Trump hosts Xi Jinping with 'homegrown' ice cream at state dinner

The US President treated the Chinese President to cream of yellow squash soup, sea bass, and an ice cream dessert made with ingredients from bees kept at the White House.

A state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan, hosted by US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on the evening of 24/9 at the White House, featured a unique highlight: honey-flavored ice cream made from bees kept in the White House garden. The elaborate event underscored diplomatic ties, beginning with a toast featuring Schramsberg 'Blanc De Noir' wine.

The Chinese President and the US President with their wives at the state dinner on the evening of 24/9 at the White House. Photo: AP

First Lady Melania Trump helped develop the evening's culinary offerings. The appetizer was a rich cream of yellow squash soup, served with wild mushrooms, fresh herbs, and bacon drizzled with scallion oil. For the main course, guests enjoyed pan-seared sesame-crusted sea bass, accompanied by braised bok choy, seared eggplant, and an aromatic herb sauce. Dessert included vanilla ice cream with cherry jam and walnut almond cake, alongside the special honey ice cream.

The menu on the banquet table. Photo: AP

The opening toast recreated the "Toast for Peace" between former US President Richard Nixon and former Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing in 1972, symbolizing a historical bridge in US-China relations.

The state dinner's decor featured a dominant red theme, with red tablecloths and table flowers including dahlias and red ranunculus. These were combined with a red and gold-rimmed state dinner porcelain set from the era of former President Ronald Reagan. Artistic performances were provided by Christopher Macchio, a tenor who had performed at many of President Trump's events, along with bands and choirs from the US Marine Corps and Army.