A gourmet program, launched by four Hyatt hotels in Jilin and Liaoning provinces in Northeast China, is taking guests on a culinary journey through the fertile, black-soil region.

The program, titled A Taste of Northeast China, started in early November and will end on Dec 30. Head chefs from Grand Hyatt hotels in Shenyang and Dalian in Liaoning province, the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Changchun and Park Hyatt Changbaishan in Jilin province are to showcase their cooking prowess and present signature dishes.

All of the chefs are natives of the region who are rooted in local tradition and experts on blending innovation with conventional crafts.

Northeast Chinese cuisine has a reputation for unique cooking methods, rich and fresh ingredients and strong flavors.

Locals like to quote an old saying to describe the easy access to their region's abundant natural resources－"a roe deer can be hunted just with a wood rod, fish can be caught using a gourd ladle, and a pheasant could fly into a home kitchen in rural areas." Embracing the Bohai Sea Bay, the region is endowed with vast fertile black soil and the resource-rich Changbai Mountain and Hinggan Mountains.

Gastronomic specialties, such as fish from Chagan Lake, venison, abalones, ark clams, river crabs and truffles, inspired 21 innovative dishes in the program.

They include braised venison with two types of mushroom at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Changchun; simmered whitebait, tricholoma matsutake (a type of herbal mushroom which generally grows on pines) and river crabs at the Grand Hyatt Shenyang; a dessert of Changbai Mountain-sourced Chinese yam covered with blueberry sauce at the Park Hyatt Changbaishan; and spicy ark clams paired with mustard and yellow croaker ball stew, both at Grand Hyatt Dalian.

The collaboration among the four hotels links with Hyatt's pursuit of culinary delights, according to a company statement.

Following the Liaoning program from Nov 7 to Dec 4, the Hyatt Regency hotel in Changchun, capital of Jilin province, will take over. They will offer a feast of authentic Northeast Chinese cuisine on Dec 5-18.

Situated in the heart of Changchun, the hotel is near the city's landmark People's Square, with easy access to public transport. It is also a 20-minute drive from Changchun Railway Station and 35 minutes from Changchun Longjia International Airport. Its advanced facilities, professional team and wide range of gourmet options make Hyatt Regency Hotel Changchun an ideal venue for conferences, gatherings and other events, according to the hotel.

The final leg is scheduled to take place at Park Hyatt Changbaishan on Dec 19-30.

Schedule

? Grand Hyatt Dalian, Nov 7-20
? Grand Hyatt Shenyang, Nov 21-Dec 4
? Hyatt Regency Changchun, Dec 5-18
? Park Hyatt Changbaishan, Dec 19-30