Cross-cultural cooking cup breaks boundaries

The language of gastronomy has the ability to create a bridge between cultures, providing insights about the lives and loves of people in different parts of the world via the taste buds.

The world's second-largest hospitality group, Jin Jiang Group, recently held a cooking contest with a twist between its staff in Shanghai, China and those working at its subsidiary Louvre Hotels Group in Paris, France. The twist means that the staff in China had to prepare French dishes and those in France had to prepare Chinese dishes.

The contest, which had 157 participants, saw Jin Jiang staff preparing such French classics as coq au vin and beouf bourguignon, and Louvre Hotels' staff preparing Chinese classics such as red braised pork and kungpao chicken.

The final of the competition, first held in-house at Jin Jiang Group in China last year, saw the top three French chefs compete against one another at the Rungis International Market near Paris on Sept 16.

The event was livestreamed in France and China at the same time, so that people could see the contestants cooking against the clock on both sides of the globe.

The contest was aimed at promoting cross-cultural communication and exchanges between Jin Jiang Group employees across the world.

Louvre Hotels Group was acquired by Jin Jiang in 2015.

"We are thrilled to witness two great gastronomic cultures that are working hand in hand to foster creativity and improve guests' dining experiences," said Vivian Zhou, vice-president of Jin Jiang Group.

She said the dual-city competition presented an unparalleled opportunity for both sides to learn from each other and gain a better understanding of global standards and perspectives.

"We are extremely proud to launch this food and beverage contest for the first time in France after a superb first edition in China in 2020," said Pierre-Frederic Roulot, CEO of Louvre Hotels Group and Jin Jiang Europe.

"These events are an opportunity to showcase all of our talents and their knowhow, as well as to develop our relations with China by offering employee exchanges between our two countries that boast great gastronomy."

According to Zhou, the activity carried greater symbolism than just being a 30-minute livestreaming showcase.

"Through such efforts, we are boosting the morale for our colleagues in Europe, especially amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," Zhou said.

"We hope to see our European counterparts better integrated into the corporate culture of Jin Jiang Group," she added. "Through these events, they are able to understand the gastronomy, the profound history and culture of China because of the Chinese shareholder. It's something we would be proud of."

Jin Jiang's acquisition of Louvre Hotels Group in 2015 was part of the Chinese hotelier's expanding global footprint. According to Zhou, the cooking competition is one of several pillars for Jin Jiang to create synergies among its various subsidiaries and better consolidate all businesses under one roof.

As such, the hospitality giant regularly hosts talent exchanges between China and France so that personnel from each side can be equipped with the necessary know-how of local culture and how to navigate the nuances of eastern and Western cultures.

Another key endeavor included the establishment of a Global Innovation Center, where Jin Jiang has pioneered some industry-leading practices.

For instance, it unveiled a Pure Guestroom initiative following the pandemic, promising to bring guests "pure air, body and furnishings" through services and facilities, which, according to Zhou, can be duplicated in other peer hotels.