1. 44 Sizzle Summer 12
international flavors china
international flavors
China
Beijing
Hangzhou
Fuzhou
O
n the morning of Oct. 17,
2012, I woke up to find an
interesting email from the
culinary director of The Art Institute
(AI) of Colorado. It detailed an
opportunity for AI instructors to
travel to China and take part in
Fuzhou’s 13th annual Food Festival
and 11th annual Food Expo as guests
of the Chinese Hotel Association.
I’ve done extensive traveling, but had
never been to China and jumped at
the chance. I teach the Asian cuisine
class at The Art Institute and thought
this would be the perfect opportunity
to enhance my knowledge of Chinese
cuisine and culture. The email
was sent out to the entire faculty,
so I thought there might be some
competition from others wanting
to represent our campus. Luckily
for me, because of the short notice
and the cost of the plane tickets,
there were few people interested
at my campus.
Once it was decided that I would
attend, I had less than three weeks
to obtain a visa, make travel
arrangements, find instructors
to teach my classes and prepare
for the trade show. There were
nine participants from various AI
campuses across the U.S. We were
given only limited information
about the trip. However, we did
know that we were to arrive in
Fuzhou Nov. 7 and come ready
to prepare Western-style culinary
display tables for the show.
I teamed up with Richard Hurst,
a chef-instructor from AI Atlanta,
to create a Caribbean-themed
table. We were advised to bring as
much of the food and supplies as
possible, because we did not know
what ingredients would be available
in China. My suitcase was stuffed
Marla Simon, chef-instructor, The Art Institute of
Colorado, Denver

2. 45www.acfchefs.orG/sizzle
with platters, tablecloths and dry
ingredients. Richard prepared his
family’s recipes for traditional Puerto
Rican dishes such as pasteles and
mofongo and carried them halfway
across the world in cryovac bags. It
felt odd to be so focused on food
other than traditional Chinese
cuisine, but it was all part of the
cultural exchange.
beijing adventure
I decided to go to China a few days
early and spend time exploring
Beijing before meeting up with the
group. I arrived on the evening of
Nov. 3. On the recommendation
of a friend, I booked a room at the
Cote Cour, a courtyard-style hotel
situated in a hutong (a historical
neighborhood built within the
confines of a narrow alley).
Staying at the Cote Cour was a
special experience. The property was
beautiful, the staff was extremely
helpful and the food was some of
the best I ate throughout my two
weeks in China. A daily chef-cooked
breakfast was included in the price of
my room. Some of the items served
at breakfast were comforting congees
(traditional porridge) made of millet
or black “forbidden” rice; skillfully
hand-formed dumplings; colorful
fried rice; and lightly stir-fried
cellophane noodles with vegetables.
While in Beijing, my days were
split between the Forbidden Palace,
Tianamen Square, the Summer
Palace, the Lama Temple and a trip
to Mutianyu to visit the Great Wall
of China. My nights were spent
exploring the local cuisine. One of
my more unique dining experiences
was wandering through the
Donghuamen night market. A virtual
feast for the eyes, approximately 100
red vendor booths lined the street.
The pungent aromas of durian fruit
and “stinky” tofu can be smelled from
blocks away. Menu choices vary from
traditional bao buns and tanghulu
(brightly colored skewers of candied
fruit) to more exotic offerings such as
fried scorpions, silkworms, crunchy
starfish, whole sea urchin and grilled
snake meat.
While in Beijing, I couldn’t pass up
the opportunity for a traditional
Peking duck dinner. It was difficult to
choose where to go for this famous
delicacy. Several restaurants serve
the dish, and each person I met
insisted that one was better than
another. I decided on Dadong, a
modern fine-dining restaurant within
walking distance from my hutong.
The ducks are cooked over an open
fire, producing a crispy skin and
tender meat. They are then carved
tableside and served with traditional
condiments—pancakes, radish,
preserved vegetables, cucumber,
garlic, sweet soy sauce and sugar.
fuzhou food festival
After three days in Beijing, I met up
with the rest of the group arriving
from the U.S. at the airport. We flew
to Fuzhou, arriving at our hotel late
in the evening. The following day
opposite: The Great Wall of China
top: A kitchen staff member at
Sunny Hotel in Hangzhou holds
Marla Simon’s fried-chicken plate.
bottom: Beggar’s chicken was
served at Lou Wai Lou restaurant in
Hangzhou.

