It is autumn harvest season once again, and whether crop stalks should be burnt has once more become a widely debated social issue. In October, open and uncontrolled burning of crop residue showed a rising trend across several areas in Hunan province, worsening air pollution in some districts. As a…
I. The Ennobling Bean Porridge In a previous article, I mentioned coarse wheat grain, and this time I shall turn to bean soup. These two everyday dishes are steeped in significance; preparing them properly requires a well-ordered kitchen, a tended hearth, and a serious approach. In the Tang dynasty, Yan…
Sichuan Pepper Trees Are Moving Uphill In 2004, I was conducting field research in a village in Mao County, Sichuan. A local resident remarked, “Sichuan pepper trees are moving up the mountains.” He meant that these trees once thrived in the river valleys, but conditions have changed. They now grow…
Foodthink Says Another Double 11 is upon us. Have you joined the shopping frenzy this year? Paying with a clear conscience, or spending to back the ethics and ideals you believe in, constitutes a form of ethical consumption that stands apart from the conventional shopping rush. It reflects how consumers…
In mid-April, I arrived at Letian Haiwan Farm in Shanghai, driven by the aspiration to learn how to run a farm. Working and living alongside my companions here, my internship slipped by before I knew it. Before leaving, colleagues asked whether I still wanted to open my own farm. Confronted…
As global warming intensifies, fall armyworm infestations have emerged as a new threat to global agricultural production. During our fieldwork in the summer of 2019 in Jixian County (a pseudonym) on the North China Plain, the arrival of the fall armyworm put the entire county on ‘wartime’ footing. The fall…
Open Xiaohongshu and search for rainforest hiking, and you’ll find plenty of creators using phrases like “pristine wilderness”, “enveloped by nature”, “disconnected from it all”, and “connecting with primal life force” to describe the emotional resonance the rainforest provides. In September 2024, friends and I also ventured into a tropical…
Not long after settling in Kunming, I added one eatery to my list of spots I simply have to share with friends: Tusheng Eatery. This year marks its fourteenth anniversary, and it has cultivated a dedicated following in the city. Nestled in a creative quarter on a steep hillside, the…
In this episode of Food Talk, we connect remotely with five interns who participated in Foodthink’s ‘Lianhe Project’ to hear about their daily routines on the farm. These young people, hailing from all corners of the country, have successively headed to Lvwo Farm in Jingyang, Shaanxi, for their placements. You…
Opening an organic sourdough bakery was no spur-of-the-moment decision. To ensure my family could enjoy wholesome carbohydrates, I spent several years learning to bake sourdough using a natural wild yeast starter. Over these years, I have often shared my loaves with friends or brought them to potlucks, consistently receiving plenty…
