Chinese food journalists, bloggers, newspaper publishers, foodies and other officials in Guangzhou, a city of around 18 million people, got their first authentic taste of Greece recently when acclaimed chef Stella Spanou traveled there to present a range of traditional goodies from the Aegean. In her first visit to the ancient country, Spanou also got to try some traditional Chinese dishes and observe the meticulous culinary techniques involved in preparing them.

The visit was part of an initiative called The Greek Gastronomy Festival organized by the Greek Consulate of Guangzhou and the Greek National Tourism Organization’s China branch. The Greek Chef’s Club was also part of the ongoing effort by the two countries to interact on a cultural and touristic level, in events that have proven highly successful in connecting the two countries. “I already knew a lot about Chinese cuisine; the various styles of cooking, how to prepare dishes and the ingredients used,” Spanou says, “but through this event my knowledge grew significantly, especially in relation to Cantonese cuisine, which is what people of that area mostly eat. Although generally simple to prepare, their cuisine is also based on inventive ways of cooking. I was also impressed by the great reverence the Chinese exhibit with regards to their culinary tradition, always with respect and a smile.”

Products like olive oil and wine were showcased to the Chinese audience, with Spanou creating a traditional spread filled with dishes large and small. “I prepared various salads, appetizers such as octopus, seafood, meat dishes, including souvlaki and roast lamb with potatoes, cabbage rolls, stuffed zucchini, fried shrimp and feta cheese, as well as vegetable dishes made with Greek olive oil,” Spanou says, “while to top it off, I served a traditional Baklava dessert together with other Greek sweets, and Greek coffee.” The event is due to be followed by more of its kind in other Chinese cities, in an ongoing effort to familiarize the two countries with each others traditions and ways of life and as part of a strategic effort to attract Chinese tourism to Greece. “We have received only positive feedback so we could say that the event was highly successful,” says Spanou.