Food taboos for state banquets

Respect the religious beliefs, cultural traditions and dietary preferences of the guests, keep the bottom line of food safety and experience, and adapt to the nature of the banquet occasion. The "X types of dishes that must not be served" and "X rules that must be followed" posted online are all stereotypes and generalizations.

Don't believe the "Top Ten Taboos for State Banquets" posted on the Internet. I have been responsible for meal preparations in a reception office in an eastern province for almost 8 years. I have participated in the preparations for 4 official state banquets and more than ten high-profile foreign-related banquets. When I first entered the industry, I also looked for the so-called "Taboo Handbook" everywhere, hoping to memorize it to avoid making mistakes. In the end, my old master poured cold water on me directly: "If you follow the list on the Internet, sooner or later something will happen. ”

Of course, there are no red lines that cannot be touched. The most non-negotiable ones are religious-related dietary taboos. For example, when entertaining missionaries from Muslim countries, not to mention pork, knives, cutting boards, and cooking oil in the kitchen must be purchased and stored separately. Even the catering staff must understand the production specifications of halal meals in advance, and no one can be sloppy. When we hosted an official delegation from India, we even replaced all the butter in the dishes with vegetable oil because we were afraid that using butter would offend their religious taboos. This is an iron-clad rule in the industry and there is no dispute.

Interestingly, in addition to such religious red lines, other so-called "taboos" basically have room for discussion. For example, there has been a debate in the industry for several years about whether animal offal can be served at state banquets. Most of the old-school receptionists are opposed to it. They feel that offal is not properly processed and has a peculiar smell. Moreover, many countries do not have the habit of eating offal in their diet, so it is easy to get upset. ； But the younger generation of organizers are more flexible and think that as long as they adapt to the other party's food culture, there will be no problem. French foie gras was included in the state banquet hosted by French President Macron in 2019. We discussed it in our internal group for a long time, and finally agreed that this dish could not only suit the other party’s eating habits, but also reflect our sincerity in hospitality, so there was no problem at all. When I prepared a meal for the Spanish delegation last year, I specially added braised beef tongue that had no peculiar smell at all. After the meal, the head of the delegation asked us for the recipe, saying it was more fragrant than what they made in their own country.

There is another type of taboo that revolves around safety and experience. There are no hard and fast rules, but experienced hosts will take the initiative to avoid them. For example, fresh fish with too many fine spines is generally not served directly. It is easy to get stuck in the throat of foreign guests who are not skilled in using chopsticks. If something goes wrong, a good thing will turn into a bad thing. If it is served, it must be deboned and cut into pieces in advance. For example, it is very common to replace the West Lake vinegar fish with boneless squirrel mandarin fish. There was a former head of a Nordic delegation who was severely allergic to nuts. Not only did we exclude nuts from all dishes, but we also removed all the nut gift packs from the souvenirs placed next to the dining table. The bread that goes with the meals was specially customized with a manufacturer without adding nut powder, for fear of accidents.

There are also some minor taboos that completely depend on the cultural background of the guests, and there is no unified standard. For example, when entertaining Japanese guests, try to avoid the number of dishes being 4 or 9, and avoid inserting chopsticks into the rice when setting the plate. ； When entertaining guests from some European countries, chrysanthemums will not be used on the dining table, especially white chrysanthemums, which are used for funerals in their culture. Previously, there was a local reception department who wanted to serve a Buddhist delegation from Southeast Asia. Later, they were afraid that the word "Buddha" in the name of the dish would cause unnecessary misunderstandings, so they deliberately changed the name to "Seafood Braised Pot", which is considered thoughtful.

There is still a debate in the industry about whether to appropriately relax the so-called "taboos" in order to highlight local characteristics. For example, when we were preparing for a dinner party in ASEAN countries two years ago, someone proposed a dessert with durian elements. Those who opposed it said that the durian smell was too strong and would affect other guests who don't like to eat it. Those who supported it said that most guests from ASEAN countries like durian, which was a very considerate arrangement. In the end, we compromised and made Durian Snow Maiden, which has almost no smell, and placed it in a separate dining area with obvious warning signs posted next to it. The response was particularly good, and many guests came to pick up several. Twenty years ago, this kind of special-smelling ingredient would have been unthinkable at a state banquet, but now the rules are indeed becoming more and more flexible.

If it were an informal foreign affairs working meal, the taboos would be much looser. I was having a working meal with my boss and a science and technology delegation from a certain country. The other party offered to try the authentic Beijing roast duck. I even ate three duck rolls rolled with shredded green onions and cucumbers. Before I left, I packed two boxes of duck racks. There was nothing so rigid about it.

After working as a receptionist for so many years, my biggest feeling is that the "forbidden" of state banquets is essentially "respect". You said those dishes that cannot be served and arrangements that cannot be made, how can there be any profound truth? I was just afraid of neglecting the guests and causing unnecessary misunderstandings, so I broke down the four words "hospitality to guests with courtesy" into every detail. If there is any taboo that should never be touched, it is not taking the needs of the guests into consideration and following rigid rules. This is the biggest taboo in preparing for a state banquet.