On Wednesday, October 30, SUNY Erie Community College’s
Culinary department in cooperation with the University at Buffalo Confucius Institute
welcomed Certified Master Chinese Chefs Ye Yuanlin and Yu Yongbin.
Chefs Ye and Yu held a morning program with 26 students
where they demonstrated traditional Chinese cuisine. Culinary students were
able to taste traditional food, practice knife skills, assist with food
preparation and ask questions about each dish.
In the afternoon both chefs participated in a lecture and
forum to discuss the differences in the cuisine from their individual provinces
and kitchen essentials in Chinese cuisine.
Chef Ye Yuanlin is a member of the Master Chef Special Committee
of the Chinese Cuisine Association with a specialization in Min Cuisine. Chef
Yu Yongbin is Chairman of the Qingdao Yongbin Ecological Management Company with
a specialization in Lu Cuisine. Both Chefs travel across the country to speak
with students about Chinese cuisine and culture.
The Confucius Institute was founded in 2004 as a public
educational organization under the Ministry of Education of China. The first Confucius
Institute in the United States were founded in 2005. Today they have grown to
over 100 locations across the country. Confucius Institutes offer programs to
students about language and culture including Chinese calligraphy, painting,
cooking, dance, and crafts.