3. 46 Sizzle Summer 12
their pictures with us. Some of the
members of our group were even
asked for their autographs. Colleen
Wong, a chef-instructor from AI
Hollywood, was interviewed by a
local television station. When we
weren’t representing AI at our display
tables, there was time to walk around
and view the work of other chefs
inside the convention center.
The presentations put forth by
some of the local chefs were truly
amazing. While we only had a few
hours to get ready for the show, it
was obvious that some of the
participants had prepared for
several weeks or months. The trade
show floor was filled with intricate
displays of sugar and chocolate
work, beautiful vegetable carvings
and impressive sculptures.
While all the food inside the expo
was for display only, there were
hundreds of food vendors at the food
festival, which took place outside the
convention center. The festival was
similar to the Donghuamen market,
but on a larger scale. I recognized
many of the same Chinese foods
(scorpions, stinky tofu, durian fruit,
etc.) that I saw for sale in Beijing, as
well as some additional international
dishes such as Mongolian lamb
stir-fried with cumin and Sichuan
peppercorns and tteok, a traditional
Korean confection that is made by
pounding glutinous rice with a large
wooden mallet.
During our time in Fuzhou, we
attended two elaborate dinners. The
we went shopping for supplies at a
warehouse-type grocery store—the
Chinese equivalent of Costco. At
first glance, the store seemed similar
to what we have in the U.S., but the
selection of unique produce, whole
fish/meat and live seafood was
quite different.
After the hotel restaurant kitchen
was closed for the night, we began
getting ready for the food expo. From
about midnight until 5 a.m., we
prepared foods from Italy, Germany,
France, Mexico, the Caribbean and
the United States—using primarily
woks. All of our display plates were
coated in gelatin and transported to
the convention center before
the sun came up. We spent the
early part of the morning setting
everything up, and took part in the
opening ceremony.
Throughout the expo, we met chefs
from around the world, as well as
many locals who were unusually
excited to shake our hands and take
international flavors china
top: Xia long bao, which is
pork soup dumplings, were
demonstrated for the visiting chefs
at Sunny Hotel in Hangzhou.
bottom: All manner of sea
creatures were for sale at the
night market in Beijing, including
starfish and sea urchin.

4. 47www.acfchefs.orG/sizzle
including beggar’s chicken (a whole
chicken that is stuffed, wrapped in
lotus leaves and coated and baked in
clay mud); dongpo pork (braised pork
belly); sweet-and-sour West Lake fish
(whole local carp from the West Lake
inavinegar-sauce);andsteamedturtle.
In addition to the food festival,
I also took part in a culinary
exchange between AI chefs and
local Hangzhou chefs. We split into
two groups and spent time in the
kitchens of two hotels. I spent the
day with the chefs at Sunny Hotel.
We made several Western-style
recipes for them. I demonstrated
Southern fried chicken (in a wok),
which was a big hit with the kitchen
staff. In turn, the head dim sum chef
taught us how to make xia long bao
(“soup dumplings”).
We were kept pretty busy during our
visit to Hangzhou, but did get a little
free time to enjoy an afternoon boat
ride on the lake.
Throughout the trip, our group was
given gifts by many of the people we
met. My favorite was a package of
Longjing “dragon well” tea. The high-
quality green tea is grown locally in
Hangzhou. I became accustomed
to drinking it while there and am
reminded of the trip whenever I
make a cup at home.
Sad to leave Hangzhou and say
goodbye to the rest of the group, I
ventured by train to Shanghai for a
short stay before heading home to
the U.S.
beggar’s chicken
Many legends surround the
history of beggar’s chicken, all
of which begin with a hungry
beggar wandering in search
of food. He happened upon
a chicken, either found or
stolen, killed it, and wrapped
it (feathers and all) in lotus
leaves and coated it in clay
mud. Some say that the stolen
chicken was buried in mud to
hide it from authorities. Others
say the mud was used for lack
of cooking utensils.
In modern-day preparations,
the chicken is stuffed, flavored
with Shaoxing rice wine and
baked in clay for several hours.
Because of the lengthy cooking
process, several restaurants in
China require that you order the
dish in advance.
chef-
instructors
Have you visited or participated
in the culinary scene in another
country? Sizzle readers would
like to read your story. To be
included in International Flavors,
email pcarroll@acfchefs.net.
first was a large welcome banquet
for all the participants of the expo.
The second event was a small
dinner hosted by the president of
the Chinese Hotel Association at
a private club. At both dinners we
ate upward of 15 courses, most of
which were served family style on a
traditional Chinese “lazy susan.” Each
course was accompanied with wine
and/or baijiu—a clear liquor made
from distilled grains.
On our last day in Fuzhou, we were
taken to the local open-air market by
the chef of the Fuzhou Hotel. On one
end of the market, whole ducks and
goats hung from the ceiling. Across
the room, tables were piled high with
chicken feet and pig's trotters. One
wall was lined with tanks of every
kind of live seafood from abalone to
razor clams. We bargained for kitchen
wares, several of us bringing home
carving tool sets and cleavers. After
the market, we took part in an award
ceremony, and went to dinner with
one of our translators at her favorite
local dumpling restaurant.
hangzhou
food festival
The following day, we flew to
Hangzhou, a picturesque lakeside
city in the Zhejiang province of
Eastern China. We attended the
13th annual China Hangzhou
Food Festival at Lou Wai Lou,
touted as Hangzhou’s “most famous
restaurant.” We dined at Lou Wai
Lou three times during the festival,
trying many Hangzhou specialties,