Tasting a Sino-French cross-cultural culinary exchange
A Sino-French evening tasting celebrating culinary dialogue and cross-cultural exchange was recently held at Fujian Restaurant in Beijing.
The event, "A Culinary Encounter Above the Clouds: Fujian Meets France", brought together three chefs for a six-hand collaboration: Ugo Rinaldo, head chef of Shanghai's Nous restaurant; Zhang Lei, deputy general manager of Xiamen Airlines' catering department; and Hong Zhixiong, executive chef of Fujian Restaurant.
The dinner was staged to mark the seventh anniversary of Xiamen Airlines' Fuzhou-Paris route. More than a transportation link, the route was presented as a symbolic bridge connecting Fujian's landscapes and culinary traditions with French gastronomic philosophy, echoing a modern interpretation of the Silk Road through cuisine.
Each course reflected an exploration of flavor across geography and culture, drawing on both land and sea while tracing a continuous journey from innovative airline catering to restaurant kitchens on the ground. Sustainability, technique and narrative were recurring themes throughout the menu.
The opening dish, Razor Clam with Rock Tea and Black Garlic, created by Zhang, highlighted a whole-food approach. An edible French-style crisp shell replaced the traditional clamshell, while a light mayonnaise made from natural soybeans offered a health-conscious interpretation with clearly defined layers of flavor.
Rinaldo showcased the finesse and richness of French cuisine with Huzhou White Feather Pigeon. The butter-aged, crispy milk pigeon featured a good balance between meat texture and fat content.
Chef Hong presented Radish-in-a-Lifetime Stuffed Sea Cucumber, a dish rooted in Fujian culinary philosophy. Plump fresh sea cucumber encased a filling made from radish and black pork.
A conceptual progression of radish through time accompanied the dish: Zhangzhou white radish, gently braised in chicken stock to represent youth; crisp, pickled yellow radish, symbolizing maturity; and aged, dried radish, distilled into the essence of the stuffing, evoking old age.
