hat. [spepeaking natitive languag] yeah, i i told the. - now, y you weren't't dressed p like j john waynee or anyththing like t that, were? whenen you went t to school?l? no cowowboy boots?s? - no, , no, no, nono, no. [laughghs] ♪ - theyey say you can take the by out of the country, but you u can't takeke the e country ouout of the b . i don't t know if ththat's t. we a all come frfrom someplal. that's foror sure. bubut new yorkrk city, in masa tatakayama's c cas, seseems far, f far away frfrom the litittle town he grerew up in. ♪

- you know what i like? i like sichuan. man, i l love the fofood here. you u know what t else i li? tortrturing my f friend éric c ripert. i don'n't know whyhy. maybybe it's bececause he's so dadamn nice. [exhaleses] you u high, man?n? you look k . - i am.... but i likeke it. - yeyeah? - you coululd pretty m much tetear his toeoenails outt anand he'd stitill find sosometg nice to say about you. he's's so politete, yet t if you looook closel, and i i do, his didiscomfot can bebe exquisitete. [blowingng nose] - he's t the devil.. look a at him. [u[upbeat rockck music] both: ♪ i took k a walk through ththis ♪ ♪ beautifulul world ♪ felt the e cool rainn on my y shoulder ♪ ♪ found somomething gooood inin this ♪ ♪ beaututiful worldld

♪ i felt t the rain getting g colder ♪ - ♪ l la, la - ♪ sha l la, la, la,a, la ♪ sha l la, la, la,a, la - ♪ sha l la, la, laa - ♪ sha la,a, la, la, l la ♪ sha l la, la, la,a, la, la - it's t the spicy,, sensnsualist heaeartland of a all the thihings i love abobout china;; the collllision betwtween very, veryry old and v very , an exploloding middldle cla, a lot t of historyry, and food t that couldd burnrn you downn toto a charreded, smokoking littlele stump. sichuan prprovince, located inin the souththwet ofof china over a a thousand d miles from beijijing. a reregion so fefertile and d l, that it't's been refeferred o

as "chchina's breaeadbasket." and it's capital, chengdu. despite its ever-growing skyline, it hasn'n't lost itsts deep culinaryry roots andnd tradit. - [speakaking sichuauanese mand] -- and i fifigured, if i'm g going back k to sicn i should b bring a fririen. sosomeone unusused to the-e- hohow shall i i say-- level l of heat cocommonly fd inin the food d here. someone e who's nevever ben to china b before and isis unused toto its wa. i'm talkining, of coururse, about chefef éric c ripert of s such three e star michelin r restaurantsts as n new york's s le bernardr. so welcomeme to china,a, éri. - thanank you. - - first timeme to the mamain? - yes, a and i'm verery surprid alalready abouout what i s e in t the city hehere. i was expepecting likeke, kikind of a gigigantic chihin ththat we haveve in new yoyo. - that's's some racicist shit right therere, i'm telellin' ya.

- no, it's's very surprprisin. the streetets, they'rere very c. just--it almost looks like a european city. - exceptpt for the a air. the e air qualitity, i mean,n, maybe e you've nototiced ththat haze--- - - yeah, it's's like-- - thatat's--that's's not go. but i'm definitely out of my comfort zone. - really?? - for r sure, yeahah. - - well, goodod. i'm huhungry, you u hungry? - yeahah. - noododles, that't's where yu shshould startrt around hehe. chengdgdu is famouous fofor little s spots like e t. don don chchen shui mimian, named afteter a much b belod chengdu u noodle snanack. oh, yeah, , now we're e talkin'. - i've n never been n good withth chopstickcks. - realally? - nenever. this is s not bad. i can grgrab it. kindnd of. - oh, yeyeah. thatat is awesomome. - so i it's all spspicy. the pepeppers get t to me. i'i'm--i'm likike...whew.. - - yeah, wellll, this i is just dayay one, man.n. - i'i'm surprisesed you don't drinink beer witith that.

- dudede, it's onlnly 11:20 0 in the mororning. whatat kind of a an animal do you thihink i am? - 'cauause there's's nothing to soothe e your tastete buds. - ththis is a gogood sortrt of intro.o. [blolowing nose]e] soso we're gononna have fuf. - ohoh, man. - we're e gonna eat t well. yoyou're gonnana drink a littlele more thanan you li. - okay.. - and i hahave to streress this to you nowow, éric,c, you cacannot refususe. - don'n't look at t me yourur eyes likeke that. - i'm sayiying drinkining cultue is very y important t here. and if w we go to, like, a foformal meal,l, yourur ability to drink l leads to a numberer of assumpmptions ababout you, y you know? yoyour generalal manlinessss, penis s size. your worthth as a humaman being. - - i'm comforortable with my sisize. [lauaughing] - - think of y yourself as an ambabassador not ononly for amemerica, bubut for franance, ériric. - bubut i am an n ambassador of le bebernardin asas well. of the p people who o work wiwith me and d so on. - right,t, you don't't want pee on t the other s side of thehed thinkiking that lele bernardinis pupussies out t there to r repr.

