Take a sneak peek at the tantalizing cuisines being served up for athletes at Beijing 2022

Photo shows a bowl of West Lake Beef Soup. (Photo/People’s Daily Overseas Edition)

Photo shows Braised Pork Balls in Gravy Sauce. (Photo/People’s Daily Overseas Edition)

The organizers of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games have recently unveiled a menu with 678 dishes to be served during the Games to athletes from different cultural backgrounds. Of the dishes, about 30 percent are Chinese food, including famous dishes such as West Lake Beef Soup, Kung Pao Chicken, Braised Pork Balls in Brown Sauce, and shrimp dumplings, among other choice cuisines.

Twelve food outlets will be established to satisfy the dietary habits of athletes from different countries, including an outlet featuring food from around the world, an outlet for Asian food, an outlet for Muslim food, an outlet with Italian pizzas and spaghetti, an outlet with baked bread items and desserts, and an outlet with fresh fruits. Some 200 different dishes will be provided every day, with the menu being changed every eight days in in order to offer a rich variety of food options.

Photo shows shrimp dumplings. (Photo/People’s Daily Overseas Edition)

Photo shows a roasted duck. (Photo/People’s Daily Overseas Edition)

Photo shows a pizza. (Photo/People’s Daily Overseas Edition)

The 2022 Winter Olympics coincides with China’s Spring Festival, and food from different regions of China will enable global athletes to fully experience the breadth of Chinese cuisine. Roasted duck, the favorite dish of athletes during the 2008 Olympics, will be served again this time around, together with other Beijing snacks.

In addition to meeting the different dietary needs of athletes and taking the diversity of religious affiliations into consideration, the menu will also strive to meet the athletes’ calorie and nutritional needs before, during and after competitions.

The menu, approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), was jointly prepared by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (BOCOG), contractors providing catering services at the Winter Olympic Village for Beijing 2022, and nutritionists. The ingredients, cooking procedures, dining specifications and other details were finalized by experts in different fields, such as sports experts, nutritionists and food experts, after engaging in discussions.

More than 400 kinds of ingredients will be used to cook the dishes and there will be a strict ban on foods associated with stimulants, such as peppers, so as to avoid false positives during doping tests.

Meanwhile, measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will also be taken in dining areas. A display screen will be set up at the entrance of the canteen to show how many people are at the dining hall. In addition, masks, gloves and sanitizer will be provided in dining areas.

Guide robots and disinfection devices will also be used to facilitate COVID-19 prevention and control measures. During the Paralympics, the dining areas will deliver barrier-free services and facilities, including movable seats, and braille menus with big fonts. In addition, biodegradable tableware will be used in the dining areas in a bid to hold a green Olympic Games.