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Expats celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with mooncake making event in Guangzhou

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, how are you celebrating this traditional festival? A group of expats celebrated the festival by making mooncakes together, tasting Cantonese dim sum and learning about the Cantonese chef training program in Guangzhou on September 17.

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Click on the video to find out how the expats made their mooncakes.

Kurtulus AYKAN, Consul General of Turkey in Guangzhou, and his spouse Tulu ICOZU AYKAN believe that pastry is one of the similarities of the cultures between China and Turkey, and it was very nice to make mooncakes like a big family at the kitchen.

Kurtulus AYKAN (R), Consul General of Turkey in Guangzhou, and his spouse Tulu ICOZU AYKAN make mooncakes at the event.

Gordon Dingwall, a retired pharmacist from South Africa, and his wife Meryl received a handwritten mooncake recipe in English from the chef with help from the interpreter during the event. She said she is going to try very hard and will send a picture of what she makes in the future.

Meryl Dingwall (L2), Melnikova Karina (L1), AKIF ZEB (R2) and KARTHICK RAMALINGAM (R1) showcase their mooncakes at the event.

Melnikova Karina from Russia was amazed by mooncake making, especially the part that she needed to flip the mold and get the mooncake out, which was difficult for her. Karina pointed out that they also bake some special cakes to celebrate Easter in her country.

Expats show their hand-made mooncakes at the event.

Chef training program boosts Cantonese cuisine

Cantonese cuisine chef Liu Zhiying, who guided the expats to make mooncakes during the event, has been engaged in the industry for 28 years. Liu, who specializes in Chinese style pastry, joined the Cantonese chef training program out of his love for Cantonese cuisine. He believes the program not only carries forward the spirit of Cantonese cuisine, but also promotes the catering industry, boosts employment and fights poverty.

Cantonese cuisine chef Liu Zhiying (M) poses for a photo with Kurtulus AYKAN, Consul General of Turkey in Guangzhou, and his spouse Tulu ICOZU AYKAN at the event.

Roger Wen, from Guangdong's Yunfu, is a food carving teacher at the Cantonese Cuisine Academy where the Cantonese chef training program is based. He is one of the numerous immediate beneficiaries of the program, and that's also why he chose to come back to the Academy to teach. Wen enjoys cooking very much, especially cooking for his family at home.

Roger Wen displays food carving at the event.

Guangdong launched the Cantonese chef training program in 2018 to boost Cantonese cuisine. Colleges and cooking schools are expanding cooperation with local companies and restaurants to achieve the goal. In addition to stabilizing the job market, chefs of Cantonese cuisine are expected to play a role in promoting Cantonese dishes and the culture of South China around the world.

Related news: Expats gain hands-on experience of making Cantonese mooncakes in Guangzhou

Author: Monica

Reporter: Chen Weifeng, Abby, Ariel

Video: Alice, Chen Weifeng

Editor: Wing, Olivia

With help from Holly

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