- you knowow what? youou're scag the shshit out of f me now. [lauaughing] seseriously. - you can'n't let the e team d. - to me itit's more ininsulting to be shshit-faced a at the ta. - nono no, not h here. it's p perfectly o okay to b be shitfaceced at the t ta. ththat's complpletely accecepta. it's gononna be a wiwild wee. - yes, i h have the sesense of . [intensese music] - hehere's sometething they k about a lolot in sichuhuan when discucussing foodod. twtwo elementsts of flavor persrsonified byby two ingrers that are i integral toto so h of thehe cooking a around he. the sisichuan peppppercorn, knowown for its s floury, aromatatic flavorr and its s tingly, mimind-derang, momouth-numbining effects-- a a phenomenonon called "m"m" anand the spicicy chili pepeps likeanjijing chow, or the eveven hotter facingng heaven chchili providide the "la,a," pupure heat. soso if you imimagine likek, ililsa, she-wowolf of the e , tormentiting you with nipipple clampspsas the " the e "ma" provivided by the e pleasantlyly derangig peppppercorns,

wowould be likike the naugughtye withth the ice c cubes. [all s singing in sichuanan mandarin]n] ♪ - whatat's your uhuh... whwhat's your r feeling onon ? - i dodon't mind m msg. - yeyeah, i thinink it's gooood. - i dodo not reactct to it. - right. n no, no, me e too. nobody d does. it's s a lie, m. - but you u find a lotot of natatural msg i in tomatoe. - in b breast milklk and parme. - - yeah, in a a lot of prprod. - yeahah, you knowow what causus chinesese restaurarant syndromo? racism.. - [lauaughs] - "ooh, , i have a h headach. "it t must've bebeen the e chinese guguy." [perercussive mumusic] ♪ - momost of the e traditiona, vevery famous s dishes of sichuhuan cuisinene are not t made from m chef. our comemes out fromom the fam. - uhuh-huh. - soso family didishes is ththy of sichuanan cuisine..

- inin my quest t to set éric'c's perfect t hair on f, i hahave arrangeged dinner with t this man, g gou de, whwho runs thehe sichuan cuisinine museum h here. he takeses us to a neighghborhood fafavorit, tiantitian fang titian, for some t typical lococal ds like picickled chickcken fe, cartililaginous lilittle bits of gnanawable goododness. - how dodo you eat this one? - jujust, uh, bibite it and, u uh, don't e eat the e bone, thouough. - - no, no.... - oh, itit's good. - itit's delicioious. - - it's spicycy. - yeah, vevery spicy.. - whew.. - have somome beer. - the fofood is realally goo, but t the spiceses are littltlt of a challllenge, i hahave to . - oh, yeyeah, now w we're talklking. yoyou're gonnana love thisis di, mymy friend. - yeahah, let's fifind the chin inin the pile e of chili.. [echoes]s] pile o of chili. - "l"la zi ji" l literally ms spicy chicicken but the didish, in practicical terms,, is a g game of fininding the bits o of chickenn inin the mountntain ofof ass-burnining goodnes. cocome on, it't's fun for the whwhole familyly.

"is s that a tininy nubbin of hacacked chickeken, "or a nunuclear clususter of chili s seeds?" ththe sichuan n peppers are the, f for me, like, , the reallyly super-adaddictive. - oh, yeahah, i feel t them now. it's all t tingling. - yeah. - like t that, rightht. - there'e's a scientntific namee for the e process, fofor what hapappens, itit's san chuhul-- - mm-h-hmm. - - is the bioiological agagt ththat causes s confusionn in your r nervous sysystem. - confususion? - - tingling. . confusion,n, . - - that's whahat i feel right now,w, yeah. [e[echoed laugughing] you're g gonna love e this d. - i'm m totally coconfused, i'll telell you thatat. - - oh, mapo d doufu. - oh, my f favorite. - - that one, , i have thehe fe, is thehe killer. - lookok at that, , man. that is sosome goodnesess right t there. for r me, the apapex of s sichuan fooood. my absolutute favoritete, imimprobably e enough, is a a tofu dishsh. thisis tofu dishsh, the legegendary mapo dououfu, or pock-k-marked graranny tof. ground porork or beef,f, cubebes of bean n curd

