Produce market has surprise guest

German Chancellor Angela Merkel learns how to make kung pao chicken, a famous Sichuan dish, at a restaurant in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Sunday. Merkel started her China visit in Chengdu on Sunday. WANG XIWEI/CHINA DAILY

"I've shaken hands with the German chancellor," said a cheerful Wang Mingguang, recalling her visit to his market stall in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

During her whirlwind one-day visit to Chengdu on Sunday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited an agricultural produce market and got a taste of a well-known Sichuan dish.

On a brief stop at the Shen-xianshu Agricultural Produce Market, Merkel bought a small bag of bean paste made in Pixian, a suburban county of Chengdu, and some pepper powder and anise. Bean paste made in Pixian is a condiment essential to Sichuan cuisine.

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No sooner had Merkel approached Wang's stall than she shook hands with him and asked him which was the best condiment.

"I recommended Pixian bean paste, and she took out 5 yuan (80 US cents) from her pocket to pay for one small bag," Wang said.

At another stall, Merkel paid another 5 yuan for two spoons of pepper powder and 50 grams of anise. Luo Xianli, the shopkeeper, said Merkel scooped the pepper powder herself.

Before leaving the market, Merkel went to Huang Jinrong's stall, which sells yams, potatoes and sweet potatoes.

"She asked me whether I had planted them or bought them to resell them for a profit," Huang said.

Soon after visiting the market, Merkel went to Chengdu Impression, a restaurant specializing in Sichuan cuisine.

Restaurant owner Du Bing said Merkel stayed for more than 30 minutes and watched how chef Zhang Wei prepared kung pao chicken, a spicy, diced chicken dish with peanuts.

"Curious about the peanuts to be used in the dish, Merkel ate one peanut first. We thought she would just have a mouthful of the dish, but she finished about two-thirds of it. She asked us to bring more chopsticks so that other members of her entourage could also taste it," Du said.

As the dish was being prepared, Merkel insisted on visiting the kitchen. She was very happy when Zhang, who has worked in the restaurant industry for 14 years, told her he likes soccer and wishes the German team good luck in the World Cup.