Over the past two years, plant-based food consumption has grown by 49% across the EU, reaching a total sales volume of €3.6 billion.
Beijing to host Halal food festival in September
2025-05-15
The third Beijing Halal Food Culture Festival will be held from September 10th to 16th. Yesterday, reporters learned from the Beijing Culinary Association that this year's festival coincides with Eid al-Fitr, a festival celebrated by ethnic minorities. "The association has already chosen Niujie Street as the venue for the opening ceremony," Jiang Junxian, president of the Beijing Culinary Association, told reporters. "The grand opening ceremony will feature a culinary showcase of halal delicacies. Famous halal restaurants and time-honored halal brands will showcase their specialties in Niujie Street, promoting halal cuisine and promoting halal culinary culture."
This year's Halal Food Festival is supported by the China Cuisine Association, the Beijing Municipal Ethnic Affairs Commission, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce, and the Xicheng District People's Government. It is hosted by the Beijing Cuisine Association, organized by the Halal Cuisine Committee of the Beijing Cuisine Association and Xiangda Investment Management Co., Ltd., and co-organized by the Beijing Catering Industry Association and the Beijing Western Restaurant Association. The event's theme is "Promoting Halal Cuisine Culture and Promoting Ethnic Unity and Harmony," with the slogan "Boosting Restaurant Consumption and Serving the People of Beijing." The festival will feature a series of activities, including Halal food showcases, the identification of Halal specialty dishes and pastries, exchanges of Chinese and international Halal culinary techniques, community-based Halal cooking instruction by renowned chefs, the compilation of Halal recipes for the general public, and promotions of preferential discounts and concessions by Halal catering businesses.
Jiang Junxian also specifically mentioned that in order to shape the brand of Beijing's halal cuisine and expand its influence, this year's "Beijing Halal Specialty Dishes Certification" will be held as a branch event of the Halal Food Festival. District and county ethnic affairs committees, halal catering (group) companies, and members of the organizing committee will nominate and recommend candidate halal dishes. Candidates must be distinctive halal dishes in the Beijing area. The scope of application includes 100 halal specialty restaurants in Beijing and companies with industrial and commercial business licenses, halal food production and operation licenses, and hygiene standards of Class B or above. After collective selection by the organizing committee, the city's first batch of "Beijing Halal Specialty Dishes" will be produced at the end of this Halal Food Festival. The organizing committee will award plaques to these winners and include the first batch of "Beijing Halal Specialty Dishes" in the "Beijing Halal Public Menu," which will be compiled and published.
During the food festival, a halal culinary exchange program featuring Chinese and international culinary experts will be held, inviting embassy wives from countries like Malaysia, Turkey, and Pakistan, as well as local culinary masters, to meet with Beijing halal culinary masters for face-to-face exchanges and demonstrations of their skills and unique techniques. A halal food tour and community visits by renowned chefs to teach halal cuisine are also key events of this Halal Food Culture Festival. Halal culinary masters will conduct on-site halal cooking demonstrations in ethnic minority communities in Niujie Subdistrict, explaining the origins, nutritional value, legends, and cooking methods of the dishes, inviting community residents to learn how to cook halal dishes.
Li Weiwei, deputy director of the Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce, expressed the hope that this Halal Food Festival will serve as a platform to more effectively serve the construction of world cities, explore the long and splendid history and culture of Beijing's halal catering, establish halal catering brands, enhance the comprehensive strength of enterprises, better activate Beijing's halal catering market, advocate healthy, low-carbon and green consumption concepts, and promote catering consumption.