中国·福州——热爱城市从热爱美食开始

On June 14, “Fuzhou, the City of Gastronomy”, the Fujian Cuisine Promotion sponsored by the Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce entered Chengdu. People enjoyed Fujian cuisine and Fujian Opera together and experienced the traditional “features of Fuzhou”.

In the Food Appreciation Area and Fujian Cuisine Culture Exhibition Area were gathered time-honored brands of Fuzhou, such as Yonghe fish balls, Tongli meat Yan, and Uncle Deaf Yuanxiao, as well as classic Fujian dishes such as taro paste of Wenru Fujian Cuisine Restaurant. Foods were made and tasted on the scene, and guests feasted on their stomachs.

At the promotion event, five chefs of Fujian cuisine (Master Luo Shiwei, a national inheritor of intangible heritage; Master Chen Hui, a provincial inheritor of intangible heritage of Fujian; Master Lin Shuidi, a winner of Blue Ribbon Medal in the world-class cooking competition; Master Zhuo Minghua, a national model worker and a Chinese chef; Master Chen Weijie, a winner of China Golden Chef Award and an ambassador for Fujian cuisine promotion) performed cooking skills of classic Fujian cuisines -- Sliced Whelk with Weak Wine Sauce and Litchi Pork with Stuffing. The unique weak wine sauce in Fujian cuisine, combined with delicate knife skills and exquisite cooking technique, made sliced whelk fresh and tender, along with the refreshing scent of weak wine. As for the second dish, the pork was cut into crosses and then fried and curled into the shape of litchi, which looked nice and tasted delicious. The superb cooking skills of the five chefs won the applause of guests.

Displaying the cooking skill of meat Yan at the event.

At the event, the Fuzhou Catering and Cuisine Industry Association and Chengdu Cuisine Association held a flag exchange ceremony. With gourmet as the medium, Fuzhou and Chengdu jointly push forward Fujian cuisine nationwide and all over the world. In addition, the sponsor, Fuzhou, awarded the Chengdu Shangri-la Hotel and Chengdu Head Office of Pork Lungs in Chili Sauce as the Fujian Cuisine Masters Worstations. Besides, 8 Fujian cuisine restaurants operated in Chengdu, including Shangyuanguan of Fujian Cuisine, were awarded as “Fujian Cuisine Experience Restaurants”. These measures were taken to lead the integrated development of catering companies in Fuzhou and Chengdu and expand new space for the consumer market. The relevant official in the Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce said that Fuzhou and Chengdu had a long history of exchanges in the food culture and catering industry. He hoped that this promotion event would deepen the communication and cooperation between the two cities, and jointly promote the high-quality development of the catering industry.

The awarding ceremony.

It is worth mentioning that a special apprenticeship ceremony was held at this promotion event. Deng Chen, a chef of Huaiyang Cuisine, formally apprenticed to Luo Shiwei, a national inheritor of intangible heritage, to learn the cooking skills of “Fotiaoqiang”, a famous dish for a state banquet. The two chef masters break the geographical boundaries, and by integrating and inheriting techniques creatively, will push the cooking skills of “Fotiaoqiang” to a new high, as we believe.

As one of the Eight Regional Cuisines in China, Fujian cuisine, known for mountain and sea delicacies, has blended various cultures in China. In recent years, Fuzhou has made full efforts in protecting and inheriting Fujian cuisine. For example, among all the cuisines nationwide, Fuzhou took the lead in promulgating and implementing the Regulations on the Protection of Fujian Cuisine Techniques and Culture and also issued the Three-year Action Plan of Fuzhou City on the Protection and Development of Fujian Cuisine. Meanwhile, it has built China’s first Fujian Cuisine Culture Museum, integrating multiple functions such as exhibition, research, experience and consumption.

Guests tasted Fuzhou snacks at the event.

In June 2022, Fuzhou started bidding for the “City of Gastronomy”. It took the special action of “Three Batches”: developing a batch of famous catering brands, enhancing a batch of municipal demonstration blocks of culinary experience, and creating a batch of “Fujian cuisine restaurants”, “intangible heritage techniques”, and “time-honored brands”. In March 2023, the World Federation of Chinese Catering Industry named Fuzhou as the “International City of Gastronomy (Fujian Cuisine)”. In May, the China Hospitality Association listed Fuzhou as the “Landmark City of Fujian Cuisine”. Through exchanges on Fujian cuisine, Fuzhou will help carry forward Chinese food culture, show the charms of Fuzhou, and build a bridge of communication and cooperation.

It is reported that the series activities of Fuzhou Cuisine Promotion “Fuzhou, the City of Gastronomy” have been held in three stations: Shanghai, Yangzhou and Chengdu, and are becoming brand activities for Fuzhou to bid for the “City of Gastronomy”. This will allow friends nationwide to feel the unique charm of Fujian cuisine and the profound history and culture of Fuzhou. The relevant official in the Fuzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce said that Fuzhou will further promote Fujian cuisine to develop nationwide and globally, and expand its influence by bidding for the “City of Gastronomy”.