Chongqing - International students from Russia, Egypt, Yemen, South Korea, and Myanmar recenlty visited the modern production processes of Kaizhou sausage and dried purple beans. They learned from Kaizhou's golden chefs how to make famous dishes and started making zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings)  during the "Perception of Chongqing" event held in the district.

International students learn to make zongzi. (Photo/CINC)

Kaizhou has been one of the "four major salt farms in eastern Sichuan" since the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Salt, with its diverse flavors, has borne witness to Kaizhou's prosperity over thousands of years, accumulating a dazzling array of culinary delights and forming a distinctive food and cooking culture. The unique natural environment and profound cultural heritage have made Kaizhou the cradle of food raw material production and culinary skills. A continuous supply of field greens, mountain treasures, farm produce, and excellent processed goods has cultivated the distinctive and excellent culinary tradition of Kaizhou. As a time-honored brand in Chongqing and an intangible cultural heritage of Kaizhou District, Kaizhou sausage marked the first leg of this visit.

Overseas visitors and local chefs. (Photo/CINC)

After over 30 years of development, Chongqing Qianjiang Food (Group) Co., Ltd. has established a comprehensive industrial presence encompassing pig breeding, cold meat production, intensive processing of meat products, cold chain logistics, fresh chain management, and export trade. Its diversified business model integrates "production, marketing, trade, industry, and agriculture," ensuring integrity across the industrial chain. Its products are exported to countries such as Russia and are well-received in over 30 large and medium-sized cities. From farm to table, the international students sampled freshly made sausages. Meng Meng from Russia praised, "This is the best sausage I've had in Chongqing!" Zhou Yinxin from Myanmar added, "In addition to traditional Sichuan-style sausages, there are enticing flavors like lychee and rose that are simply irresistible."

Subsequently, the students visited Chongqing Purple Water Bean Products Co., Ltd., learning about the development history of Kaizhou's dried purple water beans, traditional production techniques, and the local industry's role in poverty alleviation and prosperity.

"Here, every household plants soybean, and here I've seen numerous 'bean passbooks'. Villagers use beans as an alternative form of currency - a novel idea. It's a model we can learn from - from planting and processing to exporting," Han Yoo Sang from South Korea discussed with his partner, envisioning how Kaizhou could lead rural revitalization through the 'one bean' initiative. A table displayed a lavish feast featuring various soybean products such as soybean milk, soybean sprouts, soft tofu, lactone tofu, fried tofu, soybean skins, and dried beans, all transformed into delicious dishes that became favorites among visiting students. Abdi from Yemen, a food enthusiast, said, "Mapo tofu, a representative Chongqing dish, left a strong impression on me. Although I rarely eat tofu personally, seeing so many tofu dishes today has made me eager to enjoy them.

For over 1,800 years, the Ba people excelled in food, the Shu people in culinary skills, and Kaizhou has been a stronghold of culinary traditions. It has nurtured numerous renowned chefs and developed a distinctive culinary style and food system. Today, Kaizhou boasts over 500,000 workers nationwide, including 200,000 in catering and over 100,000 chefs spread across both sides of the Yangtze River. More than 20,000 players in the catering market serve consumers nationwide, spreading Kaizhou's culinary delights like wildfire across regions such as the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the Bohai Bay, as well as overseas territories, establishing itself as a kitchen hub.

As a prominent institution in this Kaizhou Jin Chu (literally Kaizhou golden chefs), the Hongqing Changjiang Vocational Training School selected five master chefs to personally teach visiting students how to prepare Kaizhou's famous dishes.Students are cooking. (Photo/CINC)

In the kitchen, scenes of chopping vegetables, kneading dough, frying beef, seasoning dishes, and more unfolded in succession. The chef patiently instructed the overseas students, who complete a culinary masterpiece: Chongqing noodles, Kaizhou pepper beef, Orange Dragon Boat steak, and Kaizhou mountain pepper fish.

"Kaizhou chili beef, made from local ingredients, reveals the secrets of its spicy and aromatic flavors in its meticulous production process. Each step requires precise control, resulting in a dish that lives up to its name - richly fragrant with chili and sesame," one shared.

The participants enthusiastically exchanged their wonderful cooking experiences. From the cultivation of raw materials to the presentation at the table, and extending to the chain promotion of the Kaizhou Jin Chu Boutique, Kaizhou has now established a comprehensive industrial framework encompassing "production, processing, sales, distribution, cooking, and pairing."