Centuries of flavor

Shaanxi noodles at Dragon Palace in Xi'an. [Photo provided to China Daily]

What's being billed as the first Gastro Diplomacy Chef Competition in the world will take place in Beijing on May 23. The chefs from several dozen embassies in Beijing will compete at the National Convention Center all day, with a public announcement of the winners at the Olympic Stadium (the Bird's Nest) on the following evening. The chefs will use their own ingredients to showcase the best food products of their countries. There will be awards for chefs by geographical areas, by type of recipe (vegetarian, meat, fish, pastry and dessert, finger food), health and nutrition, matching food and wine, and creativity. There will be an overall ranking for the best three chefs from Beijing embassies.

The public will be welcome to taste, enjoy, and buy the best foods and drinks from exhibiting countries on stands in the 20,000 square meters halls of the event, next to the show kitchens of the chefs' competition.

The week will include parallel events being held in Yantai, Shandong province.

The May competition has three organizers:

? The Global Center for Gastro Diplomacy, founded and presided by Guillermo Gonzalez Arica, former ambassador from Peru to Honduras. Its objective is to promote professional chefs in embassies worldwide, to increase food culture exchanges as well as promoting trade and jobs.

? Gourmand International, the organizer of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, founded by Edouard Cointreau. More than 200 countries participated in the latest competition. The last three Best in the World Gourmand events have been in China, with the next one in Yantai on May 27 and 28.

? The East Eat group, a leader in the food and hospitality trade media and events, founded and run by Liu Guangwei.