The third season of the documentary series The Pride of Hunan Cuisine, which explores the food culture and stories of local individuals in Hunan province, has aired on Hunan Satellite TV and Mango TV recently.

The inaugural episode of the series introduces three chefs from Hunan, delving into their adept handling of diverse ingredients and illustrating how they express their unique life perspectives through their culinary expertise.

One of the featured chefs, Huang Yonglin, demonstrates innovative culinary creations by skillfully using common ingredients. For example, he combines deep-fried sweet potato slices with melt-in-the-mouth goose liver to craft a novel dish.

Additionally, the documentary introduces a brother and sister from Changde, Hunan province, currently working in Istanbul, Turkiye. They not only personally produce tofu to re-create the authentic flavors of their hometown but also incorporate the distinctive tastes of Turkish ingredients into Hunan cuisine.

The production team explored not only a significant part of China, but also ventured into countries like the United States, Japan, Spain, Malaysia, Turkiye and New Zealand. They try to show how Hunan’s cuisine and its people have made their mark globally, providing viewers with a fresh and expansive perspective. The program reveals the stories of how such dishes like Zuo Zongtang Chicken gain fame abroad and how Hunan-style braised pork made its way into a Michelin-starred restaurant in Spain.