The all-apple feast event, one of the most highly anticipated events of the 21st Shandong Qixia Apple Art Festival, was held in the coastal city of Yantai on Oct 23.

Liu Haihua, deputy mayor of the county-level city of Qixia in Yantai, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of the event. Liu said that the all-apple feast event has brought new life to Qixia apples and further showcased the charm of Qixia, China's capital of apples.

The dishes served at the feast were diverse and not only visually appealing but also rich in nutritional value, with names that carried deep cultural meaning. The all-apple feast, with its sour, sweet, crispy, and soft flavors, received high praise from local residents and international students.

By creating the "most complete apple feast in history", the event has helped Qixia expand the cultural output of its apples and enhanced the city's cultural brand as China's apple capital.

Apples are often considered the king of fruit and have a history of more than 100 years in Chinese cuisine. Caramelized apples were one of the first ways taht apples were prepared in Shandong cuisine. Since 2009, Qixia has been exploring innovative ways to cook apple dishes and has become a brand with distinctive regional characteristics in China, more than any other province or city in the country, according to Chef Zhang Shuhai.

Culinary experts create new dishes by steaming, boiling, and frying apples in Qixia, a county-level city in Yantai, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The dishes served at the feast are diverse and not only visually appealing but also rich in nutritional value. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The yummy all-apple feast receives high praise from local residents and international students. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]