"Master One Dish in a Lifetime" – "Taizhou Cuisine · Yuhai Banquet" Culinary Masters Competition Kicks Off

A Grand Yuhai Banquet, A Feast of Ultimate Freshness

On the afternoon of November 7th, the 3D painted dock of Jishan Island in Yuhuan was bustling with activity and filled with enticing aromas. Hundreds of chefs from 30 local Yuhuan catering enterprises skillfully prepared Yellow Croaker banquets, engaging in a fierce culinary battle to mark the opening of the "Master One Dish in a Lifetime" – Yuhuan City's "Taizhou Cuisine · Yuhai Banquet" Culinary Masters Competition.

City leaders including Zhou Yang, Cai Mugui, Zhou Feifei, Chen Weiying, and Fang Anping attended the event. They were joined by Yu Yunguo, Deputy Director of the Taizhou Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau, Zhang Jingfu, Full-time Vice President of the China Hotel Association, and numerous other distinguished guests from the culinary world.

How Many Ways Can a Large Yellow Croaker Be Prepared?

At the competition, nearly a hundred chefs from 30 teams used large Yellow Croakers sponsored by the Zhonglu Island Marine Ranch as the main ingredient, creating dishes on-site and presenting a grand culinary feast.

The chefs from various teams explored methods from steaming and home-style cooking to wine-infused and sweet-and-sour, creating a collision of traditional and innovative dishes. The cooking area was filled with delightful smells. Creative dishes such as "Home-style Braised Yellow Croaker," "Wine-infused Nourishing Yellow Croaker," "Yellow Croaker and Crab," "Crispy Yellow Croaker Roll," and "Yellow Croaker with Shrimp Roe and Egg White" made their appearance, making mouths water.

They focused not only on the color, aroma, and taste of the dishes but also put effort into creativity, with each dish representing a unique interpretation of the Yellow Croaker ingredient. "Jishan specializes in seafood. We specifically used crab roe and Yellow Croaker meat to make lion's head meatballs. The fusion of Yellow Croaker and crab roe, stimulating the taste buds, completely unlocks a new sensation for Yellow Croaker," said contestant Zhuang Youbo.

After intense competition, the dishes were successively brought to the tasting area, where judges sampled them carefully and scored diligently. The contestants outside the venue were particularly anxious. "I almost didn't finish. I was especially frantic during the final countdown, but fortunately, I completed the dish at the most critical moment," said contestant Sun Yanbin, drenched in sweat. "This time, I took on the main responsibility alone, completing a traditional Wine-infused Yellow Croaker and a creative Clear Soup Yellow Croaker Lion's Head within 45 minutes. It feels really good, especially the sense of achievement."

This competition not only uncovered a group of highly skilled chefs and renowned restaurants but also allowed more people to appreciate the unique charm and cooking techniques of Zhonglu Island Yellow Croaker.

"Really excited. The wind at the dock was strong and a bit cold, which could affect the dish's taste, but thankfully the result was very pleasing. I'm very happy," said gold medal-winning chef Wang Jin, whose creative dish "Yellow Croaker with Shrimp Roe and Egg White" received unanimous praise from the judges.

A simple Zhonglu Island Yellow Croaker met this exhilarating competition, creating a spark that showcased the power of Yuhuan's seafood cuisine.

Yuhuan Municipal Party Committee Secretary Zhou Yang presented awards to the gold medal winners.

Yuhuan Municipal CPPCC Chairman Cai Mugui presented awards to the silver medal winners.

Yuhuan Municipal Standing Committee Member and Head of the Propaganda Department Zhou Feifei, Yuhuan Municipal People's Congress Standing Committee Deputy Director Chen Weiying, and Taizhou Cuisine Culture Research Association Executive Vice President Wang Yizhou presented awards to the bronze medal winners.

During the ceremony, the Yuhuan Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau signed the "Yuhai Banquet" Supor Food Industry Fund cooperation agreement with Supor Group Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang Supor Co., Ltd. Supor Group Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang Supor Co., Ltd. will contribute 1 million RMB annually to establish the "Yuhai Banquet · Supor" Food Industry Fund. Through the "Taizhou Cuisine · Yuhai Banquet" culinary competitions and brand promotion activities, the fund aims to cultivate a group of local famous restaurants, chefs, and dishes, support them in improving quality, and assist "Taizhou Cuisine · Yuhai Banquet" in expanding beyond Yuhuan and Taizhou, effectively building the brand's awareness, reputation, and influence.

The Yuhuan Commerce Bureau and the Yuhuan Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau signed a strategic cooperation agreement on improving chef skills and exchange for "Taizhou Cuisine · Yuhai Banquet" with the Famous Chefs Professional Committee of the Provincial Catering Industry Association. This aims to further improve the "Taizhou Cuisine · Yuhai Banquet" chef training system and promote the upgrading of culinary talent.

Huanglong Hotel Management Group, Yuhuan Zhonglu Island Marine Ranch Technology Development Co., Ltd., and Hangzhou Tonglu Yimei International Hotel jointly signed a strategic cooperation agreement for the "Zhonglu Island Yellow Croaker Ingredient Supply Chain." This will promote high-quality ingredients like the large Yellow Croaker from Zhonglu Island Marine Ranch to a broader market, allowing more food enthusiasts to taste the freshest, highest-quality ingredients from Yuhuan's marine ranch.

