Changsha crowned 'capital of gourmet food'

Changsha, the capital of Central China's Hunan province, was crowned "Capital of the World's Gourmet Food" by the World Federation of Chinese Catering Industry on Dec 21, another global name card for the city. 

An exhibition activity showcasing Changsha's delightful delicacies, some of which are listed as intangible cultural heritages, was held in the Huogongdian Restaurant at Pozi Street on the same day. 

Flaunting their eye-catching cooking skills, Hunan cuisine chiefs carved food materials with eyes covered, shredded beancurd sheets into hairlines and created chrysanthemum-shaped tofu.

During the event, representatives from Japan, South Korea, and the Chinese cities of Harbin, Qingdao, Quanzhou and Ningbo got a taste of various Changsha specialties, including fragrant bean curd, fermented beans, and sweet wine. They were also able to gain insight into the cultural connotations of the techniques of making those foods. 

In recent years, Changsha has proved its soft power, as the city was selected as the "Capital of East Asian Culture" in 2016 during the East Asian City of Culture campaign, launched by cultural authorities from China, Japan and South Korea. 

In addition, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network announced in Paris on Nov 1, 2017 that it had named Changsha as a UNESCO Creative City, the first Chinese city to be so honored.

The Hunan provincial capital is becoming more inclusive, and is now home to more than 300 overseas chain restaurants. 

On the other hand, Changsha puts great value on protecting and supporting Chinese famous brands in the catering industry. Up to now, the city has 16 China time-honored brands and 19 Hunan time-honored brands, 75 percent of which fall in the field.

A Changsha chief displays a high level of skill using a blade with eyes covered during an exhibition activity held in Pozi Street in Changsha, Hunan province on Dec 21. [Photo by Huang Qiqing/icswb.com]