I. Assembling the Culture Room Eight years ago, I created a piece centred on naturally fermented yoghurt, drying yoghurt starter cultures onto fabric. I was never particularly keen on drinking yoghurt; back then, I mainly made it because I saw natural fermentation as a potential medium for artistic expression. Consequently,…
Foodthink Says Today, fresh produce delivery platforms such as Alibaba’s Hema, Meituan’s Xiaoxiang, JD’s Qixian, and Dingdong Maicai are capturing public attention like never before. From the comfort of your home, a few taps on your phone are all it takes to have your daily essentials delivered in as little…
As long as we draw breath, we cannot get by without the everyday essentials of firewood, rice, oil, and salt. Across cultures, whether East or West, the culinary terms ‘rice’, ‘flour’, and ‘oil’ are ancient words, carrying well over a millennium of history. Since humanity entered the agricultural era, their…
In the three months following the disaster, from anxious consumers to government officials at every level, nearly everyone posed the same question to Zhen Rui: “What is the way forward?” In the early hours of 28 July 2025, extreme heavy rainfall battered the mountainous regions of northern Beijing. Flash floods,…
Foodthink Says In China, the Atlantic salmon is better known by a simpler name: salmon. Last week, we published an article on salmon farming titled Is Salmon Truly “Free”?. So, what exactly is the plight of wild salmon today? We may well have forgotten what genuine wild salmon are, and…
Late September in the Greater Khingan Range carries a faint chill. Perhaps owing to warming temperatures, the birch woods around Jagdaqi have yet to turn gold. As recently as a few decades ago, this forest served as hunting ground for the Oroqen people. A gathering of filmmakers has convened in…
On an ordinary day, you decide to cook a meal at home. You open your grocery delivery app, select your ingredients, and on a whim add a few snacks and a 4.5-litre bulk water bottle. Just as you tap to pay, the bold promise of “Delivery in 30 Minutes” catches…
Autumn harvest in North China has been disrupted by months of continuous rain, with some areas experiencing the rare occurrence of it starting as early as late August. News of unharvested corn and mouldy cobs has repeatedly topped trending lists. Foodthink visited six agricultural counties across Hebei and Henan provinces,…
The north has seen remarkably heavy rainfall this year, stretching from the torrential summer downpours right through to the lingering autumn drizzle. For this episode of *Food Talk*, we’ll begin by talking about those recent rains. We’ve invited Yu Yang, a former delivery rider who now works as an editor…
We tend to assume that provided produce passes inspection, is thoroughly washed, prepared at home and kept from spoiling, what ends up on our plates will be wholesome and natural. We scrutinise the origins of our meat and the ingredient lists on our condiments. Surely, there shouldn’t be any oversights?…
