The food at President Xi Jinping's state banquet with Asian leaders on Tuesday evening was healthy and light with many Chinese dishes.

Xu Long, Western cuisine executive chef at the Great Hall of the People, made the observations on the menu on Tuesday.

Dishes at state banquets usually taste a bit light and are acceptable to most guests at the table. Moreover, chefs will consider tapping into state leaders' religions and ethnicities, as well as personal preferences, Xu said.

Xu, who has worked at the Great Hall of the People for 30 years, said ingredients such as fish maw and Asian matsutake mushrooms are both typically Chinese and widely acceptable to foreign guests.

Snowflake beef is pan-fried and braised to add flavor, while fried scallops with Hawaii nuts is a light-tasting dish combining the crispy taste of nuts and the tender taste of scallops.

"The foods are green, fresh, light, and at the same time can be elegantly presented," Xu said.

yejun@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/21/2014 page3)