles have a mild aroma,

yet through its many possibilities,
it wins the hearts of many people.

Simmer it in a clear broth.
It's mildly sweet and smooth.

Stir-fry on high heat.

It's savory and aromatic.

STIR-FRIED POTATO NOODLES WITH PORK

Two-finger-wide fresh potato noodles
are the most popular.

Stew in a special base,

and springy, chewy noodles
are enveloped by a thick,

spicy flavor, strong and unrestrained.

WIDE POTATO NOODLES IN HOT SAUCE

Not only are potato noodles delicious,

but they're also an ingenious way
people store food in Gansu.

It's almost winter.

The sturdy root and stem
below the dark soil

transform into a clear translucence
under the sun.

Potatoes
use the most of their strong vitality

to provide food
for the people above the ground.