Chinese food composes 1/3 Olympic fare
According to Prof. Cai Tongyi, the International Olympic Committee has approved for the first time Chinese food into the Olympic catering menu for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. In fact Chinese food will compose 30 percent of the Olympic food. He also said that more than one thousand menus must be translated into English and integrated with pictures and cultural descriptions. By looking at a menu, foreigners can discern the meat, as well as any other ingredients the meal consists of, and any accessorial material or seasonings the dish is cooked with, and whether the flavor is sour, sweet or spicy. It is possible that a special venue for Chinese food will be built in the Olympic village for international customers.
Prof. Cai Tongyi also introduced the most obvious characteristics regarding the 2008 Beijing Olympic catering. He first outlined the diversity in quality. Then he spoke about the emphasis on flavor - with beauty outside and nutrition inside. Cai Tongyi said that in the past no standard existed in China, so when several chefs prepared the same dish, for example, sweet and sour pork, flavors often differed. In the past, "a little" or "a bit" totally depended on the chef. At present, measurement and standardization concepts have been applied and put into practice, creating significant culinary change. Indeed, Olympic catering is speeding up the standardization of Chinese food.
Green sterilization technology ensures Olympic food safety
Catering services have always been considered an important determinant of the quality and the international influence of any Olympic Games. The general public expects new technology to be adopted. According to Prof. Cai Tongyi, previous antiseptic techniques using primarily chemical synthesis are very difficult to break down. Sometimes residues remain in the environment after being buried underground for years. During the Beijing Games, an environmentally green disinfectant called Acidic Electrolyzed Oxidizing Water will be used. Owing to its inherent instability it reduces to water after sterilizing raw materials. Recent reports indicate that many restaurants and catering divisions contracted by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) have started using this kind of technique.