Meals in the Grand Hotel
Meals in the Grand Hotel~ ~ Introduction
The State Banquet is a special banquet, held by the state head for the reception of VIP guests. Because the banquet is a reflection on the State, the standard and art of cooking, of course, surpass those of general feasts. To hold the state banquet, many areas require immediate attention: first, the list must be drawn up and the number of guests to invite decided; the next step is noting the differences between Chinese taste and foreign guests’ special eating habit, making communication and taste-testing the food well in advance important. |
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The formal state banquet used to be held only at Chieh Shou Hall within the presidential office or Zhongshan Building in Yangmingshan. In the old days of greater allies, the Grand Hotel had more opportunities to entertain VIP guests from various countries. Even now many banquet menus are still used in the hotel. Now the President mostly adopts “text field” (Cantonese cuisine, more meticulous) instead of previous “special effects” (Sichuan and Yangzhou dishes) for the state banquet.
For the past fifty years, the Grand Hotel had been chosen by Presidents Chiang Kai-shek, Yen Chia-kan, Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian, and so on as the venue for the state banquet. Each President had his own style. The impression held by the Hotel’s senior staff of President Chiang Kai-shek was that he was the most difficult to get close to. Not only was the equipment inspected, but also the kitchen staff were supervised by security guards, and only two special people could serve the food to the President. In contrast, the late President Yen was more easy-going and more random in the selection of dishes. And the late President Chiang Ching-kuo promoted the streamlined Plum Meal, shortened the time for the banquet, and selected less greasy and lighter dishes. Former President Lee had set himself apart by breaking the tradition of only having male personnel serve in the banquet.
In the state banquet for the Tenth-term Presidential Inauguration in 2000, the local delicacies served, such as bowl cake, milkfish soup, and so on, instantly became world famous. The state banquet for the 11th Presidential Inauguration in 2004 reflected a more diversified culture in Taiwan. The dishes prepared included: Ilan duck, Kaohsiung mullet eggs, Donggang cherry shrimps, Tainan smoked tea geese that express “North and South are of a family,” Tainan milkfish balls, octopus balls to symbolize “national reunification,” and Hakka rice cake dumplings to represent “Hakka cuisine.” In addition, the fresh live lobster from the eastern region of Taiwan, Gangshan lamb chops from Kaohsiung, and fresh fish from Penghu waters were indispensable cuisines in the state banquet, which would subsequently contain only dishes made with only local products and ingredients.
