On October 16th, Changsha, a city renowned for its delicious food, was still riding the wave of the National Day holiday tourism when it ushered in another grand event in the catering industry – the grand Ultimate Glory Ceremony of the 2nd Season of Jingba Star Chef Camp, co-hosted by the China Hotel Association and Jiahao Food.
Jingba Star Chef Camp: A Dream-Staging Platform for Star Chefs
Jingba Star Chef Camp is affectionately known as the "Oscars of the Culinary World" in the industry. Que Jiahua, Chief Executive Officer of Jiahao Food, stated: "It is not only a stage for chefs to compete in skills, but also a high-end culinary showcase. It empowers promising young chefs with dreams and abilities to showcase themselves, achieve self-fulfillment, and become shining star chefs!"
(Photo) Que Jiahua, CEO of Guangdong Jiahao Food Co., Ltd.
This year, the 2nd Season of Jingba Star Chef Camp successfully joined hands with the China Hotel Association as co-hosts. In his speech, Chen Xinhua, President of the China Hotel Association, clarified the original intention of the cooperation between the two outstanding institutions with 30 years of history each: Chefs are an important pillar for the high-quality development of the catering industry. Building a platform like Jingba Star Chef Camp will help talented young people create new food trends, thereby bringing Chinese flavors to the world and making the world fall in love with Chinese tastes.
The Jingba Star Chef Camp this year covered 10 competition zones, attracting nearly 3,000 contestants over half a year. After fierce competition, 10 city champions emerged and gathered in Changsha, the capital of gourmet food, for the Ultimate Glory Ceremony to showcase their true culinary talents.
One champion contestant said: "Creating professional flavors at a palace-level culinary event and showing my dazzling self under the spotlight. I am not only a skilled professional, but also a star in style!"
Masters' Professional Challenge: The Toughest Obstacle Course in Culinary History
In the era of consumption downgrade, competition in the stock market is extremely fierce. Against this business backdrop, the requirements for star chefs have become even higher! Yu Bin, a Michelin-starred master from Jiangnan, believes: "Star chefs' dishes must be eye-catching!" Wang Moquan, a legendary Hunan cuisine master and inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, emphasizes: "The fundamental focus for star chefs is taste!" Liu Boping, known as the "commander-in-chief" of Sichuan cuisine, responds: "Only dishes with commercial value can help enterprises generate profits!" Thus, the three judges designed the toughest championship qualifying rounds in history: the "Visual Appeal Round", "Taste Round", and "Commercial Value Round". The city champions of the 2nd Season of Jingba Star Chef Camp had to pass these three assessments to claim the ultimate title.
The 10 contestants collaborated closely with Jingba's event guidance team, refining their craft with meticulous attention to detail. On the day, they presented a series of eye-catching and profitable dishes to the on-site audience, elevating the event to a pinnacle of professionalism.
At the ceremony, the three master judges highly praised the contestants' performances.
Master Yu commented: "The carefully prepared dishes by Wang Xiaohui (Nanchang), Sima Jipei (Luoyang), and Xu Xiang (Hohhot) attract diners to experience the exquisite flavors through their stunning presentation, innovative experiences, and elegant serving rituals, delivering an exceptional dining experience! Their work is comparable to the professional standards of Michelin-starred restaurants!"
Master Wang expressed delight: "Although Lanzhou's Ba Mingwang, Zhengzhou's Zhao Zhigang, and Harbin's Wang Hongshuang adopted different creative approaches, they all shared one thing in common: innovating while inheriting traditions. By leveraging Jingba's soup bases, they infused flavor into bland ingredients, leaving diners 'salivating before tasting, exclaiming in admiration while eating, lingering on the aftertaste, and longing to return for more!'"
Master Liu Boping commented: "In the era of consumption downgrade, diners pursue greater value for money. This doesn't mean low prices, but rather high-quality products at reasonable prices. Xi'an's Liu Wenwu, Shenyang's Ma Fubing, and Urumqi's Kang Junfeng skillfully enhanced the perceived value of their dishes through various techniques-turning ordinary ingredients into high-end offerings and premium ingredients into affordable options. This is how to differentiate from competitors, retain customers, and create wealth for enterprises."
The event also invited guest mentors including Yang Kai (Executive Chef of Chengxiang Hunan Restaurant), Tang Yuan (Executive Chef of Chuiyan Sautéed Yellow Beef), and Hao Hongtao (Executive Chef of Henan Zhengxiwang Restaurant). All three expressed great gains from the experience. "This event gathers top culinary masters and catering management experts. It's a rare opportunity to consult masters up close, learn from their business insights, and gain wisdom from others' experiences," they noted. Covering visual appeal, taste, and commercial value, the event not only enhanced professional skills but also inspired business thinking and ignited the dream of becoming star chefs in their hearts.
In the end, all 10 contestants of Jingba Star Chef Camp successfully passed the challenges with their exquisite skills, witnessed by the three masters and on-site audience. They were awarded championship trophies and a total prize of 100,000 RMB, jointly presented by the China Hotel Association and the Jingba brand. Both the contestants and the audience benefited greatly. One audience member stated in an interview: "This event has broadened my horizons. It opened up new culinary ideas through diverse ingredients, techniques, and presentations, inspiring my new food creations!"
The successful holding of the "2nd Season of Jingba Star Chef Camp" in 2024 not only provided a dream "Oscars-style" culinary showcase for talented young chefs but also offered a professional platform for catering peers to surpass themselves. By listening to masters' teachings up close, understanding the culinary philosophy behind their comments, participants achieved the true "flavor in their hearts"!
EN
