The second series of Chinese hit cuisine documentary series, A Bite of China, is almost here. Another season means more hours salivating in front of your television sets.
Some people call it one of the finest food TV shows ever made. A Bite of China, one of the highest-rated documentary series on Chinese food, held a press conference for the launch of its second season on Wednesday in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. Around a hundred fans and media gathered to celebrate the event.
Chen Xiaoqing, the director of the show, explained to us the biggest difference between the first and second seasons.
"The classification of the food is more specific. Meat dishes, vegetarian food and desserts cooked in a variety of ways will be seen. With more funding for our documentary this time, we were able to experiment with different shooting styles," Chen said.
The second season of A Bite of China also consists of seven episodes, as with the first, and is currently in production. The season premiere will be in February during the Chinese New Year holiday.
While most shows about Chinese cuisine focuses only on the preparation process in the kitchen. A Bite of China, digs deeper into the geographical, historical and cultural dimensions of what Chinese people eat. Chen Xiaoqing, the director of the documentary series said that the success of it really comes down to three points. Good theme, good timing and good job from everyone.
The show showcases unique ingredients, famous dishes, and special food processing techniques, as well as local customs and scenery. Wang Siying, a devoted fan of the series, was invited to the event to share her thoughts.
"It’s brilliant because when I saw documentaries before in China, I never thought it could get so close to people’s hearts. When you eat something you don’t think there’s so much culture behind it. But A Bite of China tells us that," said Wang.
Beyond the colourful images of local food, there was something else that captured the audience’s eyes. The sophisticated design and story-telling style, which brings a fresh perspective to Chinese documentaries.
"Chinese TV production teams are becoming more and more professional. There’s more order and creativity involved. This also means that the Chinese documentary film industry will have a more specific division of labour and also a clear investment pattern in the future. Our industry is becoming more structured and sophisticated," said Chen.
One of the most asked questions at the end of the press conference was will A Bite of China be back for a third season, which Chen answered firmly, yes.