North China’s autumn harvest has been hit by months of continuous rain, with some areas seeing an unusually early start in late August. News of unharvestable crops and mouldy corn ears has frequently trended online. Foodthink visited six agricultural counties across Hebei and Henan, finding that growers, buyers, and local…
The north has seen an unusual amount of rain this year, stretching from the torrential downpours of summer to the persistent drizzles of autumn. In this episode of *Food Talk*, we begin with the rains of late. We are joined by Yuyang, a former delivery rider and current editor at…
We often believe that as long as our produce is certified, thoroughly washed, home-cooked, and fresh, it will be healthy and natural. We scrutinise the origin of our meat and vegetables and pore over the ingredient lists of our condiments; surely nothing has been overlooked? Yet, the cautious urban consumer…
I wonder if many people are like me; when aimlessly picking up a corn cob, a bag of rice, or a lychee from the air-conditioned aisles of a supermarket, they almost never consider their source—the look of the land. It is as if food simply appears on the supermarket shelves,…
In early October, many parts of Northern China experienced record-breaking rainfall for this period. Amidst the bewilderment of city dwellers asking, “How long will this rain go on?” and “Is the North really becoming the South?”, and as farmers stood heartbroken before crops submerged in mud, we marked the 36th…
I. One Action Outweighs a Thousand Theories There are always chance encounters that plant the seeds of change. For instance, in the winter of 2007, I took Gao Tian, a volunteer photographer, to the Northeast to shoot a photobook for disabled artists. After settling Gao Tian into Zhao Li’s gallery…
At first light, Yang Ge’s drone had already been working in the rice fields for some time. As a drone pilot, he holds the “life-and-death power” over some 2,000 mu of crops. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat that leaves only his eyes visible, he operates a remote control that records flight…
A Word from Foodthink Today marks the first day of the National Day holiday. I wonder if you’ve already hit the road? Recently, Foodthink’s “Eat Well” initiative invited readers to share their home fermentation methods and experiences. We’ve summarised three secret tips and identified one category that is particularly prone…
Over a year ago, I first heard of the “climate-friendly rice cultivation” model at a knowledge-sharing session on community practices for agricultural responses to climate change. Last month, together with fellow farmers from Panzhihua in Sichuan, Wuhu in Anhui, and Fuyuan in Heilongjiang, I visited project sites in Kunming, Pu’er,…
Would you be willing to pay a premium at a restaurant for a side of frozen broccoli that might actually be older than your child? As it turns out, this absurd-sounding scenario is a very real possibility. Pre-prepared meals are quietly taking over our tables; they are everywhere, from sit-down…
