“2018 China Food Festival” was organized by institutes including the Grape Industry Development Bureau of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China on November 5th in the representative dining hall of United Nations Headquarters in New York.
According to the host, the main participators of the 5-day-long food festival were UN officials and representatives of countries in the UN. They would be introduced to Chinese food culture in forms of wine party, luncheon party and buffet.
The wine party was the opening ceremony during which guests tasted multiple traditional food including dried beef, cherry balls and sticky rice balls with shredded coconut stuffing. “We also present local food from Beijing, like fried meat balls, crispy shrimps and Chinese cabbage dipped in mustard”, said Wang Xinwei, the chef of Beijing Dayali Catering Co., Ltd. This was his first time to come to the UN headquarters. He and other 7 chefs would show everyone all aspects of the culture of traditional Chinese food in the feast of royal court.
Bottles of high-end wine from the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region were placed orderly in the wine party. Guests waited in queue to have a try.
Cao Kailong, director of the Grape Industry Development Bureau of Ningxia, said that the east slope of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia was the first real production area for wineries. More than 500 types of wines from more than 40 wineries had won prizes in the international competitions, which could be seen as an unique “purple business card” for Ningxia.
“Introducing wines from the east slope of Helan Mountain in Ningxia in UN headquarters is an important opportunity to show the image of Ningxia and to enhance the exchanges and cooperation between this place and the world as well as a significant chance to improve the influence of wine brands from the east slope of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia and to expand the vast global market”, said Cao Kailong.
A diplomat in UN participated in the wine party. He said in the interview that it’s meaningful to held such activity in UN. On one hand, people could have a chance to taste delicious Chinese food, on another hand it’s a chance for Chinese food and wine brands to have a bigger market in the international society.