A local chef learner (2nd L, front) helps to cool down the boiled plain noodles during a special cooking course by Chinese chefs at the Wellington Institute of Technology in Wellington, New Zealand, May 13, 2019. As one of the cultural exchange activities held during the 2019 China Tourism & Culture Week here, famous Chinese cooks from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality brought their unique cooking recipes of spicy hotpot and Chongqing small noodles to get local chef learners on fire. (Xinhua/Guo Lei)

WELLINGTON, May 13 (Xinhua) -- "Is that spicy?""Can I taste the plain noodles before adding the sauce?" Chef learners from the School of Hospitality of Weltec, Wellington Institute of Technology, kept asking questions during a special cooking course by two Chinese chefs, Wang Chenghua and Liu Yu here on Monday.

As one of the cultural exchange activities held during the 2019 China Tourism & Culture Week here, famous Chinese cooks from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality brought their unique cooking recipes of spicy hotpot and Chongqing small noodles to get local chef learners on fire.

Decades ago, Wang, who is the fifth generation of the family's inherited skills, ever thought the small bowl of noodles would become Chongqing's intangible cultural heritage one day.

The history of the homemade noodles could be traced back to several hundred years ago. He told the learners that one of the secrets of cooking the spicy noodles is to cool the boiled plain noodles down as soon as possible. In old days, Chinese cooks could only use fans to cool the noodles down. This tradition is now part of the intangible cultural heritage.

Tasting one spoon of the soup from the hotpot, Ben Leishman's face turned red, and he rushed out to drink a big jar of cold water to cool down.

"It is very, very hot," Leishman said. "I'd never tried any food so spicy before but I do love the taste of it. We learned a lot about curry cooking but the taste of spicy is different."

Preparing the food materials and seasonings for the hotpot, Chef Liu taught the learners to understand the way of having hotpot by putting everything together on one spoon.

Nemierose Cruz-Gonong said, "I am so happy to see the demonstration of the traditional Chinese food cooking and it is different from that I've ever tasted in local restaurants. I love the taste of Chinese food."

Compared to the extremely spicy flavor of the hotpot, the noodles made by Wang are much easier to be accepted since the noodles combined the flavors of being sweet, sour and spicy.

With his face bathed with sweat, Paolo Moredo could not stop finishing the noodles in his plate. He said the taste of Chinese Chongqing small noodles are close to the one he tried before called the Dandan noodles but the spicy feeling is not the same.

"Definitely I will go to China one day, for food," Moredo said.