Chinese Culinary Competition

Whose cuisine will reign supreme?

The 4th annual Chinese Culinary Competition, established to familiarize people around the world with real Chinese cuisine and build appreciation for Chinese culinary culture, turned a portion of New York City’s Times Square into a kitchen arena on September 22. Broadcast to more than 200 million potential viewers in China and around the globe, the event featured 30 Chinese chefs, all trained in classical Chinese cooking, competing live for grand prizes of $10,000 in China’s five major cuisine categories: Szechuan, Shandong, Cantonese, Huaiyang and Northeastern.

The outdoor kitchen arena comprised five pagoda-topped, open-air mobile cooking stations resembling the style of China’s ancient Tang Dynasty capital of Chang’An. The event was sponsored by New Tang Dynasty International Television, a nonprofit, multi-language TV network whose mission is to deliver uncensored information into and out of China, promote traditional Chinese culture and facilitate cross-cultural understanding between the East and West.

Each chef contestant had the culinary task of preparing two dishes in 45 minutes. One would be a dish of their choice; the other had to use a provided secret ingredient and a specialized Chinese technique—any one of 35 techniques such as braising, stir-frying or steaming—selected for them on site. Chefs were judged on four criteria: aroma, taste, color and uniformity (i.e., cutting skills)

The two-day competition included alliance events with two New York charities. Meals prepared in Times Square were delivered to Chinese homebound elderly, and to the Chinatown Senior Center, together with Citymeals-on-Wheels. That same night in a special tribute to the city’s finest and bravest, a Gala Sampling Dinner was held to honor the Uniformed Fire Officers Bravest Scholarship Fund and the Sergeants Benevolent Association. The food festival also welcomed widows and children of some of the City’s fallen heroes of 9/11.

The competition culminated in an Emperor’s Banquet, where the winners (see right) prepared a 10-course feast of the best dishes of each of the five major Chinese cuisines, in celebration of New Tang Dynasty’s 10-year anniversary. —Nicole Potenza Denis

For more information and to learn more about Chinese cuisine visit ntdtv.com

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