Chicago hosts first U.S. Int'l Chinese Cuisine Forum

CHICAGO, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The First U.S. International Chinese Cuisine Forum was held on the sidelines of the ongoing 99th National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show that lasts from May 19 to 22 in U.S. city of Chicago.

Chinese cuisine practitioners from the United States, China, Canada and European countries gathered at the forum, discussing the nutrition of Chinese food, finding ways to promote Chinese food, and seeking further development of Chinese cuisine in the United States.

Chinese Deputy Consul General in Chicago Yu Peng delivered a keynote speech at the forum, saying Chinese cuisine has made important contributions to economic development in the United States.

He expressed the hope that the forum may act as a platform for Chinese cuisine in the United States to complete transformation and upgrading.

Chinese cuisine has evolved for more than 100 years in the United States. In 2014, China put forward a "Prosperity Plan for Chinese Cuisine," aiming to support development of Chinese cuisine overseas.

There are more than 550,000 Chinese restaurants overseas, and they generate 250 billion U.S. dollars in market value a year, Yu said.

A Chinese Cuisine Demonstration Section is opened at the 99th NRA show for the second year in a row, where restaurants from Beijing, Liaoning, Jiangsu, and Hong Kong show up.

NRA show is the largest as well as the oldest catering and hotel supplies exhibition in North America. It attracted more than 67,000 restaurants and hotel supplies industrial representatives from all over the world this year. Enditem