Foodthink says During the Targeted Poverty Alleviation campaign, in an effort to rapidly increase farmers’ incomes, the government of Gong County (a pseudonym) introduced greenhouse vegetables—known for their superior market profitability—and implemented subsidy policies to integrate them into the farmers’ livelihood systems. Given that the government provided greenhouses, seedlings, and…
Industrial prosperity is a vital foundation for rural revitalisation. Perhaps inspired by Shouguang in Shandong, the centerpiece of agricultural industrial development in the rural central and western regions is often the promotion of greenhouse vegetable cultivation. Such is the case in Gong County (a pseudonym) in the central region. A…
This spring, before visiting Yan Ping’s “Happiness Fruit Herb Garden” in Guigang, Guangxi, I arrived with a misconception: that the place was remote and untouched, with a pristine ecological environment. In reality, the farm is surrounded by conventional orchards where the use of pesticides, chemical fertilisers, and herbicides is commonplace.…
Kombucha is a sweetened tea beverage fermented by a composite colony of acetic acid bacteria, yeast, and lactic acid bacteria. Rich in a complex blend of sweetness, acidity, and natural carbonation, and paired with the flavours of various teas, it is guaranteed to provide a delightful sensory experience for the…
At the end of 2020, I left the non-profit organisation where I had worked for over seven years. I wanted to explore a way of working that didn’t depend on an institution—one that could bring a relative balance to my mind, body, and spirit—while seeking a lifestyle suited for the…
Departing from Beijing Chaoyang Station, a high-speed rail journey of just over an hour brought us to Pingquan North Station in Chengde, Hebei, where Ren Yingying, the proprietress of Lianxiang Farm, was already waiting for us. Petite with her hair swept back, Yingying looked sharp and energetic, with a relaxed…
Perhaps you have already heard of homemade pickles, kimchi, or kombucha; they seem to have become the latest craze among young people. In reality, you may never have considered that fermented foods are actually staples in our kitchens—be it soy sauce, vinegar, wine, cheese, miso, or fermented bean curd, they…
I. The word ‘fermentation’ always evokes a sensory longing for foods with rich, mellow textures. Yet, rather than being a culinary art, fermentation is more akin to a gift from nature. As experience and knowledge accumulated, humanity learned to make slight adjustments to external factors, such as ambient temperature, working…
In the first instalment of the Foodie Philosophy of Villain’s Valley series, I mentioned that a single pot of White Dew soup requires ten ingredients, nine of which are home-grown. I viewed “self-sufficiency” as the ideal for life in Villain’s Valley; on the surface, the self-sufficiency rate reached a staggering…
Before starting my internship at Letian Bay Farm, I had imagined that the customers here were all fervent environmentalists; otherwise, there was no way to explain why these urbanites would travel to the countryside. In an age where everyone is flocking to the cities, taking a path in the opposite…
