The Taste of China
Introduction to the art of Chinese cuisine!
In cooperation with Wifi Steiermark, the Confucius Institute at the University of Graz has launched The Taste of China project to improve the gastronomic quality of Chinese cuisine in Austria. Unique in Austria to date, the Confucius Institute has flown in two trained cooking instructors from the Shanghai Gastronomy Association in China to provide further training in Chinese cuisine on site. Interpreters are provided for the duration of the course.
The first training round of the project, entitled The Eight Treasures of Chinese Cuisine , will take place in Bad Gleichenberg from April 2 - 11, 2024. At the end of the 10-day training course, the apprentices will put their newly acquired knowledge to the test at an examination, which will include a large gala dinner to which renowned chefs from the region will be invited.
Chinese cuisine is world-famous and is one of the most popular cuisines that no city should be without. The Middle Kingdom offers a total of eight cuisines, of which often only a few are known. This course aims to change that and bring the diversity of China to Austrian plates. Participants will be given an insight into the different regions, including the history of the development of each cuisine style. The special Chinese food culture, which is very different from European habits, will also be the subject of the course. Participants will learn about the authentic sequence of dishes, typical cutlery and manners as well as special spices and combinations. Selected Chinese dishes form the subject matter of the series of events, which are supplemented by learning Chinese terminology. The aim is not only to improve the quality of Chinese cuisine in Austria, but also to stimulate an exchange between Austrian and Chinese cuisine, to provide impetus and space for development and creativity and thus to create an innovative development and sustainable compatibility of tradition and modernity.
Focal points of the training
- Introduction to Chinese culture
- Product knowledge
- Cooking techniques of Chinese cuisine
- Specialties from Shandong cuisine
- Specialties from Sichuan cuisine
- Specialties from Cantonese cuisine
- Specialties from Fujian cuisine
- Specialties from Suzhou cuisine
- Specialties from Zhejiang cuisine
- Specialties from Hunan cuisine
- Specialties from Huizhou cuisine
You can choose to take an oral and practical exam on the last day of the course. In the practical exam, you will prepare one of several courses from a gala menu. Put your skills to the test and earn a certificate of completion! This will be awarded immediately after the gala dinner.
The project with teaching materials in German and Chinese is aimed at
- cooks in German-speaking countries with little prior knowledge of Chinese cuisine
- cooks who have Chinese roots (cooks from Chinese restaurants)
- Chefs in training (at vocational schools and vocational colleges)
- People interested in Chinese cuisine with cooking experience
- Tourism schools
To realize the project, the Confucius Institute works together with
- Wifi Styria
- Shanghai Gastronomy Association
- Shanghai Tourism School
- Bad Gleichenberg Tourism School