in a r rich, deeplply-nuanc, fierery but intetensely satitg saucuce of chilili oil, bean pasaste, garlrlic chutes,s, ground sicichuan peppepercorn, and msmsg. this dish h done rightht has gogot it all.. oh, ththat's so gogood. it's's a perfectct balance of stuffff going on n in here. i i just love,e, love, lolove this didish. - actutually, the e spiciness makes me a already, lilike, feeleling that i i am drunk. kind of,f, you know?w? - realally? - yeah. i'm m like... - you hihigh, man? you look h high. - i amam. but i lilike it. - - yeah? - - and if youou ever, likike, have a a hangover-r-- and you wiwill, my f friend, youou will, ththis will scscare the e evil rightht out. - - it's prepppping me for a drininking nightht. - - the glory y of france.e. - shshut up. - is on n your shoululders. - [laughghing] - anand tong yaoao yu, green peppppercorn fisish,

seserved in a a simmering g t of seasonened fish broroth, lalaced heavilily with freh and drdried greenn sichchuan pepperercorns and d finished o off wiwith a heavyvy pour ofof boiling h hot vegetabable . - i i think thisis is the momosb you are e gonna feelel. - - it's goingng to be a c chal, this o one, for meme. - anany second n now, that perfefect hair isis gonna bururst into flfla. - ththat's good.d. - man, i l love the fofood here. how'd thatat feel? [ecechoes] - - [laughing]g] you knknow, it chahange-- it change e you physicically. like, , i feel likike my f face is chahanging. [echoingng] chchanging.... like, my e eyes are inin a difffferent posisition. - - i got newsws for you.. yeah, itit... you betttter look at yourselelf in a mirirror, ma. - all riright, lelet's just s slow down.. - - don't rushsh. - [e[echo] slow w down. [slolow-motion]] slow dowown a littlele bit. - maman, those p peppercornsns are awesesome. - - [groans] i need towowels. holy y cow. - whwhoa. [l[laughing]

- they a all lookingng at me from the k kitchen. they're e like, "is s this guy going to s survive or r what?"

[u[upbeat rockck music] - ththank you. do i have e to wear one of t those veststs? ah, jeezez. you're g gonna sinkk like a a stone in n this thin.

my friend d éric is a b buddhist. nonot a weekenend buddhistst, e. a seririous, long-term m practitiononer ofof tibetan b buddhism. it's's what makekes him so diffeferent for m me. he, , for instanance, is ni. i am n not always s so nic. - on t the rock isis somethingng writteten in chinenese. - maybybe it's, yoyou know, "gift shshop this waway." - [lauaughs] - - whoa, chececk it out, , . - - i know. abouout two hoururs south of chehengdu at ththe conflue of the m minjiang, d dadu, and qingyiyi rivers isis the giantnt leshan buba carveded out of ththe cliff l baback in 713.3. itit still statands as thehe t stone e buddha in n the wor. whoa, ththat was preretty awes. - ththat was beaeautiful, no? - and me w without my selfie e stick. though éric's s buddhism divergrges somewhahat from t the kind prpracticed , asas you mightht imagine,, the e site is rerespected and rerevered by a all buddh.

i am r respectful l of faiths not t my own and d i am more e than happypy t my fririend do whahat he do. it m means a lotot to him. and likeke i said, i respspect that. . really. pretty cool. - isn't it? [heavy brereathing] all right,t, this is a tasty rarabbit head d dispens. - isis it here? ? no. isis it here?? - yeyeah, man. t that's what you've b been waitining for. bubut all thisis time, in a littltle evil partrt of my brarain, i've been n secretly lookining forwardd to t this momentnt. a tasty sisichuan snacack famous a and much-loloved around thehese parts.. i'm talkinin' bunny heheads,. tasty, tasasty bunny h heads. - i i think you u use the glg. - yeyeah. - lilike you're e doing a little p prostate exexam.

look at t it. lolook at thosose teeth. he hateses it--whoa.a. - oh, , you have t the tongue . - yank thehe jaw rightht out. oh, ththat's good.d. that i is deliciouous. seririously spicicy, delicioi, flesh stilill clingingng to litittle thumpeper's sku, lookok at those e little tee. and the bebest part, after r you rip ofoff the jaw and split t the skull-l-- the taststy, chicicklet-sizeded brain. - - mmm, it's s a lot of m meat. - - suck that t brain righght. - i'm not t a fan of b brain, but i'm gogonna try. - yoyou haven't t had these e b. rabbit brarains are didifferent. theyey're not lilike custstardy creamamy. they're kikind of likeke... lilittle like e uni. ♪ h here comess peter r cottontailil ♪ ♪ hoppin' d down ththe bunny trtrail ♪ right ininto my moututh. - hohow did you u crack that? - - you just g get that sosoft. you justst crack thahat thumbn and prpry it apartrt. [chuckckles] aw, jejeez. yeah, , just poundnd it onon the curb.b. so youou basicallyly crack it-t- ohoh, you're w winnowing o t the e brain wiwith its ownwn jawbone..

