In CONFUCIUS WAS A FOODIE, celebrity chef and former Food Network host Christine Cushing takes viewers on a voyage of discovery, uncovering the fascinating traditions, philosophies and history of Chinese culinary culture and its surprising influence on food around the world. Christine's motivation to embark on this journey is her discovery that 2,500-year-old Chinese philosopher Confucius was actually-a foodie. From exploring Chinese cuisines in North America to the culinary politics of Taiwan, the tasty richness of Hong Kong, and the blended flavors of South East Asia, Christine finds connections to the gastronomic precepts of the great Chinese philosopher both ancient and modern. Each episode features Christine as a culinary adventurer, fearlessly leading viewers to a deeper appreciation of our world through a gourmand filter. In Italy Christine questions the origins of pizza, in Greece she uncovers the beginnings of her beloved baklava, and in Paris she discovers that crepes have Chinese roots. Featuring celebrity guests such as Anna Olson, chef Wan, Ming Tsai, Alvin Leung, and Janet Hsieh, CONFUCIUS WAS A FOODIE shakes up foodie myths, and takes a delicious look at the historical and contemporary landscape of Chinese cuisine.
Everything has its origins somewhere. When it comes to food, roots are often Chinese - and Chinese beginnings in the culinary and cultural world go back more than 5,000 years.
Was it Confucius or Hippocrates who first said, "Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food"? Chef Christine sets off to compare the thoughts and beliefs of foodie writers and philosophers.
Christine eats her way through the Chinese Solar Lunar calendar with traditional customs, cuisine and culture.
Birthday parties and baby naming ceremonies all wish for the same thing-a long life.
Chef Christine meets her Chinese chef mentors and discovers that many of her assumptions about the beginnings of this cuisine in North America might not actually be true.
Chef Christine's Cantonese adventure provides one surprise after another making her question what she has previously considered 'Cantonese'.
Chef Christine ventures into the world of Sichuan cuisine and discovers the surprise of flavor over heat as well as a rich cultural history from Chinese roots to main street Chinatowns across North America.
Chef Christine Cushing explores the great big flavor of sweet in Chinese immigrant communities in Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.
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