Chongqing - According to the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, Chongqing's 84,000 Chongqing noodle shops have an annual output value exceeding 40 billion yuan (about $5.76 billion), and it is expected to form a relatively complete industrial chain for Chongqing noodles by 2025.
Chongqing noodles, called "Xiaomian" in Chinese, are a kind of spicy and numbing noodles that originated from Chongqing. Many locals start their day with a bowl of Chongqing noodles.
Chongqing Noodle Culture Festival. (Photo/Chongqing Noodle Association)
Chongqing has released a local standard for producing pre-packaged Chongqing noodles called "Chongqing Noodle Production Technical Specification." The move aims to promote the industrialization of Chongqing noodles and develop more high-quality products and well-known brands.
According to Luo Li, deputy director of the Chongqing Municipal Economic and Information Technology Commission, the standardization of Chongqing noodle production is the first step in industrialization. The standard stipulates that pre-packaged Chongqing noodles must use alkali noodles as the main ingredient, with oil chili sauce and seasoning sauce as the main seasonings. They can also include a selection of other ingredients such as topping sauce, soup base, fried goods, dehydrated vegetables, and pickled vegetables, which will result in a Chongqing noodle with the distinctive flavor of Chongqing's local cuisine.
The quality of Chongqing noodles primarily depends on the oil chili sauce. The specification regulates the process of producing oil chili sauce, including raw materials, pre-processing, ingredients, frying, dressing with oil, cooling, and more. In addition, it clarifies the production environment of pre-packaged Chongqing noodles, factory buildings and workshops, processing requirements, facilities and equipment, packaging, labeling, storage, transportation, and other aspects.
"These regulations are aimed at promoting the development of pre-packaged Chongqing noodles, fostering the industrialization of the Chongqing noodle cluster, and expanding the industry's scale," said Luo Li.
In the next step, Chongqing will construct a Chongqing noodle industry park, focusing on cultivating Chongqing noodle marketing, technological innovation, and brand cultivation to lead the high-quality development of Chongqing noodle industrialization.
By 2025, the city aims to create one Chongqing noodle industry demonstration base and three Chongqing noodle industry construction bases, with an industrial output value of over 30 billion yuan, forming a relatively complete industrial chain.
Some regions in our city have shown a positive attitude towards the development of the Chongqing noodle industries. Zhong Yu, executive deputy district mayor of Dadukou, said that Dadukou would cultivate the Chongqing noodle industry as one of the key emerging industrial clusters. By 2026, the city aims to foster over 30 top products and well-known brands.
Chongqing aims not only to promote industrialization but also to enhance the reputation of Chongqing noodles. Du Yilin, a second-level inspector at the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Commerce, said that Chongqing noodles have become a business card for the city's cuisine, with over 84,000 Chongqing noodle shops and more than 500,000 industry workers generating over 40 billion yuan in annual output value.
The Chongqing noodle industry has a strong driving force, and every 100 million yuan of Chongqing noodle sales directly drive nearly 2,000 tons of ingredients, such as chili and Sichuan pepper.
Du Yilin also mentioned that the city has released the "Chongqing noodle Shop Business Service Standard," which includes management conditions, service processes, production technology, safety, and hygiene. The Chongqing noodle Association will award the "Chongqing noodle Shop Business Service Standard" sign to the shops that meet the requirements of the standard, improving the overall brand image of Chongqing noodles.
It is reported that the third China Chongqing Noodle Culture Festival will be held in Dadukou District on March 15. During the festival, events like the "Bayu Craftsman Cup" Chongqing noodle skills competition, the China Chongqing Noodle Industry Innovation Development Forum, and the Chongqing noodle industry brand exhibition and fair will be held.
(He Hanyue, as an intern, also contributed to the report.)