Top chefs battle it out in Fenyang

Judges view dishes made by chefs at the seventh Shanxi Culinary Skills Competition in Fenyang, in Shanxi province, on April 23. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

More than 1,000 chefs competed in Fenyang, Shanxi province, on April 23, for the right to represent Shanxi in the finals of the eighth National Culinary Skills Competition.

Participants fought for supremacy with hot dishes, creative cold dishes, Chinese noodles, cakes, banqueting services, group meals, and Shanxi huamo (steamed buns in various shapes).

There were 62 groups, including 42 for a themed banqueting section, taking part in the three-day skill competition that aims to promote Shanxi’s catering culture, catering service levels and traditional Chinese food cooking skills.

The Shanxi Cuisine and Restaurant Industry Association organized a summit on Shanxi cuisine and restaurants and the Shanxi Good Ingredients and Food Expo coincided with the competition.

Fuyang has long had a strong reputation for its cooking. It was recognized by the China Cuisine Association, taking fifth place for noted chefs, in early 2019.

Retail sales of its catering industry reached 1.23 billion yuan ($182.67 million) in 2018, representing year-on-year growth of 59.8 percent. There are more than 10,000 Fenyang-born people engaged in the catering industry at home and abroad, including 68 culinary masters.