"A Taste of China" — Discover Stories of Chinese Cuisine, History, and Culture

"A Taste of China" Brings Together 50 Stories and Over 800 Images Which are Expertly Curated Spanning Across Various Themes Including History, Culture and Iconic Dishes, Offering a Peek Into China's Vast Culinary Heritage

"A Taste of China" brings together 50 stories and over 800 images which are expertly curated spanning across various themes including history, culture and iconic dishes, offering a peek into China's vast culinary heritage. With food so tightly woven into its culture, the global audience can learn about China's traditions and history through its extensive gastronomy — from chopstick etiquette history to regional variations. For example, we highlighted how Chinese cultures intertwined agricultural preferences with patterns in the stars, guiding food consumption based on the 24 Solar Terms. The exhibit also delves into the intriguing world of food therapy, where specific ingredients are believed to have healing properties. In addition, the online stories present the quintessential utensil in a fun way, allowing the audience across the globe to learn about a well-established etiquette system that's been refined over thousands of years in China. And of course, what's a Chinese feast without tea? From its humble beginnings as a medicinal remedy and subsequently an offering divine, the theme page explores the profound meanings behind the art of tea in Chin's unique tea culture. With this Chinese gastronomy project, Google Arts & Culture continues to collaborate with cultural institutions in China to make Chinese culture even more accessible to people all around the world.

Google Arts & Culture Deployed Its Technologies and Tools to Support the Creation of This Unique Platform. As a Result, The Page Tells the Stories of Chinese Gastronomy in an Innovative Way

Chinese cuisine has a long history and a rich cultural heritage that people marvel at. Chinese gastronomy is also famous for its rich variety of cuisines, cooking styles and unique combination of food and medicine. WFCCI believes that cooking and meals are not only an important part of people's daily life, but also reflect the inheritance of a country's wisdom and culture.

Therefore, its partnership with Google Arts & Culture was set up to bring their rich content online, using Google technologies to tell the intricate stories of Chinese gastronomy and culture to a wider audience around the world. WFCCI is a government supported international organization headquartered in Beijing. Its mission is to make Chinese catering culture known around the world and promote the prosperity of Chinese catering. WFCCI consists of Chinese food service providers, caterers, education and training institutions and management and consultation centers. Throughout the collaboration, experts, chefs and curators all contributed to the content development, curation and design of the theme page. Google Arts & Culture also deployed its technologies and tools to support the creation of this unique platform. As a result, the page tells the stories of Chinese gastronomy in an innovative way. For example, users can learn about Chinese cooking techniques and recipes from famous chefs, and also participate in a quiz after reading stories.

"A Taste of China" Project Page Takes the Global Audience on a Unique Journey to Explore China's Traditions and History Through Its Extensive Gastronomy

WFCCI and Google Arts & Culture launched the Chinese Gastronomy project in Haikou at the 4th World Shiology Forum, a high-level international forum based on the concept of "Eat + Food" and aligned with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Both sides announced the launch of "A Taste of China" project and introduced how the platform helps preserve and promote Chinese culture to the world (Google Arts & Culture collaborates with over 3,000 cultural institutions from 80 countries and regions, allowing people around the world to explore arts and culture from anywhere, anytime.)

The project also received strong media attention: Over 20 key media in China covered the story. The Secretary General of WFCCI was also invited to interview with China Business Herald online to talk about the collaboration and how WFCCI is dedicated to promoting Chinese food and culture abroad.

According to the Secretary General Ms. Zhao, " This collaboration is a successful example of complementing each other's strengths and joining forces, creating a better platform for intuitive presentation. It broadens channels for telling the story of Chinese cuisine to the outside world, allowing more countries and people to understand the scientific, artistic, and cultural aspects of Chinese food."