Thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, all in front of the square inch table
The state banquet is the highest-level banquet in the country, and the dishes provided represent the image of the country and the top culinary skills. The state banquet dishes with their own characteristics are also the display carrier of the country’s food culture, allowing guests to experience the country’s customs and customs in the exchange of toasts and cups.
France: Foie Gras
France is the birthplace of modern Western dining etiquette, and it is also one of the countries in the world that pays attention to food. French cuisine is the most prestigious in Western countries. The luxury and romance of the French can be seen from the “French Foie Gras”.
Foie gras, known as “Foie Gras” in French, means the liver of geese or ducks raised in a special duck-feeding method. French foie gras is one of the world’s three major gourmet treasures, which is as famous as caviar and truffles. It is a traditional French dish and is extremely rare in the menus of other European and American countries. The famous French foie gras comes from local Strasbourg geese, Landes geese and Toulouse geese. French cuisine attaches great importance to seasoning, and there are various types of seasonings. It is especially good at seasoning with wine. Food and wine are the characteristics of French cuisine. There are strict regulations on what kind of wine to choose, such as wine for clear soup, brandy for seafood, Desserts use all kinds of rum or brandy. Tasting foie gras should also be matched with good wine. French foie gras is exquisite from the selection of raw materials to cooking and seasoning, and then to arranging and embellishing, which fully shows the artistic realm of “eating” of the French people.
United Kingdom: Fish and Chips
British food is notoriously unpalatable, and the Industrial Revolution is largely responsible for its unpalatable taste. The industrial revolution had a great demand for labor, and busy workers needed cheap, portable, high-calorie food, so the British fast food represented by fish and chips was born. During World War II, there was a shortage of food in Britain, and food rationing was implemented across the country. Only fish and potatoes were not included in the planned supply list. Fish and chips became an important food to maintain people’s lives during the war.
In addition to fish and chips, other British dishes can indeed be described in one word – simple. Traditional British meals are mainly simple and common food, and there are basically only two ways of making them: “oven baked” or “cooked in a pot”. The taste is light and crispy. When cooking, no condiments are added. When eating, add salt, pepper and other seasonings according to personal preference. The dishes are light and less oily, and less wine is used for seasoning. Seafood and various vegetables are often used as side dishes, and the dishes are required to be small but refined. This rustic cooking method is known as “family delicacy”.
The British state banquet is much simpler than the French state banquet. It generally consists of 4 courses, namely appetizers, meat dishes, desserts and fruits. Perhaps it’s because British cuisine is so unremarkable. Since the time of Queen Victoria, French cuisine has been popular among the upper class in the UK. The menus used for state banquets are also French, and the tradition of French menus has been preserved to this day.
US: Hamburger Coke
In 2019, then-President Trump hosted a visiting NCAA division champion team in the State Dining Room of the White House, where mahogany tables were set with fine china and silver plates and a bouquet of white roses , but the food on the table looks a bit out of place – all American fast food such as hamburgers, French fries, and Coke. As early as 2015, Trump criticized Obama for his waste, and said, “If I were the president to hold a state banquet, I would give the other party a McDonald’s hamburger! Let’s talk about business immediately after eating!” In this matter, he can count It must be done.
Of course, Trump’s state banquet had some “special background” because the federal government was shut down and the chefs in the White House were on paid leave. However, as typical American foods, Coke and hamburgers do reflect the history, culture and national spirit of the United States. As we all know, the founding of the United States is very short, and the food has not only traditional European origins, but also the characteristics of local food and beverages due to the integration of various immigrants, forming a “cocktail” culture that learns from others. Putting aside the cumbersome dining etiquette, straight to the point, simple and practical, this is the American way of eating.
The popularity of American fast food is mainly due to the rise of automobiles, and the pace of life of Americans is getting faster and faster. The way of eating hamburgers largely meets the needs of drivers on the road. It was the Macdonald brothers who first thought of mass-producing hamburgers using Ford’s assembly line production method. They opened a hamburger fast food restaurant in San Bernardino, the terminus of busy Interstate 66 in California. Later, McDonald’s opened its branches to almost every corner of the earth.
Beetroot soup: a traditional delicacy of the Slavic peoples
After the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis in 2022, at the request of Ukraine, UNESCO announced on July 1 local time that “Ukrainian red cabbage soup” would be included in the “List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Urgent Need of Protection”. After the conflict between Ukraine and Russia resumed, the process of “de-Russification” in Ukraine has been further accelerated. In this context, Ukrainians pay more attention to their national identity and emphasize their own culture, customs and traditions. Ukraine and Russia have intersected for hundreds of years in history, and many aspects such as culture and customs have long been integrated like beef and potatoes in red cabbage soup. Whether borscht is a Russian or Ukrainian dish, no one can tell.
Beetroot is a traditional Slavic dish, a delicious soup made with beef, beets and other vegetables. During the Soviet period, the typical dishes of “100 nationalities” were made into a gourmet collection, and the “Book of Delicious and Healthy Food” was published in 1939, making these dishes a part of Soviet culture. Russian borscht is usually served with rye bread, while Ukrainian borscht is served with garlic bread, and Belarusian borscht is sometimes garnished with vegetables and half an egg.
After the outbreak of the Russian October Revolution, a large number of White Russian nobles fled, and Shanghai was their main residence. They brought Russian beetroot soup to Shanghai, but because beetroot (a kind of beet) is relatively rare in Shanghai, they replaced it with tomato and tomato sauce. Russian English is “RUSSIA”, Transliterated as “Luo Song”, so there is today’s Shanghai borscht, which is the soup from Russia.
