"Chinese cuisine has been vast and diverse since ancient times. Ancient books record that there is almost nothing that cannot be put on the table by Chinese people. I originally thought that this statement was nonsense, but today I have broadened my horizons."
These are the words of a middle-aged man with an English accent.
In the Jinghua Shopping Mall on one side of Jinghua Plaza, a shop on the first floor has been vacated. The huge space can accommodate hundreds of people, and most of the people here are foreigners at the moment - there are hundreds of restaurants participating in the Spring Banquet, and nearly five hundred people are judging, eighty-seven of whom are gourmets or top chefs from abroad.
They participate in the Spring Banquet as foreign guests and play a huge role in the evaluation. Each of them is carefully selected by the Food Association. This is also a food culture exchange activity, using the Spring Banquet to promote Chinese cuisine.
In this shop used to receive foreign guests, the walls are covered with display screens displaying menus from major restaurants. The menus are constantly changing into English, Japanese, French, etc., and also include some simple introductory information, which is used to allow the judges to quickly become familiar with the delicious food they are about to taste.
Undoubtedly, the menu of Ye Chui Man Han Lou attracted the most interest.
Regardless of the outcome, at least the special ingredients used in this menu have already piqued the interest of many people.
The person who made the comment at this moment was a chef from the United States. He was in his sixties, bald, short and fat. There was a hint of contempt in his voice when he spoke.
Chinese cuisine is vast and diverse, and there is almost nothing that cannot be served on the table. This is indeed a fact, and it also proves the wonder and profoundness of Chinese cuisine. But coming from his mouth, it makes it seem like China's food culture is barbaric and without class, and that they eat everything, which is unacceptable.
His words aroused the approval of several other foreigners around him. A delicacy made from pig intestines? Is this really edible
"In ancient times, people captured wild animals, slaughtered them and ate them. As long as they were edible, they were considered delicacies. Later, as the food culture developed, some ingredients were discarded because of their appearance, which left people with the impression that these ingredients were inedible. This can only be said to be a pity." A thin voice spoke at this time, using pure English, but the speaker was a Chinese man - Mr. Han.
As a leading figure in the food industry, he was also staying in this room at this time, responsible for receiving these foreign colleagues in the food industry. When he heard everyone talking about the menu of Manhanlou in a mocking tone, he could not help but speak up.
And Mr. Han's words attracted the attention of others. They also respected this skinny and old man very much. Although Chinese cuisine was declining, Mr. Han's ability to appreciate food was world-renowned, and he had a place in many internationally renowned chef competitions.
The short and fat man who spoke earlier smiled and said, "Mr. Han is right. Many of the ingredients are indeed what our ancestors have eaten. But whether they taste good or not is another matter. We are discussing delicacies, not food."
Old Han snorted, "How do you know that before the vegetarian movement, there was no food like pig intestines in your country's food system? You believe that this kind of thing cannot be made into delicious food, but our country's chefs can make delicious food. Doesn't this prove that our Chinese food culture is far superior to the food level of your country?"
The short and fat man was refuted by Mr. Han, but he didn't look unhappy. He smiled and said, "No one can tell whether the food is delicious until it is eaten. Today I will taste this braised pork intestines. If it really deserves the word "delicious", I will definitely find a way to promote this delicacy in my three eight-star restaurants in the future."
He spoke gently, but everyone could hear the teasing tone in his words.
But Mr. Han seemed to have not heard the hidden meaning in his words at all: "Chef Robert, I believe you will be impressed by this dish."
Most of the people who stayed here were well-known figures in the food industry, and they certainly would not argue over certain issues. Although they still looked indifferent, they did not continue to discuss the pig intestines.
A middle-aged man with golden hair, in his fifties, handsome, but very serious and irritable, suddenly said, "Today I am very interested in the dishes of Shenghuayuan Hotel."
This blond man was obviously very famous, and his words immediately shifted everyone's attention to the display screen that was showing the Shenghuayuan menu in English.
Mr. Han obviously knew who this blond man was, and asked, "Mr. Gordon, what do you think of the menu of this restaurant?"
"I had a meal in Chinatown last year, and I was deeply impressed by a dish called Tangjia Shredded Pork. This dish is on the menu of Shenghuayuan. I wonder why Chinatown dishes appear here?" asked the blond man called Mr. Gordon by Mr. Han curiously.
Old Han has a bad temper. His status and age are both at the top of the gourmet world. Yet, he actually addresses the blond man as "Sir" and his expression is respectful enough to show that even Old Han recognizes the blond man's identity.