there's s a certainn country y justice toto that. i i wish i'd k known ababout these e things. you u know, i'm m gonna mamake these n next eastere. - [laughghs] - - i mean thehe whole eaeaster egg h hunt, what d does that h have toto do with b bunnies? yoyou know whahat i'm sayiying? bubunnies don'n't lay eggsgs. but they d do have heaeads. lolook deep. deep i into the mumurky deps ofof that mostst gloriouss and d iconic of f sichuan di. it bururns. it bururns you down to o your soul.l. - - [all] cheeeers. local frfriend xiao o bin and musicician friendsds seve, wu jiaiao ling, anand gao sn all enenjoy a goodod hotpo. almomost everybobody araround here e does. éric,c, however,, seemems apprehenensive. so t this is eéric's first titime for sicichuan hot. i i think you'u're reallyy gonna enenjoy this..

so thihis is partiticularly gog, righght? - whwhich is knonown for r being spicicy, so... - - not a goodod news. - i feelel it inin my eyes a already, yeye. - the e way it wororks is, you ordeder a whole e bunch of ingreredients; meat, vevegetables, , noodl, fish, whwhatever youou lik. a lot ofof differentnt ingrgredients, and d you feed t them ininto the potot. - ththe dog tailil, we shoululd justst throw thehem first. - yeyeah, becaususe that's gonna takeke a long titime. let's ththrow that t tripe in. - - it's calleled "thohousand layeyer stomach." - it's allll going g in there, , man. the e inner ringng is a m more neutraral brot. the e outer ringng, though,, is t the good ststuff. ththe hard stutuff. oh, ththat's good d man. thatat's good. - thatat was éric's first bitete of hotpotot. - awesesome, rightht? - - yes. - it onlnly gets betetter, my f friend. - - oh, this i is nice. - oh, yeyeah. tofu.. - ohoh, this is s tofu? - - yeah. - oh, itit's the skikin on to? - yeah..

- - common ingngredients like t tofu and seseaweed, variouous meats anand fishs are ststirred in alalong with i ingredients that a are, shall l we say, less f familiar to thehe western p palate. they g get the ducuck-- - - yeah... - thenen they reacach inside,, they grarab the intetestines and yank ' 'em out ofof the live e duck. - nono! - yeahah. suppososedly, thatat's-- ththat gives y you the mosost . - but t it's a bitit cruel, ri? - you wantnt 'em freshsh, éri. - yeah.. i ththink we shohould drinink some beeeer. - yes,s, i think s so. - [allll] cheers.. [blowing n nose] - how w you doing g there, eé? - i'm doining amazinglgly wel. - can n you hang i in there? - my sininuses are..... - opopen. - soso open, youou have no i id. - bestst part of h hotpot is the shahare. - isis to share?e? - to s share. - - yes, i likike that tooo. it's's very convnvivial. - somemetimes we h have hotptpots for fofour hours..

[echoingng] fourur hours.... - asas it cooks s down, it gets s stronger a and strr and the e heat more e inten. a a delicious,s, yet unprerede silt o of spice gatherering at thehe bottom of thihis river ofof hot la. - wow. if you digig deep, lilike down toto the sedimiment downwn there, ththe riverbeded? man, i it's spicy.y. you feel e enlighteneded yet? lolook how thehe colors chchange in t the broth.. [u[upbeat rockck music] ♪ - is it whwhat you u kind of exexpected? hohotpot? - yes,s, it is exaxactly whwhat i expecected it. [lauaughs] - morere beers, guguys? - - yeah, defifinitely. ♪ - i i cannot thihink anymore. so i i'm gonna e eat and drir. - but the e baijiu comomes ou, and evererything is s fine agai. fofor me, anywyway. i'm not soso sure abouout éri. you're o out of it, , man. - - [exhales]] - itit's all gooood, though. it's a all good.

- okayay. - dodon't say "o"okay." the evevening's jujust beginni. - - everythingng you just t d was apappetizer. [echoes] - [slolow-motion]] it's a all good, t though. it's allll good. - - he's the d devil. lookok a. ♪ - let's drdrink, baijijiu. ♪ - - all right,t, éric.c. yeahah, you're g getting inin the spiririt of thingngs. - you knowow, he took k me on thihis trip to o make me sus. - yeahah-- - toto kill me s slowly-- - thatat's what frfriend doeses to anotheher friend.. that's's what goodod friends . in dririnking cultlture of chih, we e enjoy tortuturing your r f. - - [laughing]g] - wewell, let's s drink toto friendshihip. - - to friendsdship. - toto friendshihip. - i i like that.t. yeyeah, to fririendship.

