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Story and photography by Manos Angelakis
The 2009 International Chinese Culinary Competition
I love Chinese food.
In the United States, what we get is mostly an Americanized version of Cantonese cookery with some Szechuan and Hunan dishes thrown in for good measure. That is because most of the Chinese that came early into the United States to work on the railroads were from Guangdong (Canton) province, and brought their dishes and cooking methods with them.
China is a very large country; through the years, each region developed its own distinct culinary style based on ingredient availability, fuel availability, and the philosophy of the Tao – the ancient Chinese principle of proper human conduct. The most influential styles come from Szechuan, Shandong, Huaiyang, Canton, and Northeastern China and represent the best of a long-established culinary tradition.
Harmony is an important standard in the traditional Chinese culinary arts. Ingredients are balanced into complementary meats and vegetables for use in cold and hot dishes, and combinations of ingredients from different seasons. The meat is always considered the principle, the vegetables the complement (see The Chinese Wok in the Gastronomy section).
The culinary arts have been a very important part of Chinese culture and many recipes have been passed down through generations of master chefs in China.
The chefs taking part in the 2009 competition came from Taiwan and the United States. Each participant had to prepare both a prescribed traditional dish and a dish of his or her choice. Each contestant could select only one category to compete in. Even though most of the competitors were male, there were a few female chefs. The final competition started at 10:30am and progressed through 8:30pm. There were 7 rounds; each round having 4 to 6 participating chefs. Round 1 had dishes from Cantonese and Huaiyang cuisines, Round 2 Szechuan cuisine, round 3 Shandong cuisine, Round 4 Cantonese cuisine, Round 5 Huaiyang cuisine, Round 6 Northeastern cuisine, and Round 7 more Szechuan cuisine. New Tang Dynasty TV, sponsored as well as fully covered the event. With over 200 million potential viewers worldwide, the network broadcasts on satellite, cable, internet, and mobile phone. NTDTV cable programming is available in all 16 major North American metropolitan areas with a Chinese population, and everywhere else can be viewed wherever there is internet access or satellite Ku-band reception.
 I arrived early enough to see most of Round 1 and stayed until the end of Round 5. The chefs had 15 minutes to prepare and one hour to cook two dishes (one obligatory, one their choice) and present the dishes to the judges. Each traditional dish was judged for how close it came to the classic preparation, taste, and visual appeal. The choice dishes were judged for originality, taste and eye appeal. Platters of each dish were presented for photography and visual inspection by visitors and were then made available for tasting by the VIP participants and the press.
The Cantonese cuisine is the best known in the United States and uses a diversity of ingredients. Cantonese chefs are famous for their creativity, and for being able to make adjustments according to the season and climate. The chefs pay attention to texture and flavors and create dishes that are basically lighter  than other regional cooking.
The Szechuan dishes have strong and spicy flavors but the flavors I tasted during the competition were milder, subtle, and much more balanced than the “numbly hot” dishes many times offered by Szechuan restaurants. I believe that the “hotter than hot” Szechuan dishes I have tasted in some restaurants (you know who you are) are inundated with hot chili-pepper oil to hide the poor quality ingredients employed in those kitchens.
The Shandong cuisine, also called Lu cuisine, is the earliest and most influential Chinese cuisine. It has the largest variety of types of food and cooking methods and it is known for its salty, savory flavors and both tender and crispy textures.  Seafood and fresh water catches, domesticated poultry and wild birds, animals and fruits and vegetables provide a wide palate for Shandong chefs to create light, not greasy dishes that are extremely crispy, with well-preserved nutrients.
The Huaiyang style of cooking places emphasis on material selection, and meticulous preparation process and balance between rich flavor and pure taste. It emphasizes preserving the original flavors of the ingredients.
Finally, the Northeastern cuisine has dishes that combine ingredients and cooking methods employed by chefs at the Imperial court, Shandong cooking, and local Jilin folk cooking and marinating. Wild game dishes are substantial, tender, and rich in flavors.
The best examples of traditional Chinese cuisine were presented to a very appreciative audience. The fish dishes I tasted were especially flavorful and perfectly balanced. The sauces did not cover the taste of the ingredients but complemented them. The competing chefs were indeed master-chefs.
A Banquet Dinner, the day after the final competition, featured the dishes by the Gold, Silver, and Bronze prize-winning chefs.
© October 2009 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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