The Asian Cuisine Festival, a key component of the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations, will begin its Guangzhou stop on May 16 and Nepal will bring its distinctive food culture to this special event.

Nepal will showcase its local food and invite authentic Nepalese restaurants in Guangzhou to prepare a variety of specialties for people to try, said Dipak Banjade, Acting Consul General of Nepal in Guangzhou.

Dipak Banjade, Acting Consul General of Nepal in Guangzhou. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

"Delicious food is not only a part of life, but also a part of culture. By participating in this activity, Guangzhou residents can not only learn the food culture of different countries, but also understand their lifestyles," according to Banjade, who also accentuated that food plays a very important role in cultural exchanges.

In 2017, Banjade first came to Guangzhou. He said that he loves the city's beautiful scenery, as well as delicious food including wonton noodles and cha siu bao (steamed bun stuffed with barbecued roast pork).

In Nepal, people will add a lot of spices while cooking, so the taste will be relatively spicy, which is very different from Cantonese cuisine. He recalled that the first time he tasted Guangzhou cuisine was in a Chinese restaurant in Kathmandu, Nepal, where his sister's wedding was held.

When speaking of food culture fusion, Banjade said that Chinese cuisine and Nepalese cuisine actually have many similarities.

"For example, there is a traditional food in Nepal called momo which is served from small shops along a street to five-star hotels. This dish can be in the shape of dumplings or buns, and it originates from China and has been improved locally," he said.

Wonton noodles is one of Banjade's favorite Guangzhou dishes. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

Food in different Asian countries has a certain degree of similarities, and also has specific local features due to cultural differences, added Banjade, who said that he is looking forward to joining in the forthcoming Asian Cuisine Festival in Guangzhou.

Guangzhou is a great place to host the international event as it is a commercial center where people from all over the world seek opportunities and do business. Two years ago, the reason why Nepal chose to open a consulate general in Guangzhou was in part due to the city's booming commerce industry. Banjade hopes to use the food festival as a platform to promote exchanges, tourism, and investment between Nepal and China.

Banjade recommends Guangzhou citizens to try thakali, a distinctive Nepali dish. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]