Two Renowned Culinary Masters Share Their Insights on Fuzhou’s Bid for “City of Gastronomy”!
In September, the 2024 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide Food Pioneer Conference took place as scheduled, sparking a “culinary buzz” throughout Fuzhou. Among the attendees, two renowned chefs attracted particular attention from the Fuzhou delegates, as they come from cities recognized as “Cities of Gastronomy.” Since Fuzhou is bidding for the title of “City of Gastronomy,” their insights are particularly valuable.
How do people from outside the region view Fujian cuisine today? What are the best ways to promote Fujian cuisine? How can a city successfully bid for the title of “City of Gastronomy”? How will earning this title drive a city’s development? And how does being featured in popular restaurant guides influence a city’s catering industry? To explore these questions, we interviewed two renowned chefs: Zhou Xiaoyan, an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Huaiyang cuisine, and Zhang Yuanfu, a master of Sichuan cuisine.
Fusion is definitely not a mere combination
Zhou Xiaoyan
As an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Huaiyang cuisine, Zhou Xiaoyan is widely recognized as the “Godfather of Huaiyang Cuisine” within the industry, with deep insights into the catering sector. “I’ve visited Fuzhou many times and am quite familiar with Fujian cuisine,” he said. Huaiyang and Fujian cuisines have many similarities. Both emphasize the intricacy of cooking techniques and the use of broth. Their flavors are also quite alike - delicate and balanced. The main difference lies in their ingredients: Huaiyang cuisine focuses on “fresh ingredients from rivers and lakes,” while Fujian cuisine highlights “mountain delicacies and seafood.” Huaiyang cuisine is renowned for its knife skills, while Fujian cuisine is celebrated for its mastery of heat control.
Zhang Yuanfu
In the eyes of Sichuan cuisine master Zhang Yuanfu, who visited Fuzhou for the first time, Fujian cuisine, much like its signature dish “Fotiaoqiang,” is exquisite but tends to cater to a niche market.
Huaiyang cuisine, which “once faced a downturn and was relatively unknown,” has now made impressive strides. Zhou Xiaoyan attributed its success to three main aspects.
First, restaurant businesses should expand beyond their local markets, leveraging well-known brands to promote the development of local catering industries. This is because established restaurant brands can easily gain wide attention. For example, several iconic Huaiyang cuisine restaurants in Shanghai have played a significant role in elevating the profile of Huaiyang cuisine.
Secondly, it’s essential to focus on talent training in the restaurant industry. Yangzhou is home to numerous culinary schools with a wide range of programs, producing a large number of culinary professionals who are distributed nationwide. This strong talent pool plays a key role in promoting Huaiyang cuisine.
Finally, the government should take an active role in creating platforms. By bidding for “City of Gastronomy,” Yangzhou has significantly boosted its culinary brand. Each year, the local government organizes large-scale culinary forums and food exchange events, offering various opportunities for interaction that help bring local cuisine to a broader audience across the country.
The innovative Fujian dish “Angus Beef Cubes” from Xuanheyuan, a one-star restaurant in the “2024 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide”
When it comes to the fusion and innovation of Fujian cuisine, Zhou Xiaoyan emphasized that while fusion is encouraged, “fusion is definitely not a mere combination.” The key is to preserve the essence of traditional dishes while incorporating the best ingredients from around the world. “We should stay true to my flavors, knife skills, and techniques when innovating, rather than transforming our cuisine into something different.”
The dish from Zheng Chunfa Fotiaoqiang, a one-star restaurant in the “2024 Black Pearl Restaurant Guide”
Zhang Yuanfu noted that the promotion of Fujian cuisine has been relatively slower than other regional cuisines. As a result, it needs to develop steadily, laying a strong foundation before making a significant impact, and using various channels to promote it.
It’s not enough to focus solely on food
When discussing the bid for “City of Gastronomy,” the main concern of Fuzhou’s restaurant industry, both masters shared their insights.
Fujian Cuisine Promotion Conference in Shanghai
Zhou Xiaoyan said, “Securing the ‘City of Gastronomy’ title will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the city’s restaurant industry, offering excellent publicity and brand promotion. The title itself holds great value, attracting culinary tourists and driving market growth. Additionally, it will foster technical exchanges among chefs, significantly enhancing their culinary skills.”
Both masters agreed that when bidding for the “City of Gastronomy” title, it’s not enough to focus solely on food. The key factors include the size of the overall industry, the completeness of the farm-to-table supply chain, and the extent to which it creates job opportunities.
Regarding the bidding process, Zhou Xiaoyan said, “In the bidding process, the judges first review the submission materials, which consist of an application form and a video. The video should stay focused on the theme, avoiding being too disorganized. It needs to be compelling and convey a sense of broad public participation. The application must adhere to a standardized process. This isn’t a task that can be handled by just one department; it requires collaboration across several departments, including commerce, culture and tourism, agriculture, industry and information technology, and taxation. Government coordination is essential. Additionally, the translation of the application materials must be done by top-tier professionals, as accurate translation is crucial to the success of the bidding.”