Here’s the menu for the Trump-Xi state dinner at White House — and how Melania influenced every detail

Samuel Chamberlain, Emily Goodin Fri, September 25, 2026 at 12:48 AM UTC

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Fish, fresh vegetables and friendship are on the menu for Thursday night’s state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.

The three-course meal, being served in the East Room of the White House will feature “American ingredients with subtle Chinese influence,” according to first lady Melania Trump’s office.

“The meal begins with a toast of Schramsberg ‘Blanc De Noir,’ honoring the historic ‘Toast to Peace’ shared by President Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing in 1972. The same American sparkling wine served at that historic gathering continues to be enjoyed at White House functions today,” the White House said.

President of China Xi Jinping stands with U.S. President Donald Trump before a state dinner in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Getty Images

The first course consists of yellow squash velouté and a wild mushroom fricassée, complemented by crispy pancetta and topped with a drizzle of scallion oil.

That is followed by sesame-crusted sea bass, served with braised baby bok choy and roasted eggplant, finished with sauce vert.

For dessert, the menu calls for a vanilla crémeux with a sour cherry confit center atop a walnut frangiapane and served with White House Honey ice cream on the side.

China’s President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump speak through interpreters as First Lady Melania Trump listens to Elon Musk during a State Dinner in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. AFP via Getty Images

The menu for a state dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, is seen at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. REUTERS

“There is a lot of details that comes in to plan the state dinner,” the first lady told “Fox & Friends” Wednesday morning. “There is protocol that you need to follow. Every detail I was involved [in] from tomorrow.”

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President Trump is known for his love of red meat and a hearty American salad like a Cobb or a Caesar.

When he traveled to Beijing in March, the Chinese acknowledged his tastes but incorporated some cooking all their own, serving Crispy beef ribs, roast duck, lobster in tomato soup, stewed seasonal vegetables, slow-cooked salmon in mustard sauce, and pan-fried pork bun. There was tiramisu for dessert.

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during a state dinner hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Getty Images

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks during the state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House in Washington, D.C., Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. REUTERS

Thursday night’s dinner is much more reflective of the first lady’s palate. Melania Trump enjoys healthy, fresh food.

The first lady personally oversaw all the preparations for the event, including picking the Reagan China to dine on and the decorations: Urns that will overflow with red blossoms. Red linens on the tables, which will be complemented with dahlias and ranunculus.

Christopher Macchio, a classically trained tenor who performed at the 2025 Presidential Inauguration, will entertain the guests, which include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, SpaceX and Tesla boss Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, NVIDIA President Jensen Huang, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Dell Technologies founder Michael Dell, Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser and Apple’s Tim Cook.

Musk mingles with guests as U.S. President Donald Trump hosts a state dinner for President of China Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. Getty Images

Guests listen during a State Dinner with President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Washington. AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Many of those executives — including Musk, Huang, Altman and Cook — accompanied President Trump to China earlier this year.

The last state dinner for Xi at the White House was in the Obama administration.

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Source: “AOL Breaking”