Flavorful Origins

In the microscopic world, the naked eye can't see.

A massive transformation is taking place.

Without any use of condiments,

Yunnanese transform animal milk...

...into various forms and unique flavors.

Yunnan is located in a mountainous area with high elevations.

About 800 years ago, a group of nomads used to live here.

A unique flavor from the nomads

has then become one of the authentic delicacies of Yunnan.

It's sold out, this is the last one.

Goat milk rubing, taste it before you buy.

Made from animal milk,

it tastes utterly unique and rich.

Some would try to avoid it,

but some couldn't help but fall for it.

This is the Yunnanese cheese.

It has countless forms and tastes.

YUNNAN DALI

The Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture

of the Yunnan Province,

is a place known for its dairy farming

- and where cheese is produced. -

Every morning, almost 100,000 kilos of fresh milk

are delivered from here to hundreds of workshops.

Time is the key criterion of guaranteeing the quality of milk.

In 40 minutes,

Du Jinhe receives 1,500 kilos of fresh milk that she needs today.

The raw material she needed is ready.

DU JINHE

400 kilometers from Dali,

there's another commonly found cheese in the markets of Yunnan.

Their raw materials come from the northeast region

of Kunming, Shilin County.

Flat landscapes, warm weather, and naturally grown fields

make an ideal place for high-quality dairy goats.

LI MEIZHI

Li Meizhi owns 30 does

that can give her 30 kilos of milk in one morning.

This is where the transformation of flavor begins.

Contact with air encourages bacterial growth in fresh milk.

So to lengthen storage life as well as to add another flavor,

many regions have their own unique ways of processing the milk.

TEA

XINJIANG CHEESE

Yunnan people have their own tradition and techniques too.

Changing the milk's form is the first step of transformation.

In Dali,

fresh milk is heated up to 60 degrees Celsius,

then, it's special partner will come in handy.

This is the key tool in the transformation process.

It helps to break down and reconstruct the protein in milk.

In just merely five seconds,

an obvious transformation has happened.

Du Jinhe added fermented whey.

It contains vast amounts of lactic acid and enzymes.

The casein component in milk solidifies when it meets with the acid

and liquid whey is formed.

The whey will not be wasted.

After fermenting for three days,

it will be reused repeatedly.

The transformation continues to happen.

A handmade iron clamp helps

in rapidly stretching and pulling 20 times for 30 seconds.

It doesn't just protect the milk from being burnt under high heat,

it also helps solidify the casein component in the milk.

Two kilos of milk can produce about one kilo of milk dough.

It is smooth, bouncy, and has a rich milk fragrance.

But the transformation is not done yet.

Without any delay,

Du Jinhe rapidly stretches the milk dough

when it's still 40 degrees Celsius hot.

Five hours in,

700 kilos of milk dough have been stretched

and wrapped around 200 bamboo sticks.

Then, they need help from time and sunlight

for their finishing touches.