NINGBO, China, May 18 (Xinhua) -- At a food stand near the Old Bund of Ningbo, Chef Beretvas Andras was adeptly preparing Hungarian beef goulash -- a hearty, full-flavored beef stew served over buttered noodles and garnished with sour cream.
Building layers of rich, complex flavor into every bite with meltingly tender beef and nutritious veggies, this aromatic, quintessential cuisine is a Hungarian national dish, which is believed to have come straight out of the ninth century. Not far away, Romanian chef by the name of Dou is treating visitors to traditional beef-pork sausages with pepper and garlic.
"We hope everybody can try out the different types of food, and feel the varieties of cuisines and cultures behind. There is always so much to share and appreciate," he said.
A feast for foodies, this ongoing food event, as part of the ongoing third China-CEEC Expo and International Consumer Goods Fair running from Tuesday to Saturday, features a tasty, culinary cultural exchange between cuisines and delicacies from Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and eastern China's gourmet province of Zhejiang.
"The taste of the goulash reminds me of the braised beef brisket in tomato sauce, which we eat here in China on a regular basis. But there is a taste of both sweetness and spiciness, which adds a unique, exotic Hungarian identity to it," said a local resident surnamed Xue, who came with his eight-year-old son.
This intriguing "date" between Oriental and central and eastern European tastes is just a miniature of thriving bilateral agricultural cooperation between China and CEE countries, which, over the past years, has enriched, and will continue to enrich life for both peoples with variety and quantity.
"We are here in Ningbo for the first time. We've already been to Hainan (for Hainan Expo 2023), and we are planning to go to Shanghai. The customer base here in China is huge. I see people are hungry to get the information about high-end, nutritious food, so I see market potentials here," said Petr Kovanik, owner of a Prague-based chocolate company, which produces crafty, hand-made bean-to-bar chocolate, who is an exhibitor at a newly-built venue of the expo.
"Our sales here in China grew steadily and export channels were expanded despite the pandemic. We see great market potentials here and are expecting a larger consumer base, probably in the central part of China," said Peter Lisicky, a Slovakian wine exporter, who eagerly shared with Xinhua how wines with authentic flavors and fine traditions are now appealing to a growing number of Chinese consumers.
"We are bringing to this expo Greek specialties like donkey milk and also olive oil, which is for skincare. We haven't exported to China these products before, so we are here looking for Chinese agents. We hope that China can be our first stop in the Asian market, and we believe in more collaboration with China in this sector," said Alexaki Ypatia, business development manager of the Greek Anastassiadis Group.
Describing to Xinhua reporter Polish agri-food exhibitors specializing respectively in producing chicken, beef, fruits and vegetables, as well as dairy products such as quality milk, Marta Piechocinska, director of the Polish-Asian Chamber of Commerce, said they are looking for expanding cooperation with China not only in food and agriculture, but also in information and telecommunications technology, education, logistics, and health, among other areas.
"Poland boasts a lot of products such as milk, and sweets, alcohol and beer. Currently, our dairy products are sold very well in the Chinese market, because I see Chinese customers appreciate our high standard and high quality of milk and of dairy products," said Monika Kolpaczynska, business development manager at Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
Customs statistics show that the two-way trade of agricultural and food products has grown significantly in recent years. China's trade with CEE countries has been growing at an average annual rate of 8.1 percent since 2012, and the growth rate in the trade of agricultural and food products is even more remarkable. From January to April, two-way trade of these products totaled 720 million U.S. dollars, up 34 percent year on year.
To boost business cooperation, the expo on Tuesday held the first signing ceremony for business deals, where 10 import deals and five cooperation programs, with a total value of 2.18 billion RMB (311.52 million dollars), were inked. The deals cover a wide range of agri-products such as meat and dairy as well as other consumer products such as sports utilities and health products.
"The Chinese market is developing very fast in the way that the customers are increasingly looking for healthy products, more eco and organic products. We are eager to engage more in the Chinese market because we believe in the great market potential here," said Kolpaczynska.
A single purchase