"I really like the food in America's Chinatown. Eighty percent of the food on the menu at Sheng Hua Yuan seems to come from Chinatown. Could it be that Sheng Hua Yuan was opened by a chef from Chinatown?" Someone also raised the same question.
"Isn't it natural that Chinatown cuisine originated from China?" Old Han said in a deep voice, somewhat annoyed at the way people seemed to separate Chinese cuisine from Chinatown cuisine.
"Mr. Han, you are a leader in the food industry, and you should know that region has a great influence on the inheritance of food." A somewhat stiff Chinese voice said. The speaker was a Chinese American in his fifties with dark skin. He was wearing a double-breasted gown with a somewhat strange style. This kind of clothing obviously has the shadow of traditional Chinese clothing, but after some changes, it has a more funny feeling. However, it is said to be very popular in Chinatown.
The speaker walked up to Mr. Han and continued with a smile, "Mr. Han should understand the principle that the disciple is better than the master. The dishes of Shenghua Garden are indeed dishes from my Chinatown. If I am not mistaken, the champion of today's spring banquet must be Shenghua Garden."
"Boy, don't use Chinese allusions carelessly. It's not good to say that a disciple surpasses his master, but whether your Chinatown can be considered a disciple is another matter." Old Han was not so polite to the Chinese man, and it was obvious that he spoke Chinese more fluently. "You are the one who planted Jim in Shenghua Garden, right?"
"We never intended to hide this. We just want the whole world to know that although Chinatown cuisine originated from China, it has long surpassed Chinese cuisine. We want the whole world to see this at this spring banquet." The Chinese man said with a sneer.
"Kid, let me give you an old Chinese saying." Old Han was already a little angry—not the kind of anger that he usually showed when he was playing rogue with an old boy, but real anger. He said coldly, "Anyone who bothers China will be punished no matter how far away they are. After the Spring Banquet is over, our Chinese chef will personally go to Chinatown and tell you what authentic food is."
After the Spring Banquet, Ye Chui planned to go to Chinatown and challenge Chinatown alone. Naturally, Old Han had heard about this from Han Yuyan a long time ago, and what Old Han was talking about at this moment was naturally this matter.
The Chinese man sneered: "Do you really think there is no one in our Chinatown? We just have to wait."
By this time the atmosphere was already very tense.
Some people from the Food Association who were responsible for entertaining these foreign guests from the food industry naturally did not want to see any international problems arise at this time, so they hurried over and pulled Mr. Han away.
A gourmet even said with some concern: "Mr. Han, this is just our country's own competition, why are you angry with him?"
"What do you know, kid?" Old Han glared at the gourmet. "I've disliked Huang Yiyuan for a long time."
The Chinese man who provoked Mr. Han just now is named Huang Yiyuan. He is the owner of a restaurant in Chinatown and a well-known gourmet. He is very fond of Chinatown cuisine and independent Chinese cuisine.
And Old Han knew that Huang Yiyuan wanted to play for real this time. The Spring Banquet was a test. If Jim's Chinatown dishes won, the International Gourmet Association would recognize Chinatown dishes as the eleventh largest cuisine in the world.
This matter was told to Ye Chui by Sheng Qiuyue, the owner of Jingjialou, who did not take it seriously. However, Han Yuyan told it to Mr. Han. As a Chinese gourmet, Mr. Han had the responsibility to report this matter to the Gourmet Association, but like Sheng Qiuyue and Ye Chui, he chose to remain silent.
Because he is full of confidence in Chinese cuisine and Ye Chui.
The gourmet who had been comforting Mr. Han knew his temper, and seeing that he had calmed down, he continued to entertain other people. There were more than 80 foreign guests from the food industry, and this was a rare opportunity for food culture exchanges. Mr. Han sat on a sofa, looking at everyone in the room, and after a moment his eyes fell on the menu on the wall next to him.
Many of the dishes that Manhanlou prepares are indeed difficult for many people to accept from a sensory perspective, but Mr. Han understands that anyone who truly understands food will understand the preciousness of these dishes, and most of the gourmets in the room are people who have transcended their respective cuisines, and they will taste the food objectively and impartially.
Mr. Han's attention shifted to the blond man whom he called Mr. Gordon.
The man's full name is Gordon Ramsay, a world-class chef recognized by the international food industry and world-class gourmets. His cooking skills made Old Han respect him enough, but a smile appeared on Old Han's face. Even so... he felt that this chef was still a little worse than Ye Chui. After all, in his eyes, Ye Chui was not only a chef, but also a food god. (~^~)