French-born celebrity chef Alain Ducasse dishes on this week's Masters of Food and Wine event at the Park Hyatt Shanghai.

Tell us about your passion for cooking.
It came to me early in my childhood. Growing up on a farm, I understood something then which still guides me today: before cooking, there is nature.

What keeps you creative in the kitchen?
The key inspiration for a restaurant comes from its venue and location. I invent the cuisine to match a lifestyle. That’s why all my restaurants are different. I hate standardization; I’m an activist of diversity.

What do you have planned for your stop in Shanghai?
This year’s theme being “Paris of the East,” Christophe Saintagne (my executive chef at the Plaza Athénée in Paris) and I will offer a mental voyage to Paris. Expect an exceptional three-Michelin-star dinner. Derived largely from what we do at Plaza Athénée, you’ll taste the genuine flavor of ingredients brought straight to the plate.

How will you cater to the Chinese palate?
The best and only strategy is to identify the best possible products, sourced from passionate producers, and to cook them with the respect they deserve.

How would you compare Chinese and French cooking?
That would call for a very extensive answer. I’d concentrate on one aspect which, paradoxically, is more a convergence: their diversity and richness. Both cuisines have a long tradition and a great deal of regional variations. Two different approaches yet the same passion for cuisine.

DETAILS:

What: Masters of Food and Wine Tour

When: Nov. 22-26

Where: Park Hyatt Shanghai

Web: www.mastersfoodandwine.com