Chinese delicacies create a symphony for the ears

From prawns sizzling in hot oil to the crispy skin of Peking duck and the rich flavors of "Buddha-Jumpsover-the Wall" soup, a new melody celebrating 10 Chinese delicacies by the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra premiered recently.

Chinese Kitchen is a 10-movement composition by Hong Kong musician Elliot Leung Ho Yat. It is the second work of the composer commissioned by the Shanghai orchestra to celebrate the company's 145th birthday.

"I want to create a small-big-piece, which consists of many short movements," Leung tells the media before the premiere at Shanghai Symphony Hall on Nov 23. "I want to create something similar to a tasting experience because people today enjoy music differently from the previous generations. They may not have the patience for a music piece lasting as long as 90 minutes."

The first movement features a sip of the Da Hong Pao (the red robe) tea. From there, each movement depicts a Chinese dish — from the appetizer of jellyfish salad to sweet-and-sour mandarin fish, Sichuan water-cooked beef and glutinous rice in a bamboo tube, till the final movement featuring deep-fried sesame balls for dessert.

When Leung visited the kitchen of the historical Jinjiang Hotel in downtown Shanghai last year, chef Guo Yuwen looked at him in disbelief and confusion. "I cannot imagine how to talk about food through music," Guo says.

But when he heard the sound of frying prawns, "it sounded exactly like oil sizzling in the wok and took me right back to the kitchen", he says in amazement.

"I kept the whole orchestra quite busy in this movement, especially the percussion section," Leung says.