Cantonese cuisine lines path to success

After working as a chef outside his hometown for nearly 14 years, Pan Zhimin returned to Xinfeng county in northern Guangdong province to start up his own restaurant in 2014.

Pan, 36, who specializes in roast goose, expanded his business and now also runs a fresh food delivery company and an online shopping mall selling local agricultural products.

"Through the development of an agricultural industrial chain-from growing, selling and delivery to consumption in restaurants-we have increased the incomes of people in my hometown," Pan said.

Cantonese cuisine, or Guangdong cuisine, is not only about food and ingredients, but is also a path to fortune, Pan said.

"Many foods, such as dim sum, boiled shrimp, roast goose and steamed spareribs with pickled plums are all staples of Cantonese cuisine, dazzling world food lovers with its delicious freshness," he said.

In Pan's view, marketing Cantonese cuisine has become an efficient way to help local farmers improve the quality of their lives.

"Farmers are able to promote their products online, and we provide delivery services to help them increase their trading efficiency," Pan said.

His online shopping mall, developed in a WeChat mini program in 2016, has benefited more than 2,500 local families below the poverty line.

In his restaurant, located in picturesque suburban Xinfeng, a number of students are being trained to prepare Cantonese cuisine.

The culinary style is now glowing with new vitality after Guangdong launched a program in 2018 to promote training as a way to boost employment and fight poverty.

More than 150 vocational schools have opened Cantonese cuisine cooking courses in the province, with 56,000 existing students, according to the provincial human resources authority.

"The training program will drive big change," said Zhu Qiangming, a leading Cantonese cuisine chef in Xinfeng. "In the exquisite Cantonese dishes, we can also taste the sweet benefits of poverty alleviation."

In Xinfeng county, a 2.5-hour drive from Guangzhou, there are more than 1,200 restaurants participating in the training program, helping about 12,000 people find jobs, Zhu said.

Zhu has taught 120 students to prepare Guangdong cuisine since 2018. Some of them lived below the poverty line.

"After training, qualified students will receive certificates for finding jobs paying 4,000 to 5,000 yuan ($571 to $714) per month, 1,000 to 2,000 yuan higher than what they earned in the past," he said.

In Zhu's restaurants, most of the ingredients such as vegetables and meats are grown by local farmers.

"Farmers are encouraged to grow food items that are welcomed by customers," Zhu said.