# A Bite of China (2012)

> A lavishly filmed Chinese documentary that traces the history, regional traditions and people behind the country's foods across more than 160 locations.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/54232

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 30
- Episode runtime: 49 min
- Status: Returning Series
- Genres: documentary
- Created by: Li Lihong, Chen Xiaoqing
- Network: CCTV-1, CCTV-9
- Cast: Li Lihong
- TMDB rating: 8.1/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2168980/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: none
- Tone: reverent, sensory, contemplative, warm, unhurried

## Synopsis

A Bite of China (2012-present) is a Chinese national-television documentary series created by Li Lihong and Chen Xiaoqing and broadcast on CCTV. Narrated by Li Lihong, the series unfolds across four seasons and roughly thirty episodes of about forty-nine minutes each, every installment following a particular food, ingredient or cooking tradition through the regions and people that sustain it. Rather than a single protagonist, the engine is curiosity: the camera follows farmers, fishers, herders, street vendors and home cooks as they gather, prepare and share their food, and each episode builds a portrait of how a dish came to be. Filming took place at more than 160 locations across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, so the viewing moves from high mountains and northern tundra to bustling coastal and urban kitchens. The mood is reverent, sensory and unhurried, with lingering close-ups of steam, knives and harvests set to gentle narration. Its approach is closer to the observational food travelogue than to competitive cooking, and it appeals to viewers who enjoy the cultural depth of Chef's Table, the wandering curiosity of Parts Unknown, or the sweeping natural beauty of Planet Earth. The series is best approached as an unhurried, appetite-stirring journey through Chinese culinary heritage.

## Shows like A Bite of China

- [Chef's Table (2015)](https://ember.film/tv/55477)
- [Cooked (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/57860)
- [Street Food: Asia (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/74579)
- [Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/98959)
- [Taco Chronicles (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/77174)
- [Street Food: Latin America (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/88185)
- [Heavenly Bites: Mexico (2022)](https://ember.film/tv/117625)
- [The Food That Built America (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/78210)
- [James May: Our Man in… (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/81603)
- [Tucci in Italy (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/157889)

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