Cuisine enjoyed by Confucius could earn place on UN list
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The food enjoyed by ancient philosopher Confucius could be listed as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, a conference in the east China city of Qufu heard yesterday.
A committee established at the 5th Asian Food Study Conference in the ancient thinker’s hometown is aiming to apply to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in three years’ time for the Confucius family cuisine to be recognized.
Liu Deguang, committee director, said the process could take at least three years, and there were plans to hire people to collect material relevant to the listing application.
The cuisine developed as a result of visits by China’s emperors, high-ranking officials and other distinguished guests to the philosopher’s home. The many banquets, ceremonies and royal commemorations there gave the family the opportunity to develop its own cooking style for formal occasions.
“Cooking Confucius family cuisine is complex, labor-intensive and demands great attention to detail,” said chef Wang Lingtao.
The most complex banquet consisted of 196 dishes served on special silvered porcelain plates, and dining etiquette and manners have been passed down by Confucius’ descendants for more than 2,000 years, Wang said.
In ancient times, chefs at the Confucius household passed on their recipes only to descendants or apprentices but now it is hoped the recipes can be made public so they can be preserved.
Confucius (551-479 BC) was one of China’s most influential sages and some of his ideas about food and diet played a significant role in the development of Chinese cuisine.
Confucius family cuisine was included as part of China’s national intangible cultural heritage in 2011.
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