The Taste of Hunan · 2026 International Xiang Cuisine Promotion Conference was held in Changsha from September 19 to 20. Themed "Healthy Hunan Cuisine Shared with the World," the conference focused on three major dimensions: international promotion of Hunan cuisine, industrial cooperation, and cultural exchange. It featured a series of activities, including the "Let Hunan Cuisine Light up the World" launch ceremony, the "World-class Chefs Gather in Hunan" Tasting and Exchange Event, and the Taste of Hunan · A Global Perspective on Xiang Cuisine and Sharing Session.
 
At the "World-class Chefs Gather in Hunan" Tasting and Exchange Event, nine renowned Hunan cuisine chefs from North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia took the stage. The chefs from home and abroad interacted on stage, savoring regional flavors and exchanging culinary skills, presenting a remarkable feast of Hunan cuisine.
 
At the Taste of Hunan · A Global Perspective on Xiang Cuisine and Sharing Session, nearly 200 industry representatives held discussions focusing on three key topics—what the world expects from Hunan cuisine; healthy Hunan cuisine in the Michelin context; and Hunan cuisine ingredients going global. Entrepreneurs promoting Hunan cuisine in the global market, heads of leading domestic Hunan cuisine businesses, and representatives of leading ingredient companies shared hands-on experience in quality upgrading, aligning with international culinary evaluation systems, exporting ingredients, and building overseas supply chains.
 
Three rounds of signing ceremony for "Hunan Cuisine Global Expansion" and the "Hunan Cuisine Global Expansion Joint Initiative" were held at the event. The Hunan Cuisine Ingredients Industry Alliance signed cooperation agreements with overseas partners from Canada, Singapore, and the Hunan Chamber of Commerce in Canada. Hunan Cuisine Overseas Promotion Center and Chanacom Group signed cooperation agreements with TOO "Space Tech" from Kazakhstan and a Cambodia partner. All these parties vowed to jointly promote Hunan cuisine ingredients to enter overseas markets such as Canada, Southeast Asia, and Kazakhstan through overseas business associations and channel distributors.

The "Hunan Cuisine Global Expansion Joint Initiative" was also signed at the event. The Hunan Cuisine News, the Hunan Cuisine Ingredients Industry Alliance, and Changsha Commerce and Tourism College partnered to build an international promotion center, cultivate talent, and promote cultural outreach.

"Hunan cuisine is going global with remarkable vitality with its fame spreading worldwide," said Shi Fenggang, deputy director of the Department of Commerce of Hunan Province. Currently, there are now nearly 2,000 Hunan cuisine restaurants overseas, spanning over 60 countries and regions. The department will continue to drive high-quality development in three key aspects — culinary skill exchange, production-marketing matchmaking, and joint building of brands, to further elevate the international profile of Hunan cuisine.