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.