Provincial program helps create new opportunities

The Zhanjiang government in South China's Guangdong is making the most of a provincial scheme to train and find employment for more cooks, with one local chef taking the scheme to the next level.

Gao Fei, one of the most influential chefs in Zhanjiang who owns and operates 16 restaurants in the port city, used the "Cantonese Cuisine Master" program to set up a workshop to train aspiring cooks in Suixi county in July 2019.

However, not only did Gao train cooks he also formed exclusive cooperation among rural farmers to procure food specific to the needs of his restaurants, resulting in the improved livelihoods of people in rural areas.

According to the agreements, Gao's restaurants would source fresh vegetables, including taros, sweet potatoes, peppers, bitter melons and beans, as well as rice and goats raised in the village of Hutoupo in Suixi.

In 2019, around 110 households in the village were targeted for poverty alleviation efforts.

To ensure food safety, Gao set up strict requirements for farmers to follow.

For example, they were not allowed to use insecticides or herbicides and all produce must be picked at a designated size to ensure the best flavor.

In return, Gao's restaurants purchased the produce at a higher price, with some as much as double the average price, said Cai Xiaojun, who is in charge of overseeing operations at the vegetable plantation base.

"The farmers benefit from the cooperation greatly and need not worry about the market price, all while their pay is getting higher," Cai said.

"More importantly, the strict requirements of master Gao prompted the villagers to pursue a more scientific plantation style and keep improving the quality of the farm products," he noted.

Under the circumstances, the farm products of the village have become more competitive in the market and now also supply hotels and some wholesale markets outside the province, Cai said.

So far, the plantation base covers a land area of about 26.7 hectares, of which 10 hectares have been turned into greenhouses, he added.

Besides earnings from the farm products, the villagers are also paid for their work and for the rental of the land.

In 2020, all the 114 poverty-stricken households in the village received an accumulative dividend of 680,000 yuan ($105,240) and were lifted out of poverty, Cai told reporters.

For Gao Fei, procuring the freshest ingredients is just the beginning.

"There are so many things we could do that keep me excited all the time," said Gao, who showed up at the sideline of a vocational skills competition that was held from Aug 9 to 11 in Zhanjiang to share his experiences.

His workshop has trained around 300 cooks since its establishment, many of whom were farmers before. They have received offers for key positions at Gao's restaurants and many other catering companies in and out of Zhanjiang.

Gao is fascinated by discovering hidden valuable products and promoting them. For example, the rice cultivated in Hutoupo is a very special species that grows on coastal wetlands where the salt water and fresh water meet. It has a low yield and contains selenium which is good for health.

Gao carefully designed and packaged the rice and developed several new dishes using it to serve at his restaurants, which gained market attention.

With his promotion, the price of the rice was raised from 9 yuan per kilogram to 15 yuan per kg in just two years, in which the villagers also shared the rising profits.

"I am able to find out the real value of the local food. It's also a move to educate the villagers to change their plantation ideas to focus on quality, which is vital to revitalize the rural economy," Gao said.

What's more, he has turned the area where his workshop is located into a rural tourism destination, where tourists can buy quality farm products from the villagers, learn cooking skills from Gao himself and his students, enjoy delicious food while spending a relaxed weekend or just holiday in the countryside.

Gao's move has been inspired by Cantonese Cuisine Masters, the program launched by the provincial government in 2018, to train cooks from rural areas and expand the influence of Cantonese cuisine around the country.

Official figures show that about 200,000 Cantonese cuisine cooks in Guangdong received training over the past few years, while the program has created at least 500,000 job opportunities.

A pastry chef from Zhanjiang makes creative desserts during the second Guangdong Vocational Skills Competition. ZHANG FENGFENG/FOR CHINA DAILY