Celebrity chef Dong Zhenxiang showing truffles he used during his culinary journey in Italy. [Photo provided to China Daily]

So besides Inner Mongolia's tomatoes, there are dozens of tables cluttered with modern goods.

Organic chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon from Xinjiang wineries.

Sweet and savory snacks from all over China.

Herbal teas full of traditional ingredients.

Lotus seed juice from Fujian province.

Ham.

Sausage.

Soy in every form imaginable.

The daylong event has been organized by the East Eat group, concluding with an awards dinner for the Best Young Chinese Chefs of the Year, an annual event since 2000.

The keynote speaker for the morning is celebrity chef Dong Zhenxiang, instantly recognizable as Da Dong both because of his famed restaurants and because he stands 193 centimeters tall. Long a student of China's food culture, Dong journeyed to Italy last year to complete a culinary journey he titled "From Dunhuang to Sicily". From that he produced a documentary video of his pursuit of Silk Road foodstuffs－and a special menu featuring ingredients he matched from both ends of the Silk Road.

Last week's event included awards for dozens of Chinese chefs, a judging panel for the foods competition, and cooking presentations by chefs from many embassies in China－a "gastro-diplomacy" effort that will be continued in May.