Hunger to tell many tales of food

Close-up shots featuring such mouthwatering changes, ranging from the seepage of melted fat from a slice of fried pork to the puffy inflation of a piece of dough in an oven, are the most attractive to audience, according to Chen.

But China's screens have never been short of food-themed productions. What makes this documentary a feast for the viewer is its ability to go beyond merely displaying delicious food.

"We want to trace how similar foods are treated differently in different areas across the world, which could be an interesting perspective to discover the diversity of civilization," Chen explains.

"I often hear debates about which kind of cooking is the best. But I think it may be a bit narrow-minded if people believe there is only one system of criteria to judge cooking," he adds.

"Different cuisines all deserve being treated with respect. That helps us to understand the complexity and diversity of our world."

In addition, Chen and his team－11 directors in charge of different episodes－have turned the lens to some exotic, eye-popping scenes shot from far-flung areas where domestic photographers rarely set foot before.

For instance, the opening scenes of the first episode take on the aspects of a thriller, as a 59-year-old Nepalese man risks his life to scale a vertiginous cliff on a swinging rope ladder in order to get honeycombs of the Himalayan giant honey bee. He only gets a 50 percent cut of the treasure－a tribal tradition states that the collectors take half of the honeycombs, and leave the rest for the hardworking bees.

Aside from the gifts of nature, the documentary also traces the spirit of craftsmanship that has been passed on for generations.

In a story played out in Turkey, a young baker rolls out a dozen layers of dough, pressing them at the same time to ensure each layer is paper thin. But after years of doing this he would not yet describe himself as a master of the renowned Turkish treat, baklava. There are still some aspects of the job that he is not familiar with.