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wireless that works for you. it's not just possible, it's happening. [u[upbeat rockck music] [jinghu plplaying] ♪ - morning in chengdu, and my restless pilgrim friend isis up early.y. always a s seeker, checkingng out the s sites, suckining up knowlwledge, ninibbling at t the edgess of c celebrity due, no dodoubt, to ththe ft that mosost of thesese peope thinink he's ricichard ger. me, , i don't neneed the glir or the rececognition.. and scscrew wisdomom. gigive me someme damn noodo.

now yoyou know thahat's good, come on.n. i don't eveven have toto taste. just looook at it. now get t in my moututh. mmm.m. - - uh, excusese me. can n you help m my family..... - nothing g from éric. - - they thinknk i am anthony bobourdain. i'i'm gonna plplay a soson of a bititch. - hehe probably y turned hihis phone ofoff. - sorrrry, tony. - thanank you. thahank you so o. - you're w welcome. - i i think he w was up last nightht doing, uhuh, sisichuanese k karaoke. ♪ - okay.. - goodod, thank yoyou. thank y. - he couould be, uh.h... i don'n't know, ririding the p porcelain b bus, as t they say. [peoeople chattetering] - ththis is veryry sweet andnd , but i lilike it a lolot. i don'n't even knonow whatat i'm eatining, but whyhy?

mmm. spipicy--oof! thank you.u. - i jujust know this soup p is awesomeme. i cocould rule t the world after thisis. still nono word fromom éric.c. ♪ [percussssive music]c] ♪ ♪

- - the chinesese inventedd beining obsesseded with food. ththey inventeted, you kno, bebeing obsessssed with thehe provenancnce of i ingredientsts, withth going to a partiticular placace for a paparticular d dish. soso they've h had that trtradn for at leaeast 800 yeaears. - fusisia dunlop h has had anan extraordidinary rerelationshipip with chin, and sisichuan in p particul, sincnce she firsrst arrived e as a studedent in 199494. she was s the first t foreignr to s study atat the sichuhuan hihigher instititute of cucuie and has wrwritten numemerous s abouout her expeperiences and d about sichchuanese fod whwhich are rirightly consnsd groundndbreaking and defifinitive. to say shehe was way ahead d of her timime, is an undederstatementnt. she'e's brought t us to chef wanang xudong's's restau, yu-jerwa.. - what he'e's trying t to o is sort ofof raise thehe lel ofof sichuanesese food toto sort of very refinined banquetet cooker.

- is w what he's d doing unusl for r chengdu, f for china?? - it's r really unususual 'cauause i thinknk in the wewes, we'r're so very y used to ththa of a celebebrity cheff and d the indivividual cheff as artisist. but t in china,, people t traditionalally lookok down on c chefs. soso this is q quite a newew th. there arare very fewew chefs whwho really l like the creatitive visionn behind t the food and doining the workrk in the k kitchen. [l[lively inststrumental m mu] - ththe meal begegins. a a large arraray of cold d s are laidid out. dedelicate flalavors like lily y buds scscented withth rose petas arare presenteted alongsidee more a assertive t tastes lilike thinly y sliced, brbd beef shanknk with chilili o. tea treeee mushroomsms blanchd and lilightly stirir fried with c chinese stetem lettu. and d you suggesest starting with t the lily bubuds? - yeah, , i would ststart withth the lily y buds 'cause thehey're nicece and oileded, yeah. ♪ - it's's nice textxture. - yeyeah. - thatat's--those e mushrooms are amamazing. - yeah, , i love these cashshew nuts. - also prarawns serveded cold with handmdmade noodleles

drdressed withth natural vegetatable extracacts. - soso you've prprobably bebeen havingg alall kinds ofof amazing sichuanesese flavors because e sichuan, it's not j just about t chili and sisichuan pepppper, itit's about f fujawei. cocomplex, layayered flavovors like f french saucuces. - yes.s. - and d there's onone of them called g guai wei, strange flflavor. - "stranange flavor.r." - yeahah. because itit's a mixtuture of sweweet, sour, , salty, spspicy, numbibing, and d nutty all l together.. and this i is strangnge flavor n noodles. so i it's just l like a realal traditioional sichuauan dish but t done in a a very refinine. - then somome soup. a rich, slslow simmerered chchicken and d pork stockc, a a raft of chchopped meat floaoats on topp to clarifyfy the brothth. a small bubundle of impossisibly thin hand-c-cut noodleses made with ducuck egg yolklks, a weststern sichuauan specia. - [speakaking sichuauanese mand] ♪ - okay, , so he's sasaying first hahave a smellll of this,, and thenen a taste of the broroth.

