Inspired by the classic Chinese American dish General’s Tso’s chicken, Tso’l Food goes on an American journey through the Chinese kitchen. The show is a series of short documentaries between six and eight minutes long for CGTN’s website, Facebook platform and Youtube channel. Each episode features a single dish, and how it’s been preserved and adapted by the Chinese diaspora. The themes of immigration, integration and innovation are all explored with the aid of mouth-watering visuals.
The show engages audiences by getting stories directly from the characters. Following the mantra of ‘more show, less tell’, the host conducts interviews with chefs inside working kitchens and dining rooms – all to reflect the hustle and bustle of restaurant life. Much of the footage is shot using a Ronin-S camera, to fully capture the fluidity and natural movements of food preparation – thus helping viewers feel like they’re right there, cooking and eating along.
Tso’l Food began as an idea to shed light on a distinct cuisine and community that often evades the lens of mainstream media. No other ongoing series is focused specifically on the rich culinary heritage of Chinese Americans -- one that is still evolving. From the pilot episode, engagement and click rate were high across our web platforms, telling us that interest in the subject matter was great. The high production value has also enabled Tso’l Food to be broadcast on traditional media, a seamless transition from digital to TV.
