As extreme weather events become more frequent, have you ever thought that the choices on your plate could make a difference?
Food is more than just a pleasure for the senses—it links people to nature, culture, and sustainability.
On August 15, the 2025 Southern China Book Fair opened with Green Moments: A Cultural Journey Through Cuisine--Book Launch of Low-Carbon Living: Green Cuisine at Your Fingertips.
The event offered a feast of ideas, blending low-carbon living, culinary heritage, and cross-cultural exchange, leaving a refreshing mark on the fair.
Rooted Locally, Looking Globally
Author and documentary producer Lingling Li, who also hosts bilingual programs, shared her journey.
Born in Guangzhou and steeped in Lingnan culinary traditions, Lingling has traveled to over 30 countries exploring the deeper cultural meaning of food.
She remarked:
“In kitchens across the world—from Cantonese homes to consulate generals—I’ve discovered that food moves the heart as much as it pleases the palate.
It’s the quickest way to connect people, and a reflection of lifestyle and culture.”
Her book, Low-Carbon Living: Green Cuisine at Your Fingertips, combines local wisdom with a global perspective.
It highlights Lingnan practices such as eating with the seasons, making the most of every ingredient, and concepts of a low-carbon lifestyle, while introducing sustainable habits from Michelin chefs and diplomats worldwide.
Low-carbon dining isn't about bland food or skipping meat, Lingling explained.
It's about enjoying seasonal, local produce through simple cooking methods like baking.
It's a way to honor nature while giving back to the planet.
Food as a Bridge Across Cultures
Ms. Lei He, Deputy General Manager of Southern Media Group, noted, 'culinary traditions are a universal language.
This book can be a bridge for green collaboration around the world.'
Lingling received the Distinguished Award for Chinese-English Culinary Culture Publication from Guangdong Science and Technology Press.
Her book is the first bilingual culinary culture book published in Guangdong.
The publisher also presented copies to the attending diplomats, connecting the flavors of Lingnan with cultures of the world.
Sharing cross-cultural culinary moments, Lingling recalled learning the Greek petal peeling technique for onions from Martin Mandalidis, Consul General of Greece in Guangzhou, turning a simple salad into a flavorful yet gentle dish using only local ingredients.
She also highlights examples like French pain perdu, transforming stale bread into dessert, and Shakshuka, giving leftovers a second life—parallels to Guangdong fried rice.
These moments show that food is the best translator of culture, she said.
"Through this book, we hope to highlight how Chinese and foreign traditions meet at the dining table, and how low-carbon living can resonate globally."
The event featured diplomats reflecting on Guangzhou's culinary culture, from the dim sum ritual of one pot of tea with two delicacies to the patience of slow-simmered Cantonese soup.
Their lively exchange celebrated a shared love for sustainable dining and the joy of discovering flavors across cultures.
As Lingling concluded in the event:
"Joys of life don’t always come from grand gestures, sometimes, they begin with a simple choice on your plate.
We hope this book inspires green eating, introduces you to local and global food cultures, and promotes a life in harmony with nature."
0 User Comments