CMG launches Sino-French culinary exchange program

China Media Group and the French Embassy in China jointly launched a culinary exchange program on Tuesday.

The event was attended by CMG President Shen Haixiong, French Ambassador to China Bertrand Lortholary, Wu Weishan, director of the National Art Museum of China, and others.

Cultural exchanges between China and France have continued to deepen in recent years, setting an example for mutual learning among world civilizations, Shen said.

As the largest and most comprehensive international media platform with the widest coverage and diverse formats in the world today, CMG has carried out a series of fruitful collaborations with friends from various sectors in France, continuously expanding the broad space for Sino-French cultural exchanges, Shen said.

The fusion of cuisine and culture has left a deep imprint in the memories of the people of China and France, he said, adding that it is not only an art on the palate but also a communication and integration between humans and nature and among people.

The CMG program challenges the fusion of dishes, traces the origins of flavors, and interprets culinary skills, thus exploring the history of civilizations, he said.

Shen said that through the changes in color, fragrance, taste and shape, it presents the local customs and cultural wisdom of China and France, promoting mutual understanding and emotional closeness between the two peoples.

Lortholary said food art is one of the most exquisite forms of diplomacy, and promoting the culinary cultures of France and China undoubtedly showcases the strong bond between the two countries.

The program will present a dialogue of culinary and cultural exchange between France and China, he said, adding that through cultural inheritance and innovative methods, it will further strengthen the long-standing bond of cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Wu said the program uses food as a bridge, making it a down-to-earth and universally appealing cultural exchange.

He said he looks forward to seeing the emergence of new top chefs from China and France, engaging in team competitions and opening a summit feast of Sino-French culinary culture under the banner of culinary beauty.