Japan: Sashimi
The Japanese call themselves a “thoroughly fish-eating nation”, and sashimi is the highest etiquette for state banquets or civilian treats. Sashimi (sashimi) is the most representative and characteristic food in Japanese cuisine. Before the Edo period, sashimi was mainly made of sea bream, flounder, plaice, and perch, and the flesh of these fish was white; after the Meiji era, red tuna and bonito became the best materials for sashimi. . Now, the Japanese slice shellfish, lobster, etc. into thin slices, which is also called “sashimi”. Eat sashimi with green wasabi and soy sauce as condiments. Wasabi is a condiment full of pungent and spicy taste, which is both antiseptic and appetizing, and is deeply loved by the Japanese. Sashimi is also often decorated with shredded white radish, seaweed, perilla flowers, etc., to reflect the Japanese food culture that is close to nature.
In Ruth Benedict’s book “The Chrysanthemum and the Sword”, “chrysanthemum” is used to represent the elegance and gentleness of the Japanese nation, and “sword” is used to represent the Japanese warrior culture, which symbolizes struggle and cruelty. “Chrysanthemum” and “sword” show the duality of Japanese culture. Japan has a small land area, and is located in the Pacific Rim seismic belt, with many volcanoes, which makes Japan frequent natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis. Harsh natural and geographical conditions require people to be frugal and intensive, which has contributed to the delicate and small aesthetics of the Japanese. At the same time, people have formed a life view that pursues the ultimate moment like cherry blossoms in an unstable environment where life and death are unpredictable.
Kimchi
Kimchi is one of the most representative traditional dishes in Korea. South Korea, located at a high latitude, has a long winter and a very cold climate. The growing season of vegetables is short, and fresh vegetables are often in short supply and expensive. Koreans store the vegetables harvested in autumn and put them in kimchi jars for pickling, which is not only delicious but also more convenient for storage. In addition to cabbage, various leafy vegetables, such as radishes, leeks, shallots, cucumbers, etc., can also be used as raw materials for kimchi. According to different tastes, meat or seafood can also be used as auxiliary materials, so there are more than 100 kinds of kimchi with different flavors in Korea.
Korean kimchi represents Korean cooking culture and is an indispensable food for three meals a day on the Korean table from ancient times to the present. There is a popular saying among Koreans that “a meal without Kimchi (Korean: pickled vegetables) is not for Koreans.” Satisfaction, nothing beats the kimchi from home.
The record about kimchi first appeared in China’s “Book of Songs”. About 1300 years ago, kimchi was introduced to the Korean peninsula from China and had a new development. From a metaphysical point of view, it has become a spiritual symbol of Korea. People’s family and country feelings. South Korea has spared no effort in establishing its own cultural self-confidence and identity. In 2000, South Korea’s “Cultural Property Protection Act” included “traditional food” such as kimchi as a cultural property for protection for the first time. At the same time, South Korea is also very good at cultural export, such as holding the “Kimchi Culture Festival” in the Gwangju area every October, filming “Dae Jang Geum” and other film and television dramas to promote traditional culture.
State banquet at Buckingham Palace.
India: Curry
When it comes to Indian food, curry is the first thing that comes to mind. No matter how many dishes and crepes there are at an Indian state banquet, curry is always a must. Curry is also essential on the common people’s table, and the stalls that can be seen everywhere on the streets of Mumbai provide colorful curry food. Archaeological evidence shows that as early as 2600 BC, in the remains of the ancient Indian civilization in Mohenjo-daro (located in Pakistan), mustard seeds, cumin, star anise and other spices pounded with a mortar and pestle have been found , for seasoning. In 2000 BC, black pepper was added. These mixed spices, which are crushed into powder, are considered to be the origin of the earliest “curry”.
With the advent of the Age of Discovery, American crops such as peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes were introduced to India, and Indian cooking methods using spices continued to evolve. The British came to India to do business and found that India used mixed spices for cooking. This mixed powder for seasoning became “Curry powder” in English. The word “curry” first appeared in a cookbook published by a British culinary writer in 1747. The word was invented by the British and then returned to India. The traditional seasoning powder used in India is called “masala powder”. (Masala)”, instead of exporting curry powder for domestic sales. This seasoning powder is a mixture of various spices, which is very similar to the country of India-rich, chaotic, random, exciting, full of endless uncertainty. No one can figure out all the masala powder recipes, just like no one can fully understand India.
China: Boiled Cabbage
China is a famous food and cooking country in the world. The dishes on the state banquet are naturally very elegant and rich. Among the state banquet dishes, there is such a dish called “boiled cabbage”. It is an appetizer for a state banquet, seemingly unpretentious, but actually rich in connotations. The essence of this dish lies in the white soup, which is carefully boiled with a variety of precious ingredients, such as scallops, old hen, old duck, ribs, ham, etc. It must be boiled for at least 6 hours, and chicken breasts must be chopped The minced meat repeatedly absorbs the impurities inside and filters the soup, and the soup is clear and translucent, with a mellow fragrance, which is the finished product. The choice of cabbage is also very important. You must use the most tender cabbage heart and cook it with hot soup. It looks very light and elegant, smells fragrant, and feels refreshing after a sip. It can be called “color and fragrance”. Delicious food all the way.
my country’s food culture is extensive and profound. This seemingly simple dish of “boiled cabbage” shows the realm of life that the Chinese people pursue – the extreme thick is plain, and the most flavor of life is pure joy. It shows people with the most simple and ordinary face, but it has rich and profound connotations. This dish also hides the Chinese philosophy of life – modesty and prudence, hidden. Unexpectedly, boiled cabbage belongs to the “Sichuan cuisine” cuisine. Sichuan cuisine is famous for its spicy, delicious, red and bright colors. The best dish among them is this boiled cabbage. reason.
