World-Famous Chef Ferran Adrià Kicks Off "Joy of Food China" Documentary Series

Beijing got its share of gourmet star power all in one place yesterday when food writer Shu Qiao and renowned chefs Ferran Adrià and Da Dong got together to launch "Joy of Food China," a documentary series and nonprofit organization dedicated to recording and celebrating traditional Chinese cooking.

Led by Shu, the "Joy of Food China" (Yueshi Zhongguo 悦食中国) team plans to visit cities around China over the next year to record local handmade cuisine practitioners and promote sustainable food development and "gourmet charity." I'm told Chengdu, Dali and Nanjing will all be on the itinerary.

The series is co-sponsored by Shu and Shenzhen property developer Fantasia Group, which has been funding these kinds of public art projects for six years. Last year's recipient, Beijing-based theater director Cao Kefei, showed up to pass the (pyramid-shaped crystal) baton.

Three-star Michelin chef Ferran Adrià, often heralded as the world's best, appeared and gave a short speech. Chef Dong Zhenxiang of Beijing's own Da Dong Roast Duck also lent his support to the project. After the event, I spied the two chefs chatting via translator. Any guess as to what kind of magical dish they were thinking up?

I wasn't able to sneak past Adrià's handlers (one of which I think was the Spanish ambassador?) to find out what else he had planned during his stay here, so if you happen to see him around town give him a hearty Beijinger welcome for me and find out if he's cooking anywhere so we can (non-violently!) storm the gates and devour his food. Adrià flew through town last August for a cooking demonstration and was spotted at Nali Patio touring its many Spanish-themed establishments.

Frankly, the event, which took place at Yunnanese favorite In and Out, and its corresponding press release were light on the details, so we'll have to wait until things get underway to get a better understanding of what the project and its "gourmet charity" will look like. For my part, I'm hoping they pry the secret to hand-pulled noodles out of this master:

Anyway … examples of sustainable food development and local traditional food were available right outside as the launch event simultaneously hosted a Country Fair organic farmer's market. All their goods were locally produced, though not all the participants featured traditional Chinese cooking. For instance, Le Fromager de Pekin's Liu Yang was in attendance with a glorious array of cheeses, and Laetitia was serving up a delightfully-spicy Mango-Ginger jam.

If you're interested in keeping up with the "Joy of Food China" project, their Sina Weibo account appears to be the best place to do so for now. We'll do our best to keep you updated here on any developments as well. Until then, I wish you joyful eating!

Photos: Josh Ong, Cultural-China