Chef Sees Restaurants in China Lace Food With Opiates, Strives to Cook Authentic Food

There has been a lot of speculation about restaurants in China spiking meals with poppy shells (da yan ke)—the bud of the plant from which opium is made—to get diners addicted so as to entice them to come back for more. This shocking rumor was proven to be true by Chef Zhang Hua, the Gold Award Winner for Huaiyang cuisine at the second NTD’s International Chinese Culinary Competition in 2009. Here’s the inspirational story of how Chef Zhang, who used to co-own Chef Jon’s Chinese restaurant in New Jersey, transformed himself from a mercenary head chef of a restaurant to an honest man dedicated to spreading authentic Chinese culinary art.