Melania Trump Reveals The Hidden Ingredient In The Xi Dinner Menu
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will host a state dinner that Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend this week. The event takes place in the White House East Room while a new ballroom gets built nearby. The Washington Examiner reports that American ingredients mixed with subtle Chinese influence create a menu uniting the culinary traditions of both nations.
Schramsberg Blanc de Noir opens the first course with a toast. This choice honors the historic “Toast to Peace” between President Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai in 1972. At White House functions today, the same American sparkling wine served at that historic gathering continues to be enjoyed, according to the.
THE WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER
Every detail considered. An experience thoughtfully conceived and exquisitely realized for our distinguished guests. pic.twitter.com/R3H1ryYEmj
— MELANIA TRUMP (@MELANIATRUMP) September 17, 2026
Guests will eat a yellow squash velouté with wild mushrooms and crispy pancetta. The second course is sesame-crusted sea bass served with braised baby bok choy. White House Honey ice cream is listed on the side for dessert. There is no meat served at all.
The entire meal is a pescatarian affair with no red meat on the plates. New York Post reports that during an interview with “Fox & Friends,” Melania Trump stated there are many details involved in planning the state dinner. She noted that There is protocol that you need to follow.
The renovated East Room will be filled with red to show warmth. The color red honors its longstanding cultural significance throughout Chinese history. Tables feature rich red linens and flowers like dahlias and ranunculus. Urns will be overflowing with red blossoms to set the mood.
Entertainment includes a performance by tenor Christopher Macchio, who is President Trump’s favorite singer. The guest list includes giants of tech and business. Amazon executive chairman Jeff Bezos is on the guest list. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Google CEO Sundar Pichai are also attending.
Apple executive chairman Tim Cook and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang are on the list too. The dinner happens midway through the three-day visit. The visit started with a meeting at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday. It included a military review in the Rose Garden and a meeting in the Oval Office.
To celebrate our 250th anniversary, guests will visit the National Archives on Friday to view some of the United States’ most important founding documents. This visit marks a major diplomatic moment for the administration. The First Lady and Peng Liyuan will attend a separate event before the dinner.