State dinner after Trump-Xi meeting: Rumored that Huaiyang cuisine didn't suit Trump's taste
US President Trump visited China. The state dinner featured Huaiyang cuisine, which reportedly didn't suit his preference for Western food like burgers.
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- 📰 Published: May 16, 2026 at 17:57
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(Central News Agency, Washington, 15th, combined foreign wire report) US President Trump ended his visit to China. But the state dinner featuring light Huaiyang cuisine arranged by the Chinese side on the evening of the 14th reportedly didn't suit the taste of Trump, who prefers Western food such as hamburgers.
ABC News reported that the menu for the state dinner after the Trump-Xi meeting on the 14th included Peking duck and beef ribeye, as well as tiramisu, fruit, ice cream, etc. The People's Liberation Army military band also played Trump's favorite "YMCA" at the scene.
The menu for the state dinner that day circulating on the Internet was: cold dish, golden soup lobster, crispy beef, Peking duck, bean soup with fresh vegetables, salmon with mustard sauce, ice flower fried dumplings, conch pastry, tiramisu, fruit, ice cream, coffee, tea.
UK online media LADbible disclosed that for 79-year-old Trump, the most difficult part of this trip to China might be the state dinner, because the food served on the table didn't suit his taste. US media had previously disclosed that Trump prefers Western food like hamburgers, fries, and steak, and also prefers vegetables covered with Caesar salad dressing.
When Trump first visited China as president in 2017, the dishes served by the Chinese side included seafood soup, Kung Pao chicken, and tomato sauce stewed steak, the latter being an upgraded version of his beloved "steak with ketchup".
Former White House physician Ronny Jackson once revealed that his team would sneak broccoli into Trump's mashed potatoes.
The New York Times pointed out that when Trump visited Asia last October and had lunch with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo, he ate American beef with rice, which should be a response to the trade agreement reached between Japan and the US earlier, including increasing imports of American rice; at that time, Trump enjoyed steak with ketchup and salad with Thousand Island dressing in South Korea, and in Malaysia, he ate a sandwich made with American Angus beef.
When US President Obama went to Beijing for a state visit in 2009, he ate steak and grilled fish. When he visited China again in 2014, First Lady Michelle Obama boldly chose a spicy soup base at a hot pot restaurant in Chengdu, which was well-received on Chinese social media; in 2011, then-Vice President Biden ate Zhajiang noodles at a restaurant in Beijing, but did not order the restaurant's signature fried liver.
Reuters reported that China traditionally adopts Huaiyang cuisine for state banquets. Huaiyang cuisine, which originated from the area around Shanghai, is one of China's 4 major cuisines, known for its light and delicate taste, meticulous knife work, and emphasis on seasonal ingredients. It has long been a banquet dish for China in major diplomatic occasions. Representative dishes of Huaiyang cuisine include lion's head, Yangzhou fried rice, squirrel fish coated with sweet and sour sauce, etc.
The state dinner after the Trump-Xi meeting on the 14th added Peking duck and beef ribeye to the menu, obviously taking into account Trump's preference for well-done steak.
Shanghai food writer Christopher St. Cavish said: "Huaiyang cuisine is very suitable for banquets because it is lighter than Shandong's Lu cuisine, not as spicy as Sichuan cuisine, and does not rely on special ingredients like southern Cantonese cuisine, so it is easier for foreigners to accept. Simply put, it is safe. It's like serving chicken at a state dinner in Washington. No one will be offended, and no one will feel it's too strange to try."
ABC News reported that the menu for the state dinner after the Trump-Xi meeting on the 14th included Peking duck and beef ribeye, as well as tiramisu, fruit, ice cream, etc. The People's Liberation Army military band also played Trump's favorite "YMCA" at the scene.
The menu for the state dinner that day circulating on the Internet was: cold dish, golden soup lobster, crispy beef, Peking duck, bean soup with fresh vegetables, salmon with mustard sauce, ice flower fried dumplings, conch pastry, tiramisu, fruit, ice cream, coffee, tea.
UK online media LADbible disclosed that for 79-year-old Trump, the most difficult part of this trip to China might be the state dinner, because the food served on the table didn't suit his taste. US media had previously disclosed that Trump prefers Western food like hamburgers, fries, and steak, and also prefers vegetables covered with Caesar salad dressing.
When Trump first visited China as president in 2017, the dishes served by the Chinese side included seafood soup, Kung Pao chicken, and tomato sauce stewed steak, the latter being an upgraded version of his beloved "steak with ketchup".
Former White House physician Ronny Jackson once revealed that his team would sneak broccoli into Trump's mashed potatoes.
The New York Times pointed out that when Trump visited Asia last October and had lunch with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Tokyo, he ate American beef with rice, which should be a response to the trade agreement reached between Japan and the US earlier, including increasing imports of American rice; at that time, Trump enjoyed steak with ketchup and salad with Thousand Island dressing in South Korea, and in Malaysia, he ate a sandwich made with American Angus beef.
When US President Obama went to Beijing for a state visit in 2009, he ate steak and grilled fish. When he visited China again in 2014, First Lady Michelle Obama boldly chose a spicy soup base at a hot pot restaurant in Chengdu, which was well-received on Chinese social media; in 2011, then-Vice President Biden ate Zhajiang noodles at a restaurant in Beijing, but did not order the restaurant's signature fried liver.
Reuters reported that China traditionally adopts Huaiyang cuisine for state banquets. Huaiyang cuisine, which originated from the area around Shanghai, is one of China's 4 major cuisines, known for its light and delicate taste, meticulous knife work, and emphasis on seasonal ingredients. It has long been a banquet dish for China in major diplomatic occasions. Representative dishes of Huaiyang cuisine include lion's head, Yangzhou fried rice, squirrel fish coated with sweet and sour sauce, etc.
The state dinner after the Trump-Xi meeting on the 14th added Peking duck and beef ribeye to the menu, obviously taking into account Trump's preference for well-done steak.
Shanghai food writer Christopher St. Cavish said: "Huaiyang cuisine is very suitable for banquets because it is lighter than Shandong's Lu cuisine, not as spicy as Sichuan cuisine, and does not rely on special ingredients like southern Cantonese cuisine, so it is easier for foreigners to accept. Simply put, it is safe. It's like serving chicken at a state dinner in Washington. No one will be offended, and no one will feel it's too strange to try."