As the leaders of the United States and China met for a state dinner on Thursday, they dined on courses intended to inconspicuously mingle their countries’ cuisines.
According to the three-course menu released by the White House, the dishes were chosen to emphasize American ingredients with a “subtle Chinese influence.”
Chefs served President Trump, President Xi Jinping of China and other guests a main course of sesame-crusted sea bass and crisp baby bok choy. The yellow squash appetizer was drizzled with scallion oil. According to the White House, the dishes were selected to bring “the culinary traditions of both nations together.”
The plans called for East Room tables to be laid with red linens and its urns filled with red blossoms, which the administration said was a reference to the color’s significance in China. “The décor for the evening is an expression of warmth and celebration,” it said.
Diners were to begin their meal by toasting with a glass of Schramsberg. That is the California sparkling wine that President Richard M. Nixon drank in 1972 during his visit to Beijing, which heralded a historic thaw in U.S.-Chinese relations.
First Course
Yellow squash velouté
Wild mushroom fricassee
Crispy pancetta
Scallion oil
Second Course
Sesame-crusted sea bass
Braised baby bok choy
Roasted garden eggplant
Sauce verte
Dessert
Vanilla crémeux and White House honey ice cream
Walnut frangipane
Sour cherry confit
Entertainment
The opera singer Christopher Macchio, who performed this month at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, headlined the evening’s musical lineup.
Musicians from the U.S. Army and Marine Corps also performed.
Dining and Cooking