♪ - ohoh, it's beaeautiful. - then j just--just t gently prpress the nonoodles... - [speakaking sichuauanese mand] - and ththen lift ththem up anand eat themem. ♪ - oh, theyey're reallyly fin. - yoyou know, some of ththese disheses-- the e character,r, it's verery similarr toto what you u get on thehe s, but itit's just dodone so beaeautifully.. - wewe were talklking ththe other daday ththat so manyny of the didis we w were eatingng in the rerest started ouout--these w were nt inventeded by chefss or even cocooks, ththey were ininvented by y fs anand hungry p people. thatat's certaininly the stotor. of m much of frerench cookining. i i mean, cocorrect me i if i'm wrono. - for r sure. but t when you u can achieveve refinemement and you kekeep the sououl food inin the procecess you u don't haveve only p pretty foodod, you hahave amazingng food. ♪ - [gasasping] - wow. beaeautiful.

- - this is a a really amamazing dishsh. i especicially reququested thisis dish whicich is one of his spepecialties.. ♪ soso it's sea a cucumber from darliliem of thehe northeaststern coast.t. so t that's a vevery expensi, rarified b banquet ingngredi. but it's's done with a t typical sicichuanese sosour and hotot dressing,, or s sour and hohot seasonini. like o on the strereet, you'u'd get justst these seaeass with slippppery sweet potatato noodleses and a a load of awawful. - - right. - thisis is a banqnquet versi. - ah. - yeah. - mmmmm. - mmmmm. - - that's gononna be a challengnge for me.. i'i'm still babattling wiwith my skilills. - i i would holdld your bowl a littlele closer. like t this, anand then it't's easier.. - ththank you. - less r room for didisaster. - you cocould have tell me e that beforore, ton. - - i was haviving so muchch . [laughter]r] so that reresistance,, that b boing, that r rubberinessss, actutually elaststicity, it's's kind of t the last frfrr for westerern palates.s.

- the gegelatinous?? - the-e--and cartitilaginous. you u know? wherere there's s a, like, crcrunch. - - this dish,h, this delilicacy makekes no sensese in termss of westetern gastrononomy at all because inin the westt there's s just no coconcept of eatining somethining for ththe pleasurere of its tet. - mmm. delelicious. really gooood. - mmmm-hmm. ♪ - so you'r're sort of singlgle-handedlyly making the bebeautiful arargument that peoeople shouldld go againstst their nataturl instincts s in the wesest and opopen up to w what is, rer, an entntirely new w spectrum of i initially d difficult and extrememely nuanceced flav. - i justst--i think k chinese is the w world's mosost undederrated cuiuisine. because eveveryone loves chchinese foodod, but untitil recentlyly peopople mainly y in the west ththought of c chinese foood asas being somomething vevery familiaiar and d good to eaeat. but cheaeap and likeke, you kno, a bit t junky honenestly.

and i thinink that nowow people c can see ththat it hass so much h more to ofoffer. ♪ it's's got everyrything frm the momost elevateted banquet t, imperialal cooking,, hearty p peasant fooood, ststreet food,d, buddddhist vegetetarian cookoki, muslslim cookingng. ethnic mininorities with theirir own styleles. anand so it's s really what you c can call a gagastronomic c culture. ♪

[upbeat t rock musicic] [b[bell rings]s] - in the h high-stressss wod of the p professionanal kitc, ththe job of t the executitive f is m much like an airir-traffic c controll. one mimisheard ordrder, one garbleled communicication could lelead to, well, disasaster. it is wiwith this inin mind that i a arrange foror éricc to r receive thehe attentions ofof a specialalist in the m maintainingng of p perfect heaearing and eaear-related d health. - but t the guy's s a doctor?? or he's s like an amamateur lilike in the e street? - he's k kind of likike a doct. momore of a tetechnician,, a careregiver. and d you could d do it right hehere in the e park whilile enjoyingng your te. who neneeds a doctctor, bro? [ringingng] - well, , here you g go. my manan needs a c cleaning. yes, yes.. [laughs]s] yeah, , look at hihim. - he's's laughing.g.

