Art in the best possible taste

Set during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the story fictionalizes the legend of Yao Zijin (played by Wu Jinyan), a young female cook who wins the heart of the Emperor Zhu Di's most fancied grandson Zhu Zhanji (played by Xu Kai), with her versatile talents, including art and poetry.

The bittersweet love story is the main plot, but the royal delicacies showcased in the drama-more than 1,000 dishes-are what have stolen the hearts of many viewers, with some suggesting, in a humorous manner, that they might stop watching late at night to avoid the hunger pangs the show encourages.

Most of the delicacies and dishes are inspired from traditional Chinese culture, or reflect our ancestors' distinctive knowledge of the harmonious relationship between people and nature, according to the producers.

For instance, the 24 solar terms-a system created from the Chinese traditional calendar to guide agricultural practices, based on ancient Chinese people's observations of celestial bodies and nature-have been used as an inspiration to make a creative dish called "24 solar terms wonton (Chinese dumplings)".Dumplings in each bowl have different fillings and wrappers, which are made from the produce harvested in the respective terms.