To the Chinese, "food is Heaven," and the cultivation, preparation and eating of food are predominant in every aspect of Chinese life and culture. Art, philosophy, religion and even medicine are inextricably linked with food traditions and customs. A Taste of China explores, from a Chinese perspective, the relationship between Chinese cuisine and Chinese culture. These four half-hour films, beautifully shot on location in the northern plains of Shandong, the mountain basin of Sichuan and the water country of the Yangzi River Delta, were produced by Sue Yung Li, the award-winning producer of Suzhou, Xian and Beijing, the three films of the Cities in China series. Part I, Masters of the Wok, captures the behind-the-scenes drama as master chefs prepare a 28-course banquet; a highlight is the making, or "pulling," of "dragon whiskers" noodles by hand. Part II, Food for Body and Spirit, explores the Tao of cooking and eating, with visits to an unusual herbal medicine restaurant as well as a Buddhist monastery. Part III, The Family Table, contrasts the lives of two Chinese families-a four-generation family in a rural Sichuan village, and a single-child family in urban Hangszhou-through the rituals of their daily meals. Part IV, Water Farmers, follows farmers in the Yangzi River Delta, where the traditional harmony between people and environment still thrives.