Hubei Introduced Chu Cuisine to World on CIFTIS

On September 3, the Hubei Province Theme Day of the 2023 China International Fair For Trade In Services (CIFTIS) was held in Beijing. With the theme of "A Bite of Hubei for an Experience Beyond Delicious", this event aimed to showcase the taste of Hubei to the world through Chu cuisine.

Chu cuisine, originally known as E cuisine, has a history of nearly 3000 years. In 1983, Hubei cuisine was recognized as one of the top ten culinary styles in China. In 2018, it was officially named "Chu cuisine". Under the circumstances of Hubei province's branding project about promoting Chu cuisine, by 2022, the catering industry related to Chu cuisine had generated a revenue of CNY 309.23 billion, ranking first in Central and Western China and fifth nationwide. The catering industry accounted for 13.95% of the total retail sales of consumer goods.

Guests at Chu cuisine exhibition booth [Photo via Department of Commerce of Hubei Province]

At the Hubei Theme Day of the CIFTIS, a variety of distinctive Chu dishes were presented on a miniature landscape display called "Hubei Taste by the Yangtze River". This attracted many domestic and international exhibitors to capture the moment. These 30 innovative Chu dishes retained the essence of Hubei's local specialties while introducing new cooking methods to tantalize the taste buds.

Representatives from the Department of Commerce of Hubei Province stated that food is a universal language, and the innovation of Chu cuisine aims to showcase an image of Hubei that combines tradition and innovation, industrial revitalization, and a good quality of life.

In recent years, Hubei has successfully hosted five sessions of the Chu Cuisine Food Expo. It has also promoted Chu cuisine through tasting events and promotion conferences, telling the story of Chu cuisine and spreading its culinary culture, allowing the Chu cuisine brand to go global.