A group of 30 teachers and students from a culinary school in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region recently participated in an eight-day exchange program in Southwest China’s Chengdu to deepen their understanding of Sichuan cuisine and engage in cultural exchanges with local students.
Jointly organized by the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation and the Chinese Culinary Institute, the Chinese Culinary Culture Training Programme entered its third edition, taking the institute’s teachers and students to the capital of Sichuan province from Aug 1 to 8.
Sichuan cuisine, one of the four great culinary traditions, is characterized by its numbing, spicy, fresh and aromatic qualities. Encompassing 24 classic flavor profiles, the cuisine is well-known for its signature spicy–numbing sensation.
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Throughout the program, students have the opportunities to acquire the essentials of numerous celebrated dishes, including golden silk noodles, a handmade noodle dish listed as an intangible cultural heritage; steamed Chinese cabbage in supreme soup, which is renowned for a broth as clear as water yet richly flavored; and spicy eggplant with minced pork and chicken tofu pudding.
They also gained a deeper understanding of traditional snacks, such as dandan noodles, wontons in red chilli oil, alongside household dishes mapo tofu and kung pao chicken.
In one of the program’s highlights, senior instructors from the Sichuan Tourism University – known for its expertise in culinary arts – demonstrated and taught the techniques of multiple classic dishes, passing on the authentic craft of Sichuan cuisine to the HKSAR students.
Besides practical training, students and teachers visited ChiXiang · Classic Sichuan Cuisine, an officially recognized intangible cultural heritage experience center founded by culinary master Xu Xiaohong, to learn about the history of academic-style Sichuan cuisine.
The students also visited cultural and historical sites and engaged in friendly exchanges with local students, sharing insights and experiences in culinary arts.
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Dionne Kung Ming-ming, deputy CEO of the foundation, pointed out that the program strengthened young people’s connection to the national heritage, fulfilling the core educational mission of “connecting hearts through art and passing the torch.”
“Hong Kong is a world-renowned culinary hub. The GBA Youth Foundation aims to harness this strength to cultivate young culinary talent and tell Hong Kong’s story through the soft power of food culture,” Kung said.
James Yap Han-phong, principal of the Chinese Culinary Institute, expressed his hope that students will integrate the culinary skills they acquired during the program and embrace innovation to contribute to the sustainable development of Hong Kong’s catering industry.
Describing the trip as an eye-opener, student Wai Sai-ho said he was surprised with the fact that Sichuan cuisine is far more than just straightforward spiciness — but comprises 24 distinct flavor profiles and combinations.
Another student named Ho Chi-ching found it memorable to watch the demonstration of making golden silk noodles as it takes the body weight to press and roll the dough repeatedly, before slicing it into ultra-fine strands using a specialized large knife.
Established in 2019, the Greater Bay Area Homeland Youth Community Foundation is a charitable organization supporting HKSAR youth in their study and career, as well as their professional growth and leveraging on the employment opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The Chinese Culinary Institute is a public cookery school and one of the 14 member institutions of Vocational Training Council to provide systematic training in Chinese cuisine for beginners and practicing chefs who wish to obtain or upgrade their professional qualifications.
