NEW YORK—Amidst the dazzling setting of Times Square, crowds of people gathered around a traditional Chinese style kitchen stadium where contestants of New Tang Dynasty Television’s International Chinese Culinary Competition prepared the most authentic and delicate Chinese dishes, in front of the audience on Thursday, Sept. 30.
Part of NTDTV’s global competition series, the 2010 International Chinese Culinary Competition attracted master chefs of Chinese cuisine from 12 countries worldwide. The competition aims to revive traditional Chinese cuisines and culinary techniques.
Many of the contestants have had as long as 20 to 40 years of experience. On Thursday, a total of 35 chefs, divided in 7 groups, participated in the preliminary round.
Each was given 45 minutes to finish one required dish and one self-selected from one of the following 5 major Chinese cuisines distinguished by their places of origins: Sichuan cuisine (Central China), Cantonese cuisine (Southern China), Shandong cuisine (the East Coast), Dongbei cuisine (Northeastern China), and Huaiyang cuisine (the Eastern Planes).
Each contestant will be judged primarily on the taste but also on the hygiene during the preparation process, choice of materials, the cleanliness and preciseness of cutting, and colors of their pieces.
Excited food lovers purchased tasting tickets and tried dishes prepared by the contestants. On Saturday and Sunday, the event will culminate with food-tasting events and an awards banquet at New York’s Pier 60 where the winning chefs will cook an exclusive 10-dish dinner.
“This is very exciting. I have only seen cooking competitions like this on TV,” said Olena Cholrenkr, 35, of Long Island, who was passing through Time Square.
“I’d definitely go to the award banquet and try more.”
The events in Times Square will continue again on Friday, and the winners of this round will join another group of finalists from Asia who competed in a previous preliminary round held separately in Taiwan.
Gold winners of each cuisine category will receive an award of $10,000.
To learn more about the awards banquet held on Sunday at Pier 60, please visit culinary.ntdtv.com/en/
Part of NTDTV’s global competition series, the 2010 International Chinese Culinary Competition attracted master chefs of Chinese cuisine from 12 countries worldwide. The competition aims to revive traditional Chinese cuisines and culinary techniques.
Many of the contestants have had as long as 20 to 40 years of experience. On Thursday, a total of 35 chefs, divided in 7 groups, participated in the preliminary round.
Each was given 45 minutes to finish one required dish and one self-selected from one of the following 5 major Chinese cuisines distinguished by their places of origins: Sichuan cuisine (Central China), Cantonese cuisine (Southern China), Shandong cuisine (the East Coast), Dongbei cuisine (Northeastern China), and Huaiyang cuisine (the Eastern Planes).
Each contestant will be judged primarily on the taste but also on the hygiene during the preparation process, choice of materials, the cleanliness and preciseness of cutting, and colors of their pieces.
Excited food lovers purchased tasting tickets and tried dishes prepared by the contestants. On Saturday and Sunday, the event will culminate with food-tasting events and an awards banquet at New York’s Pier 60 where the winning chefs will cook an exclusive 10-dish dinner.
“This is very exciting. I have only seen cooking competitions like this on TV,” said Olena Cholrenkr, 35, of Long Island, who was passing through Time Square.
“I’d definitely go to the award banquet and try more.”
The events in Times Square will continue again on Friday, and the winners of this round will join another group of finalists from Asia who competed in a previous preliminary round held separately in Taiwan.
Gold winners of each cuisine category will receive an award of $10,000.
To learn more about the awards banquet held on Sunday at Pier 60, please visit culinary.ntdtv.com/en/
