The Story of Chuaner Season 2

Muslim Snack Street of Xi'an has a traditional eatery called Liu Family Gan Bang Kao Rou, which uses only cumin and chili to flavor their skewers, resulting in a nostalgic taste of childhood barbecue. Over the decades, the dry sticks have become a beloved classic. Meanwhile, in Huangpi, a young couple runs Xiangxi Jishou BBQ. The husband, a former bar singer, entertains guests while the wife, known as the "butter Western beauty," grills the signature dish, roast beef with butter, which has a rich yet non-greasy texture and a mouth-watering aroma. Sprinkled with red chili powder, the spicy and salty Xiangxi flavor has won over many diners in Wuhan who typically prefer milder fare.

Every barbecue stand in Wuhan has grilled "ganzi," but the delicious ones require some skill. In fact, Wuhan's "ganzi" is not the brown-black tofu that people imagine, but a soft and tender tofu that is slightly wrinkled on the surface after being smoked and grilled over an open flame. Although it's called "ganzi," the ones grilled at "Qixingke BBQ" near Tiesi Hospital are tender and juicy, and are known as the "best grilled ganzi in Wuhan" by foodies. People come from all over just to taste this unforgettable flavor, waiting from day to night. Foodies believe that a good ganzi should still be slightly moving when picked up and have a "ambiguous" texture that melts in your mouth. The key to grilling such a ganzi lies in the knife cuts: one-third deep and one-third wide, without cutting through both sides.

This is Changchun - the Detroit of the East. On a street near Guangfu Road, vendors sell foreign currency and breathe the lively atmosphere. In a small shop, customers are crowded, and the buying and selling gods of Guangfu Road are the main consumers. Fast and warm food like a plate of dumplings is a must-have for fast food. Grandpa Sun's small shop has only sold three types of dumplings for over a decade: pork and pickled cabbage filling, pork and celery filling, and pork and chives filling. The beef platter of Grandpa Sun's is the perfect match for dumplings: beef marrow, beef tendon, and beef kidney are grilled together, with an unchanging taste for over a decade.

In Dandong, a must-have vegetarian dish for barbecue is the grilled bean skin, which has been a nostalgic delicacy for locals. Laofei is known as the queen of grilled bean skin in Dandong and has been running her business for over a decade with her partner Xiaodi. Despite the changes in titles and body shape, Laofei's pursuit of the perfect grilled bean skin has remained constant. Chili is the soul of grilled bean skin, and Laofei's secret lies in the combination of different chili peppers with varying levels of spiciness. She grinds together hot, medium, and mild chilies to ensure both the heat and vibrant color of the chili powder. After the charcoal is lit, the bean skin is placed on the grill and cooked to perfection by Laofei's skillful flipping. With the addition of garlic chili sauce for freshness, sweet Korean chili sauce, and sesame sauce for nutty flavor, the grilled bean skin has a silky texture with a sweet and spicy aftertaste, making it a dish that customers can't resist.

Everything can be barbecued. Some barbecue restaurants specialize in lamb's "lower three roads," while others even put rats on the grill. Snakes have also appeared on the grill of a barbecue restaurant in Hunan. "Society, you Er Ge, tough but silent," the secret of Er Ge's barbecue restaurant lies in his poker face. The "stern and sharp" Er Ge claims that there are treasures all over the lamb's body, which he has elevated to "supplier anatomy." But in front of his sister-in-law, Er Ge's fierceness towards lamb disappears without a trace. This forms a wonderful family combination, with Er Ge taking care of the lamb and his sister-in-law taking care of him, which is very uncommercial.

Er Dan's grilled catfish with Zao Hua honey from a friend's home. Lanzhou's lamb skewers with meat, garlic, and wine. Fujian's Quanzhou ancient house's barbecue with vegetables for a healthy taste. Gu Cuojia's restaurant's grilled chicken wings with sweet peanut sauce. "Yueyashan Barbecue" at Southwest Jiaotong University's Emei campus is a hidden gem for students to gather and enjoy grilled skewers. Drinking fermented glutinous rice and wolfberry beer adds to the experience. Graduating students enjoy ordering grilled skewers from the "Worldly Temptations Guide" takeout.