- - enjoy yourur therapy,, you mimight wanna a put that d. if he e hits the s sweet spot-t- just r relax, dudede. just k keep your h head forwara. - - what he's s doing, itit's scrappiping? - well, hehe has a numumber ofof devices. . it's a verer- - bubut he's usising those d ds onon everybodydy else herer? because--- - no, , no, no. theyey're thorououghly sanititid after r every custstomer. ststay in placace. if youou move, youou know... don't try y this atat home, fololks. one e wrong moveve to thehe right or r the let and ththe patient t can loe all memoryry of life b before 1. whwhich if it t includes kenny y loggins mimight be a g good deal,, but i i digress. oh, yeah,, here comomes the gooood part. [ringingng] oh, , yeah, ththat's a rusush, right?? - it's l like a... - ththe road to o enlightenmnmet righght there. - oh, now w the massagage. - - oh, and yoyou might asas l straighthten out eéric's nek whwhile you'rere at it. - [groans]s] don't t do that. [neck crcracks] [y[yelps] - oops,, thatat didn't sosound good..

oh, , god, that't's funny. so y you ready for the asass cleaner?r? this guy, , i mean-- - [laughghing] - hehe'll be rigight over. same toolsls as the eaear clea, by thehe way. [g[gong soundsds] [intenense music]] ♪ as i explainined to éric, a trueue artist must n never stop p learning. the jajapanese havave a nae for ththis principiple and the inintended purursuit f knowleledge and enenlightenm- "kaizezen." - [speakining sichuanenese mand] - today wewe will leararn fish f flavored didish. - soso it was wiwith this ini, as well l as the clalassic wk of mr.r. rodney dadangerfie, thatat i decideded toto go back t to school.. to make ththe ultimatete sacrififice for mymy frien, toto return toto that placae ofof childhoodod torment.... ststop trying g to suck upp to teachcher, i saw w that. apapple polishsher. so that t my friendd mighght learn, mighght just mayaybe bebetter himseself and hopefufully bringg someme of that k knowledge

toto the hungrgry anand the neededy people at le bebernardin. you gogot that, riright? like a m machine, no problemem. - yeah.. - okay.. [t[techno musisic] ♪ whoaoa, doing gogood. - [speakining sichuanenese mand] - littlele thick, maman. - okayay. - inin order to o get to thehe p in t the harsh, , competitivived of p professionanal cookin, sometimes s you gotta a use shsharp elbowsws. - morere? - geget your ownwn, . itit's a cold d world out t . betterer he learnsns it hee than o on the strereet. - handnds up! [laughing]g] i win ththe prep. ♪ - the wok k is intensesely ho. thingsgs cook quicickly in t. a few seseconds too o slow, and thinings swiftlyly turn from thehe sublime to thehe ridiculouous.

- okay. ♪ fifinishe. - et voilálá, cheese e eater. [tense p percussive e musi] ♪ - [s[speaking sisichuanese m ma] - overcocooked. damnmn. damnmn. and, uh,h, what abouout this g? ♪ - [speakining sichuanenese mand] - did yoyou hear thahat, éri? - whwhich one isis overcooke? - - this is flflinstone-iain knife e work. - yoyou're so cocompetitive, i can'n't believe e it. - look at thatat knife woror. - ththose mushroroom are toooo. look a at that, yoyou throw of the e balance ofof the dish.h.

you see hehere? you fefeel the e consistencncy of the m . - - feeling ththe consistetey of the meaeat is sometething you'r're wellll-used to, , my frien.

[upbeat rorock music]] - [s[singing] ♪ - alalmost everyrywhere i'vev, it seems t there is a terrififyingly powowerfu, yet mumuch loved,, alcocoholic beveverage

atat the very y center of the cululture. one e whose consnsumption is rigigorously obobserved in rituaual and tradaditio. ♪ whetheher it's somome sisinister moooonshine inin a 55-gallllon drum in afrfrica, or a disistilled spipirit in the junungles of boborneo, the mountatains ofof the caucacasus, or a a more refifined concoctionon as here,, yoyou must drirink it. ♪ laladies and g gentlemen,, i gigive you baiaijiu. baijiu h has been araround for a veryry long timeme and the shshui jing fafang didistillery has s been makining this stf fofor over 50000 years. - normalally chinesese people drink prpremium baijijiu in the occasion of entertain importanant guests.. so in chinina, premiuium baijiu m means a loto. at a b business didinner, a banqueuet,

one e can reasononably expect to d drink quitete a lolot of the s stuff. especiallyly when yourur hos arare in the b business of makaking it. and mymy french frfriend has concererns. - do youou want to k know hohow we drinknk? - yes, o of course.. yeyes, that's s very imporortan. - chinese e tradition.n. we startrt three cupups. so we drdrink togethther. afteter three cucups, eveveryone wilill with eacach r one by o one. welcome toto china. [speakining sichuanenese manda] [all t toasting] - i i have told d him what mightht be expectcted om and the fufutility of resisisting. - - the aromaa is verery distinctctive. vevery, very s special. - there e will be fofood, i told himim. a lot of f food. and baijiuiu. and onone must notot, undeder any circrcumstance, brbring shame e on our houou. now the nenext round it's one b by one? - yeah.. - so howow does thatat work?

