Recipe for success

Foreign food and wine devotees, who miss their episodes of MasterChef or Jamie Oliver's cooking inspiration, no longer need to fret about living in China. If you turn on your Chinese TV these days you might find a shirtless Canadian chef combining rock climbing and cooking with jungle utensils, or a Polish girl who tastes every Chinese delicacy and oddity as she wonders from Hangzhou to Beijing. Even in a taxi, you can get your one minute daily tip on wine appreciation from a Californian lady paragliding in Argentina. They're the latest to join a squad of foreign writers and critics, who became local celebrities amongst a Chinese audience that has never before been so curious and driven about food, wine and travel.

"I'm like that woman in the book Eat, Pray, Love. I wish I could just leave everything behind to travel and eat, which are my biggest pleasures in life," said 29-year-old Liu Lei. The Chinese teacher likes to stir and fry her vegetables in front of the TV. "I like Kitchen Quest. I saw an episode on the Travel Channel and then saw the rest on Youku [Chinese video hosting service]. The host is fun and he cooks in many different places around the world. I like it when he uses the oven or dances with people," said Liu about the Canadian host Jun Trinh. "Of course I know her. She is the blonde lady in the taxi that got me thinking about pairing Chinese meals with wine," Liu added, referring to Debra Meiburg, the wine connoisseur that you see in taxis. "I enjoy watching the foreign hosts because they either cook Western dishes or provide a different perspective on Chinese cuisine," Liu said.

Gastronomic stars

A combination of curiosity about Western lifestyles, as well as more expandable income, has meant that Chinese audiences have opened doors to foreigners to star in Chinese media. "The emerging middle class of China now has an interest in products and foods being imported into the country," noted restaurateur and TV host Jun Trinh, 29, who has had his plate full of culinary adventures since he landed in Beijing in 2007. "The Chinese take pride in their national food culture, but are also curious and driven by brand identity and trends," he noted.