Preparing dinner for APEC leaders is no piece of cake

SINGAPORE: One of the highlights at the APEC summit is definitely the Gala Dinner, where world leaders get another shot at diplomacy in a more relaxed setting.

Chili crab, laksa and chicken rice are symbols of Singapore cuisine, and these dishes will be representing the island—state on this year’s APEC menu.

Every year, the Gala dinner is the occasion for the host economy to show off its unique cuisine.

However, cooking for some of the world’s most powerful is no piece of cake.

First and foremost, the food must be safe to eat.

At the 2003 APEC summit in Thailand for instance, mice were used to test for poison in the food — samples of the dishes were reportedly fed to mice before the meals were served.

To be doubly sure, some 20,000 Thai health officers were also deployed to check the food.

However, for leaders such as Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, it is always safer to depend on your own people.

Reports allege he does not eat anything that has not been sampled first by his security guards.

Another major consideration is: what to serve at dinner, as local cuisine may not go down too well with the guests.

At the 2005 APEC banquet in Busan, not everyone was able to appreciate South Korea’s iconic kimchi.

A group of delegates from the US tried, but failed to strike up any passion for the spicy cabbage.

Instead, they reportedly sneaked out for steaks.

Now, here are some pointers for this year’s menu planners.

US President Barack Obama is said to enjoy Mexican food but dislikes beets, which should not be a problem because the vegetable is rarely served in Singapore.

Chinese president Hu Jintao, on the other hand, is said to prefer healthy food — another easy task for the chefs in Singapore.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama is also expected to be an easy guest, except for his weakness for shrimp chips.

— CNA/yb