French cuisine wins fans in Shanghai

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http://v.cctv.com/html/ChinaToday/2008/10/ChinaToday_300_20081023_6.shtml

Source: CCTV.com | 10-23-2008 10:01

Shanghai, once known as the Paris of the East, is acquiring a French flavor. That's thanks in part to the French people who have been pouring into the city in recent years. And with them, they have brought in their proud culinary culture.

French people have been pouring into Shanghai in recent years.  And with them, they have brought in their proud culinary culture.

Good morning, Shanghai. And breakfast, French style.

This bakery sells bread and cake, with ingredients imported from France.

Business is expanding, as locals grow to appreciate French food.

Shanghai resident Casey Chen said, "When I first started eating it, I wasn't used to the taste. And then slowly I chose what I liked, and there are many types to choose from. Now I think French food is very good to eat."

The secret for keeping a delicious taste, according to the head of this bakery, is preserving the French culinary culture. Harold Levillair believes his store represents the French art of living.

Harold Levillair, CEO of Founder of Paul China, said, "We reproduce our products in China as our families did more than 117 years ago. We've used the same process, the same production process for the past 117 years, and I think the Chinese love that."

Imported ingredients and a French chef are certainly big selling points. But curiosity may be much more important than pure authenticity. If people don't want to try new things, there's no customer.

Philippe Richard, owner of Founder of La Creperie, said, "The Chinese don't know crepes the way we eat them. They are a kind of crepe which they call BING, especially in the north of the country. That's very different. There's a certain curiosity to find out the difference. The Chinese love to discover new things. "

But cheese and butter are usually too strong for the Chinese to digest. This doctor in Chinese medicine believes the French restaurants have adapted their food for the Chinese stomach, to encourage more people to eat it.

Hu Chengdong, dietician of Longtai TCM Hospital, said, "Traditionally it was only the people in northern China that could accept this kind of strong flavored food. Many French foods have been brought to China, and the original imports haven't had any special processing, but the food in the restaurants has been changed a bit and adapted to the local taste."

And adaptation can be mutual. Chef Li Xiaohua had his first taste of cheese seven years ago, and now he's a fan and makes his living making French dishes.

Li Xiaohua, Sous Chef of Sens, Bund, said, "The Chinese eating cheese is like the Westerners eating smelly tofu. Some get used to it quickly. Some need a really long time to adjust. Some will never like it. I'm one of those people who didn't like it at first, but after a while I started to wonder how is it made? And it turns out it's good for the body and nutritional. Then I started liking it."

With all these factors in place, French restaurants in this city have prospered.

Helene Hovasse, head of Agro Business Sector, said, "In 1988, for example, we couldn't find French restaurants in Shanghai. There was just the "Maison Rouge" - all the Shanghainese knew it as "THE" French restaurant of Shanghai. And now 20 year later we can't count the number of French restaurants because there are so many. "

This is a phenomenal change, one that's about business, and more broadly, about lifestyle. As China continues to open up to global trade and influences, it seems Chinese people are more open to new experiences and tastes.

Editor:Zhang Ning