[upbpbeat music]c] - oh, nono. i mean,, we mayay as well g get starte. ♪ - thank yoyou very mucuch. hopepe you enjoyoy it. - thank k you very m much. - [both]h] welcome t to cheng. - thanank you so m much. ♪ in businesess, how oftften do youou entertainin like thisi? - two-o--two, threree days a a week. [l[laughing] - two, t three days.s. - and sosometimes, in one dayay three timimes. - ohoh, three titimes? - yeyeah. ♪ - ohoh, wait. uh, excucuse me, eéric? - yes,s, tony? [all laughghing] wowow. mymy dear frieiend, thank yoyou so muchh for tataking me hehere. i will rememember forerever.

- okay, , good. [triumphphant music]c] ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

[apppplause]

[upbeat rock musicic] [train hororn blares]] [u[upbeat musisic] ♪ [hororn blares]]

- like m many residedents of the citity of chengngdu, we d decide to h head out to the couountry for t the week. get in tououch with, like, , nature, maman. i made a a potentialally lethalal mistake t this mornini. i didid somethining i never r. - - which is?? - i atate a westerern breakfat at t the hotel.. it's's ba--alwayays, alwaways bad newews. - why? - it's jusust somethining you shshouldn't dodo when you're oututside of ththe sta. nevever eat the e western brbret in a hototel. - no t that i agreree, yeah. - [e[exhales] i'm feelining it alreaeady. it's n not good. - well, , the good n news, wewe are sittiting by thehe bathroomsms. - yoyou know, anand...on a t n isis never a g good thing.g. - you hahave luxury y taste, i i noticed. kindnd of elitisist taste. - - really? i i don't likee to rololl around in my y own... in a movining bathroomom, that's elilitist? - [l[laughing] embracace...the exexperience..

- we're ababout maybee 115 kikilometers a away frfrom the cenenter ofof city of c chengdu. - chen zhohongis a fililmmar from beieijing who o often retuturns to che, the placace of his b birth, to e enjoy the m more laid-back k pace. so on the weekends... everybybody comes s out to.... what's i it called?? - alongdgdaloo. it's a tererm to descrcribe a placace like t. - righght. - it meaeans, you knknow, the... agriculturural family y happin. - "agriculultural fafamily happipiness." oror "rural fafamily happipin" - rural, y yeah. rural famimily happineness. itit's like ththe rural fafy they arere holding t the busines lilike this. a a restaurantnt, anand also entntertainmentnte for peopople to comeme over to , to e enjoy the v view, to fif, and to p play mahjonong. - do y you ever dodo that? wowould you gogo back to f fran, go on a weweekend, hehelp somebodody pick grarapes, do agriculultural workrk? - [l[laughing] n not really. - you woworked on--y-you lived on a farm m for a whilile, yes?

- yeahah. - cacan you milklk a cow? if y you had to?o? - yeahah, i can mimilk a--yea. yoyou know howow to do it?? - uhuh, how hardrd could it t? - it's notot easy. - i could d squeeze--- - no, nono, it's notot easy. you hahave to haveve a touch. a speciaial touch. i'm tetelling you.u. - - how long d does it tatake to leararn? - well, , it depend d how good you are wiwith your fifingers. - oh, , i'm good.. - now alalmost everyry city in sichuhuan has a kindnd of representatative dishehes. and inin this areaea, ththey're veryry famous for its inintestine--- pig inintestine. - oh, yeyeah. that's's not ba. - uh-h-huh. - soso if you wewere on a bebe. - - okay. - and d you're hananging out,, you're d drinking a nice botottle of c chilled rososé, haviving some fofoie gras snsnas and d some saucicisson-- - yeah.. - as o one does.

- yeyeah, we allll do that.. - who wowould you rarather see e in a speededo? wolf b blitzer, dr. sanjayay gupta, oror anderson n cooper? - [groanans] that's a t tough one.. - no. . no, actualally, therere's an easasy answer.. - none of f them. - really?? - inin a speedo?o? you u know what t is a speed? - - it's thosese bathing s su- - - it's a bananana hammocock. . - vevery narrow w bathing sus. - - oh! - it's a f french stylyle bathining suit. so if somemeone's runnnning in s slow motionon down the e bh in a sililver lamé s speedo, of thosese three, who would d you choosese? - - [laughs] i don't t know. - - come on, it's andererson cooperer. the guy, l like, worksks out. ththat's a gooood-looking g . - - does he? hehe works out? i don't knknow. - - you disappppoint me, éric, you reallyly do. [allll] cheers.. - ganbeiei. - gaganbei.