Herb master

A prominent Beijing chef completes the first chapter of an encyclopedic labor of love: a professional's guide to the herbs of Yunnan province, Mike Peters and Jiang Wanjuan report.

First, the bad news: This story contains no gossip about what government celebrities eat. After a three-hour interview and a cooking studio tour with Xu Long, the Western chef at the Great Hall of the People, we still don't know any juicy tidbits about the international leaders he has served. What does President Xi like to eat? Is President Putin picky about his food? Does Chancellor Merkel really like spicy Sichuan dishes?

We're not going to find out any of that from Xu, whose primary responsibility is state banquets and other official functions at the hall. He just smiles and shakes his head at such questions.