People eat crayfish during the Qianjiang crayfish tasting party at the United Nations headquarters in New York, June 4, 2019. Crayfish, a rarity in Western diet but a favorite of Chinese foodies, on Tuesday made its debut at the UN Delegates Dining Room. Hosted by the city government of Qianjiang, a major producer of crayfish in central China, the tasting party was graced by officials from the UN headquarters, the World Food Programme, the UN Democracy Fund as well as UN diplomats, including representatives from the Dominican and Sri Lankan missions. (Xinhua/Li Muzi)

UNITED NATIONS, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Crayfish, a rarity in Western diet but a favorite of Chinese foodies, on Tuesday made its debut at the UN Delegates Dining Room.

Hosted by the city government of Qianjiang, a major producer of crayfish in central China, the tasting party was graced by officials from the UN headquarters, the World Food Programme, the UN Democracy Fund as well as UN diplomats, including representatives from the Dominican and Sri Lankan missions.

Originated from Louisiana of the United States, crayfish is now largely raised in Qianjiang. The city boasts 70 percent of the world's entire export volume.

At the tasting party, the Qianjiang government promoted an innovative farming method, crayfish-rice symbiosis, and offered crayfish dishes prepared in four most popular ways for tasting: fried, garlic-treated, steamed and iced.

Man Wong, president of the American Chinese Culinary Federation, critiqued the delicacies of the dishes, in a joint appearance with the chefs.

The ecological significance of crayfish-rice symbiosis was highly appreciated by the participants, and the food was well received by the tasters. The garlic-treated crayfish was rated the most delicious dish in a vote at end of the event.