The 35th Chinese Chefs' Festival opened in the hall of the Suzhou International Exhibition Center on 22 October 2026. Under the theme "Inherit craftsmanship, guide taste with reason, unite forces for leadership, spread the aroma of Suzhou," the three-day event has gathered professional buyers and industry observers — more than 200 thousand people are expected.
Suzhou cuisine, known as "su-bang-cai," took shape in the Yangtze Delta: the mild climate, fertile soils and network of canals yield vegetables with a delicate texture and fish whose flavor retains a faint sweetness of river water. These ingredients are not replicated in other regions of China — here they acquire a distinctive mineral note from the silt and seasonal rains.
Suzhou Vice Mayor Ji Jing stressed that culinary culture is an important part of local heritage and a calling card in international communication. The city intends to preserve ancient techniques, pass on culinary craftsmanship and develop su-bang-cai through careful renewal, so that through taste people may understand the Jiangnan cultural thread.
Liang Shi'an, chairman of the Asian branch of the World Association of Chefs' Societies, called chefs "carriers of civilization" and taste an envoy of culture. According to him, Chinese cuisine is the foundation of Asian gastronomy, and su-bang-cai is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Chinese culinary tradition, which the association will promote on the world stage.
Yang Liu, president of the China Cuisine Association, noted that Chinese cuisine has become an important vehicle of cultural exchange. The association is boosting consumption and helping Chinese gastronomy go abroad, ensuring the sustainable development of the industry.
The festival is built on the formula of "10 conferences, 10 competitions, 1 exhibition." It combines industry meetings, contests of skill, dish demonstrations and business networking. The program preserves traditional culinary craftsmanship but adds digital technologies, industry cooperation and an emphasis on Jiangnan characteristics, creating a platform of professional, standardized and international level.
In the pavilions one can see how chefs work with local products: fish from Suzhou's canals, vegetables from the delta's fields, sauces whose flavor depends on the specific water and time of year. These details make the dishes not merely tasty but inseparably linked to the place and the people who grow and prepare them.
