Jointly hosted by the Yangzhou government, Embassy of Italy and China Public Diplomacy Association, Silk Road Cuisine Display – Yangzhou Week will launch in Yangzhou, Jiangsu province, from Sept 11 to 15.

Visitors will be able to taste typical Chinese and Italian cuisines during the festival, which will also function as a platform for the Italian and Chinese people to deepen mutual understandings of one another through culinary exchange.

Yangzhou, with its mild climate and affluent products, is the cradle of Huaiyang Cuisine, one of China's four major cuisines. Huaiyang Cuisine became famous during the Sui and Tang dynasties (AD 581-907), and was recognized as a distinct regional taste during the Ming and Qing dynasties (AD 1368-1911).

Huaiyang cuisine is well known for its delicate cutting techniques and refreshing flavors. While it keeps to the tradition, innovation is also an indispensable part of it. A great many novel dishes have so far been created and cooks from Huaiyang have won awards in many domestic and international cooking contests.

Italian cuisine, on the other hand, has important influence on the cooking styles of many Western countries. Similar to Huaiyang cuisine, it keeps the original flavor of the ingredients and emphasizes the exquisite cooking process. While Huaiyang cooks select fresh aquatic products, vegetables and poultry as ingredients, their Italian counterparts generally prefer beef, seafood, vegetables and cheese.

Edited by Mevlut Katik