CNN reported on May 24, original title: Chinese food has been underestimated on the world stage for decades, and now the situation is fina...
CNN reported on May 24, original title: Chinese food has been underestimated on the world stage for decades, and now the situation is finally changing. Restaurant owner Danny Yeben opened a humble Cantonese restaurant in Hong Kong at the beginning of this century. . Nowadays, this restaurant is widely regarded as the epitome of modern Chinese restaurant, and it tops the list of "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants" this year. This is the first time a Chinese restaurant has won the ranking.
Ye said that many young chefs didn't even think about Chinese cooking when they first entered the industry. Internationally, many cuisines rank ahead of Chinese cuisine, such as France, Japan, and even Northern and South American cuisines. In 2013, only one Hong Kong restaurant was close to the top of the above list. Many people question whether the ancient Chinese cuisine is still alive. In addition, as far as the Michelin Guide (France with a history of more than 120 years) is concerned, few Chinese restaurants have won acclaim outside of Asia.
But with the release of this year's London Michelin restaurant guide, A. Wong became the first Chinese restaurant with two Michelin stars outside of Asia. Compared with French or Japanese dishes, why is it so difficult to gain international recognition for Chinese food with a long history all over the world? A. Wong's chef Andrew Huang (sound) gives a possible explanation.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Chinese chefs went to Britain and the United States and other countries one after another. These chefs moved around and successfully integrated their cooking skills into the local culture, making Chinese cuisine one of the most popular dishes in the world. Huang said: "But due to our long-term reinterpretation of Chinese cooking in international cities (to adapt to the local food culture), some traditional elements have been lost in the process."
But in the past decade, the prospects for Chinese cooking (on the international stage) have been getting better. More modern Chinese restaurants are emerging all over the world. Industry insiders say that today international chefs will seek to learn about techniques, ingredients and new flavors from Chinese chefs. Some Chinese restaurants continue to develop new dishes. This approach breaks the traditional Chinese restaurants that mainly rely on recipes. Ye said: "If every Chinese restaurant puts the same menu, wouldn't you find it boring?"
"This approach helps the international catering industry pay more attention to Chinese cooking," said Xu Jingye, a young chef at a Chinese restaurant in Foshan. "Many restaurant chefs follow the recipes handed down by their masters, but don't think about the recipes behind them. Many people mistakenly think that internationalization is just the addition of Western ingredients or through appearance, but this is not the internationalization of Chinese cooking." Xu’s restaurant was listed on the “Asian 50 Best Restaurants” for the first time this year as the “Essence of Asia” List.
Driven by a new batch of young chefs, the (new) process of internationalization of Chinese food is underway. (Author Maggie Hiufu Wong, translated by Cui Xiaodong)
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