“Let’s share this food together afar whilst scrumptious food renders homesick most acute”. When far away from home, only hometown cuisine can instantly make people return to their hometown spiritually and reflect on the warm memories and past events of their hometown. 

The online program “The Taste from Home”, published by the China Cultural Centre and produced by the online media “The Interview”, will be launched simultaneously on various online platforms around the world at 9: 00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 3, 2021. It will take you all over the China, accompany the guests’ homesickness and experience the beauty of Chinese food and their life in Malaysia. 

This online program, which combines elements such as culture, tourism and food, is supported by the culture and tourism departments of many provinces and cities in China, while the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China (ICBC Malaysia) and Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Restaurant Association （KASCRA）are cooperation supporting units. “Travellution”, a travel magazine serves as a collaborative media. 

The first episode of “The Taste from Home”, hosted by Darren Ch’ng Zhuang Wenjie, will feature chef Zhang Fenglong, who has lived in Malaysia for seven years, to share hometown-reminiscing culinary.

Braised Fish in Puning Bean Paste: this is a braised fish dish that Zhang Fenglong learned from his mother. He cooked by braising the fish with green plum and Puning bean paste, which are the specialties of Teochew area.

Casserole Seafood Porridge: Teochew  is rich in seafood resources. Stewed seafood porridge in a casserole/clay pot is cooked with raw rice until the porridge water is starchy with the rice grains still intact, plus rich seafood thereby whipping up a delectable taste.

Mr Zhang Jiexin, director of the China Cultural Centre remarked that people are unable to go abroad or participate in physical activities amidst the ongoing pandemic.  He hopes to use this program to open up everyone’s perspective. Irrespective of the current stay-home epidemic prevention imperative, one can still experience Chinese culture, tourism and culinary through this program, and open up a visual cultural journey. 

He said that the Centre’s production of “The Taste from Home” entails a dual meaning. It not only serves to promote China’s fabulous cuisine-cum-scenery and cultural essence to the Malaysian people, but also to take into account the homesickness of the Chinese people residing in Malaysia. Their yearning and warm memories of their hometown coincidentally constitutes a driving force or impetus to promote their hometown. 

“Hordes of Chinese people leave their hometown to be here. Apart from being curious about their wandering experiences, they can get closer to their hometown by personally narrating the cultural stories of their hometown, thereby furnish unsurpassed in-depth recommendation about hitherto unknown scenic spots and features not found in conventional tourism programs.”

The second episode of “The Taste from Home” is hosted by Jane Ng Meng Hui, and the guest who hailed from northeast Jilin is Gao Haoyun, president of Kuala Lumpur And Selangor Chinese Restaurant Association (KASCRA) to savour its Jilin Lunar New Year grand feast.

Dumplings: With sauerkraut or pickled cabbage and pork as fillings, people in Northeast China are used to stuffing coins in dumplings that connotes auspicious blessings.

Sauerkraut Blanched White Meat: Sauerkraut blanched white meat is an authentic northeast dish with rich taste buds. Accompanied by the tangy taste of fermented sauerkraut, the pork melts instantly in the mouth rendering the feel of fat yet not greasy.

The show will be broadcast fortnightly in 10 episodes, and will be hosted by TV news anchor Darren Chng Boon Kiat  and artist Jane Ng Meng Hui. 

Each episode will combine cuisine, culture, scenic spots and character stories, and look back at the lakes and mountains in various parts of China by learning about each guest’s hometown cuisine. The regions mentioned in the program span across Shandong, Jilin, Shaanxi, Gansu, Chengdu, Fujian, Jiangsu, Hunan, Guangdong, Beijing and Yunnan. Its range of culinary covers Cantonese, Northeast, Qin, Sichuan, Long (Gangsu), Ru (Shandong), Min (Fujian), Huaiyang, Xiang (Hunan), Yunnan and Beijing cuisines, showing the exquisite craftsmanship of Chinese traditional gastronomies through hometown cuisines from different regions. 

Let’s click the LIVE STREAM and follow the camera, embark on the path of taste to travel and share the cultural feast.