A feast fit for an international gathering

During the APEC meetings, the China National Convention Center is offering thousands of international attendees an exclusive dining experience. Wang Jing / China Daily

During the ongoing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings, the China National Convention Center is offering thousands of international attendees an exclusive dining experience.

Dishes from five continents are on the menu, including Singapore's laksa, the Philippines' adobon chicken, and Russia's beef goulash. But what catches people's eyes is the extensive list of Chinese food that shows the country's traditional culinary culture, as well as Beijing-style snacks.

Among the items being served are Peking roast duck, dandan noodles, xiaolongbao (steamed meat bun), shaomai (steamed pork dumpling), rice cake, jianbing (pancake), chicken stuffed with glutinous rice, and spring rolls. Traditional Beijing local snacks such as Royal Wotou (steamed corn bun), Bingtanghulu (crispy sugar-coated haws on a stick), Yundoujuan (kidney bean roll), Wandouhuang (Beijing sweet peas pudding) and Lvdagunr (glutinous rice rolls with sweet bean flour) are also being offered.

Chen Baoming, executive chef of Chinese food and beverages for the APEC meetings from the CNCC, said the simple, convenient Chinese-style snacks not only offer a glimpse into China's traditional culinary culture, but are also good choices for the banquets as the meetings are tightly scheduled. The snacks can be easily taken away and eaten later.

To provide the best dinning service, the CNCC has teamed up with special APEC service personnel since the beginning of this year. According to a news release from CNCC, about 200 chefs helped develop the dishes and design the menus for the event. During peak dining hours, there will be as many as 600 chefs on duty.