Cuba dedicates int'l culinary workshop to China

The International Culinary Workshop Cuba Sabe 2023 kicked off Thursday in Havana, with China designated as the guest of honor country.

Running through Saturday, the event held in the five-star Iberostar Grand Packard Hotel features seminars, lectures on Chinese tea ceremonies and a Chinese custom exhibition, among other activities.

Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Ma Hui said that this workshop would help promote the diversity of Chinese cuisine.

"The rich variety of Chinese food is clear proof of the vivid daily life of the Chinese people," he said while addressing the audience during the opening ceremony.

It came just days after the Chinese community on the island began Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations.

Sonia Virgen Perez, head of Cuba's National Council of Cultural Heritage, said that Chinese food recipes have been trendy in the Caribbean nation with the fast growth of Chinese restaurants over the past few years.

"The contribution of Chinese migrants to Cuban cuisine is fundamental," she said.

In 1847, some Chinese immigrants first stepped on Cuban soil, starting their integration into local society. After 175 years, the Chinese community has become an inseparable part of this Latin American country.

"The Chinese influence in Cuban cuisine is undisputable," said Yrmina Eng, a senior professor of cultural anthropology at the University of Havana. "More research should be done on the topic."