President Trump and first lady Melania Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at a state dinner in the White House East Room on Thursday evening, with a menu designed to combine American ingredients with a “subtle Chinese influence”.
Guests began with a toast of Schramsberg, the California sparkling wine President Richard M. Nixon drank during his 1972 visit to Beijing, an event that heralded a thaw in US-China relations.
A menu blending American and Chinese influences
The three-course dinner opened with yellow squash velouté, wild mushroom fricassee, crispy pancetta and scallion oil. The main course was sesame-crusted sea bass with braised baby bok choy, roasted garden eggplant and sauce verte.
Dessert consisted of vanilla crémeux, White House honey ice cream, walnut frangipane and sour cherry confit.
The White House said the dishes had been selected to bring “the culinary traditions of both nations together”.
East Room tables were due to be dressed with red linens, while the urns were to be filled with red flowers. The administration said the colour was chosen for its significance in China and described the décor as “an expression of warmth and celebration”.
Music at the White House state dinner
The evening’s entertainment was headlined by opera singer Christopher Macchio, who performed earlier this month at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas. Musicians from the US Army and Marine Corps also took part.