In his speech, Yuhuan Vice Mayor Fang Anping stated that Yuhuan, this modern bay city narrating the transformation of land and sea, will continue to tell the stories of the sea and unlock more of its delicious flavors, welcoming guests from all over with the most sincere enthusiasm.

Yuhuan, a romantic city embraced by the sea, has seen the integration of marine culture, agricultural culture, and immigrant culture over thousands of years. This has not only forged a unique maritime and fishing character but also endowed the people of Yuhuan with an inherent quality of inclusiveness and the spirit to sail and ride the waves.

Yuhuan boasts unique fishery resources, with a sea area of 1901 square kilometers, encompassing bays like Xuanmen Bay and Yueqing Bay, and fishing ports such as Jishan, Kamen, and Damaiyu. It holds the reputation of "China's East Sea Granary," "Hometown of Chinese Ribbon Fish," and "Hometown of Chinese Eel." The people of Yuhuan live by the sea and rely on it for food. From long-standing traditions of fishing and farming the sea, to the new generation of seafarers seizing the pulse of the times and actively developing modern fisheries like Zhonglu Island Yellow Croaker farming and offshore processing centers, they have blazed a path of development for fishing islands, fisheries, and fishermen characterized by emancipating the mind, reform, innovation, and keeping pace with the times.

Yuhuan's seafood delights enjoy fame far and wide. The "freshness" of Yuhuan is an unforgettable taste memory. Yuhuan people often say, "January for club mackerel, February for mullet, March for pomfret, April for Chinese herring, May for Spanish mackerel." Autumn is considered the best season for eating Yellow Croaker. We gather the delicious flavors of the mountains and sea to prepare a feast for the palate. Using Zhonglu Island large Yellow Croaker as the primary ingredient, we held the "Master One Dish in a Lifetime" Yuhuan "Taizhou Cuisine · Yuhai Banquet" Culinary Masters Competition. We hope to fully utilize and explore Yuhuan's "East Sea Small Seafood" culinary resources, further enhance the "Yuhai Banquet" food brand, and increase the awareness and influence of Yuhuan's local famous chefs, dishes, and restaurants, truly making Yuhuan cuisine a "golden name card" for the city.

Yuhuan's island scenery is diverse and enchanting. It is the "a touch in the sea" described by Xu Xiake and the "fairy mountain on the sea" in Xie Lingyun's poetry, boasting vast, unobstructed sea views and a constellation of islands of all kinds. On Jishan Island, you can check in at the candy-colored stone houses and fisherman murals. On the Taizhou No. 1 Highway Longji Line, you can experience the majesty of the ancient volcano and the grandeur of the vast East Sea. On the "Forest Oxygen Bar" of Dalu Island, you can watch the sunrise over the sea, admire rock carving art, and sleep to the sound of the waves...

Zhang Jingfu, Vice President of the China Hotel Association and Senior Economist:

Participating in the judging and culinary experience of this competition alongside fellow expert judges allowed me to appreciate the unique flavors of Yuhuan's ingredients, especially the freshness of Yuhuan Yellow Croaker. This competition also provided an excellent opportunity and platform for Yuhuan chefs to showcase their cooking skills, promote the food brand, exchange culinary techniques, and enhance their abilities. The theme "Master One Dish in a Lifetime" is the pursuit of master chefs' craftsmanship. Let us work together to promote and publicize the "Taizhou Cuisine · Yuhai Banquet" regional food brand.

Wang Jinbao, Legal Representative and Executive Vice President of the Taizhou Cuisine Culture Research Association, President of the Taizhou Famous Chefs Association:

There was one dish where shrimp broth was steamed together with Yellow Croaker. The color, taste, and combination were all quite good; this dish was relatively impressive. Overall, the skill level at this competition was quite strong.

Ye Qing, Yuhuan-born Writer and Promoter of Yuhuan Culinary Culture:

I was honored to be invited to the "Taizhou Cuisine · Yuhai Banquet" Culinary Masters Competition. Tasting different preparations of Yuhuan Zhonglu Island Yellow Croaker, their diverse presentations and tender, complex textures left a deep impression on me. This is a gift from nature to Yuhuan, our good fortune as Yuhuan people, and represents the goodness of Yuhuan. I was also deeply impressed by how well Yuhuan's chefs have mastered the concepts of color, aroma, taste, form, texture, utensil, meaning, nutrition, and sound in cooking. They presented a variety of distinctive and brilliant Yellow Croaker dishes, innovating within tradition and inheriting through innovation—a true display of craftsman spirit, skill, and dedication.

Other guests serving as on-site judges, including Chinese Cooking Master Hong Baiping, Tao Yajie, Senior Researcher at the Chinese Culinary Association's Chinese Cuisine R&D Center, and Ji Yongjun, Chinese Cooking Master and top-level Zhe Cuisine master, also spoke highly of the "Taizhou Cuisine · Yuhai Banquet."

Translator：Jiayang Lin