03x08 - Souherb

[bunniefuu]

SOUHERB

WENGOU VILLAGE, TIANSHUI, GANSU

The summer rain
brings the valley back to life.

Everything is growing,

including invisible microorganisms
in the jar.

This kind of white soup is called souherb.

It's made by fermenting vegetables.

In Tianshui,

it is common for
every household to have one.

ZHAO AIZHEN

Okay, done.

Zhao Aizhen is the souherb expert
in the Wengou Village.

It's time for the ingredients she placed
in the jar a few days ago to come out.

The vegetables are tender.

The soup is refreshing.

The sour aroma brought by the
fermentation is unique and mild.

SOUHERB

Tianshui is located on the boundary
between northern and southern China.

Forests cover
almost percent of the land.

It has a mild climate
that's rare in Gansu.

The varieties of wild vegetables

not only taste good after cooking,

but they can also be the ingredients
in making souherb.

LAMBQUARTERS WITH OIL

Starting March rd,
endive sprouts can be enjoyed.

Zhao Aizhen wants to find
a wild vegetable called endive.

It only grows spring and summer.

It has a slightly bitter taste.

Its stems and leaves
are crispy and juicy.

She considers them
the best ingredient for making souherb.

Souherb seems simple to make,

yet it is very specific.

No meat or fish products
can be involved in the process.

Boil the soup.

Then, add endives.

Bacteria is k*lled
in the process of cooking.

The flavor transformation
needs one last important step.

Old souherb is the best yeast.

When the lactobacilli inside it
meets the starch in the soup,

the combination of time and heat

stimulates the fermentation
of a new souherb.

People have been making souherb
for over a millennium.

Their ancestors
discovered its beauty by accident.

In its long coexistence
with local flavors,

people in the northwestern region
mastered its fermentation pattern.

Life in a rural village has a slow pace.

Endive souherb also needs to wait
for one to three days to ferment.

Through the action of microorganisms
and enzymes
,
the endives become soft.

Its bitter taste is slowly removed.

A large volume
of lactobacilli is produced.

Souherb emanates its unmistakable aroma.

ENDIVE SOUHERB

Raw souherb can be consumed directly,

but it has a slightly pungent flavor
which makes some people avoid them.

However,

people in Tianshui have a way

of making it more approachable.

Add seasoning ingredients,
and stir-fry them on high heat.

Locals call it stir-fried souherb.

SOUHERB RADISH

It's slightly sour and spicy
with a mild and savory aroma.

It can be used in home-cooked meals,

or as part of flavorful feasts
in restaurants.

SOUHERB HOT POT

Zhao Aizhen's family favors
a particular type of noodles.

Blanched batter is pushed through
a slotted ladle into cold water to shape.

With a fish-like tail,

it's called
yuyu.

SOUHERB YUYU [GUOZOU]

Add one spoonful of stir-fried souherb
and the
yuyu
becomes soft and agile.

In the heat of summer,

souherb
yuyu
makes dinner
in rural villages

more refreshing and enjoyable.

TIANSHUI, GANSU

All right.

Hu Yinmin has a noodle place
in Tianshui City.

Every two to three days,
he must make a batch of souherb.

The ingredient of souherb is not limited
to any particular vegetable.

Today, he wants to try a new combination.

With the most common celery and cabbage
as a base,

he adds carrots and radishes,
which are rarely used.

Different raw ingredients

provide a subtle difference
to the sour and savory soup base

and transforms the flavor.

In Hu Yinmin's noodle place,
souherb is served all year round.

To the people in Tianshui,

souherb is meant
to be paired with noodles.

Noodles are thick and heavy.

Souherb would help in digesting them.

Over ten types of noodles are served.

The most popular one
is still souherb noodles.

Just add a ladle of stir-fried souherb
to thin and white noodles.

It's an energizing dish
that relieves the summer heat.

Good.

ASSORTED SOUHERB NOODLES

The assorted souherb prepared
four days ago has fermented well.

It'll become
a new variant of souherb noodles.

The flavor of souherb
is molded by local conditions.

It has also become a colorful
and lively mark of northwestern cuisine.

A chef faraway in Beijing

was inspired by souherb
in his creative process.

With slightly sour green tomatoes
as the base,

he adds aromatic celery,

and slightly ferments them.

Its texture and taste
is very close to the original.

Pickled mullet roe
is separated into flakes.

Smooth with a savory aroma,

and they're mildly enveloped
in green souherb.

The vibe of the plateau
meets the element of the sea.

It's a wonderful encounter
of two places that are , km apart.

SOUHERB MULLET ROE

Humans never stop
in their pursuit of flavor.

Souherb was produced due to exceptionally
favorable environmental conditions.

It took root in the northwestern region.

Because of its delicious flavor
and health benefits,

it's gradually becoming well-known
to more people in the world.