The Uruguayan Chivito arrived in China during the celebration of 30 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Uruguay's Week in China, which runs until Monday 27 August in the cities of Beijing, Chongqing and Guangzhou, brought one of the most typical dishes of local cuisine to the people of that country: "The Chivito".

To celebrate the friendship between the two nations, chef Sebastián Barcos - executive chef and general manager of the restaurant Sacramento Open Bar in Uruguay - presented at the several events organized by the investment, export and country image promotion agency, Uruguay XXI, a variety of dishes that aimed to fuse some Chinese culinary customs with the premium products that Uruguay provides to the world.

In synergy with the Chinese chefs who accompanied him in Beijing, Barcos created a menu with flavors and ways of eating from the local Chinese market, with touches and presentations typical of Uruguay.

"We made chivitos, which were a success and the guests liked them very much. We added a little of the flavors of our meat and preparations in the usual way of Chinese cuisine, for example a salad with rice noodles, a braised meat with a fairly spicy sauce on a base of aromatic rice, meat preparations with softer and more traditional flavours with aromatic herbs, olive oil and garlic" explained the chef, who added that "the sealing and aroma of grilled meat greatly aroused the appetite and generated a very interesting response".

In addition, salads were prepared taking advantage of the availability of cheeses that arrived especially from Uruguay. "We came with the idea that they don't consume a lot of dairy products, but we were surprised to find that they liked it. We put the dulce de leche in the dessert in two preparations: the "alfajorcitos de maicena" and the creme brulee, which were also very well received.

The chef said that the reaction of the public was excellent, both from the guests to the seminar and from the staff who participated in the locations where the cocktail and the exhibition were presented. "They were surprised by the quality of the products we brought to China, but above all they discovered preparations and ways of eating that they liked very much," he said.

In Chongquing and Guangzhou, the next stops where the Uruguayan cuisine will cross with the local consumers, there will be menus with meat as protagonists, which will incorporate the strong spices that are used there with the aim of reaching the local consumer. "That is our interest, to show how good the products we bring are and that they can be incorporated into their daily consumption," explained Barcos.

With China as its main trading partner, Uruguay currently provides food to almost 30 million people and has the potential to reach 50 million. The main key is the unique model of production with animals that graze  in open sky with 100% traceability of the rodeo and the cut, guaranteeing confidence, safety and exceptional quality.

The gastronomic activities, which include the cocktails "Sabores del Uruguay" and masterclass by chef Sebastián Barcos and sommelier Javier Muyala, are part of a series of country promotion events that Uruguay XXI, together with the Uruguayan Embassy in that destination, held in China for high-level entrepreneurs, potential investors, government authorities, personalities and Chinese press, with the aim of promoting their export products and also the reasons why Uruguay is the leading regional business hub, a leader in clean energy and a reliable partner in infrastructure, technology and agribusiness.

The celebration in China was also accompanied by the launch of the Uruguay XXI websites www.investinuruguay.uy/cn/ and www.buyfromuruguay.uy/cn that seek to strengthen the trade link between the two nations.