Ever since people's interest in Chinese food was aroused by the CCTV (China Central Television) documentary A Bite of China, insiders of the catering industry have begun to ponder how to create new flavors while maintaining traditional Chinese cooking standards.

On Tuesday, a forum on the extension and innovation of Chinese food, organized by time-honored sauce brand Lee Kum Kee, was held in Beijing. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Lee Kum Kee has a history of 124 years in producing jams and sauces.

Themed on the central question of how to maintain food traditions while innovating new tastes to cater to modern people's palates, the forum invited many reputable gourmets and chefs to air their ideas.

Chefs Xing Fengchun and Zhang Jianfeng demonstrated their visions by cooking one ingredient, codfish, several different ways to represent both traditional and innovative dishes.

Both using Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce to add flavor, Xing made a traditional mushroom-sauced codfish dish, and Zhang paired the codfish with cherries and the East-Asian fruit durian.

While the traditional way of cooking sets the standard for time-tested taste, innovations can show people the beauty of new flavors and methods. What's more, with an exquisite sauce mixed among various ingredients, the flavor of the whole dish is richly condensed.

"With 124 years of history, we continue to offer the best sauces for creative cooking," said Kong Xianghong, marketing director of Lee Kum Kee, at the forum.