A bite-sized piece of culinary culture

The music has a slightly different feel from the previous series, after Liu asked composer Zhang Yima to create a new sound. "His folk music sounds both ethnic and modern, which makes the documentary sound more Chinese," Liu says.

The new ideas from Liu's crew haven't proved an outright success with audiences. The third season has so far only scored 4.3 out of 10 on Douban, China's most popular review site. By contrast, the first two seasons received ratings of 9.3 points and 8.4 points respectively.

The previous two seasons aired in 164 countries and regions and were translated into 16 languages, which were broadcast on 25 channels and 15 airlines internationally. The third season will appear at the Cannes International Film Festival and other documentary festivals.

Wei Dichun, deputy director of CCTV, says A Bite of China series has become a cultural phenomenon, which has also helped to promote the Chinese documentary industry abroad.

"The third season has a rich depth of feeling that shows the life wisdom and cultural traditions of the Chinese people. It will open a window for the world to understand China through its food."