China's chefs are doing a vanishing act

However, the influence of Western fast food entering China was not limited to fried chicken, burgers and milkshakes. It also profoundly changed many aspects of the Chinese catering industry such as product lines, branding, operations, the emergence of raw material processing and distribution plants-and the decline of the status of chefs.

About 2,000 deep-processed semifinished dishes emerged, raising the curtain for pre-made Chinese food. Over the years the industry grew in fits and starts, and it was not until the outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020 that the industry really came into its own as consumers grappled with trying circumstances such as lockdowns that forced the closure of restaurants and cafes or tight restrictions on the number of customers they could serve.

At present the pre-made food consumption market is concentrated in first- to third-tier cities, first-tier cities accounting for 45 percent, second-tier cities 20 percent and third-tier cities 16 percent.

In terms of regional distribution, East China accounted for the largest market share last year, 32 percent, followed by South China, North China, Southwest and Central China, all accounting for more than 10 percent.

With the rising popularity of premade food, more and more catering companies no longer need senior chefs, but only general cooks who can toss and heat dishes. And with the popularity of stir-fry machines, the necessity of having cooks in the kitchen is further reduced because it is cheaper to buy machines than to pay for labor.

This helps explain why hotpot restaurant chains have been such a roaring success throughout China.

"It makes me feel horrible just imagining that I might be replaced by some advanced machine someday, but maybe the nightmare is coming true," says Chen Yufan, 28, a chef who works in a restaurant serving Hunan cuisine in Beijing.

His workplace has been receiving processed raw materials since last year, he says, which saves cooks a lot of time. Some of his workmates were lost permanently to restaurants when they were shut in the early days of the pandemic, he says.

"Even though machines can be highly reliable, only human cooks can add feeling and passion to what they cook, just like seasoning, and I hope that will never be replaced."

Li Lecheng, 35, of Beijing, says he began to love pre-made food when the pandemic broke out, especially when his family's live-in helper was away.

Even when he visited friends he took several packs of pre-made Chinese food, believing it would save the host a lot of trouble in preparing dinner for visitors. Recently, Wen says, he bought some aluminum foil containers and started making pre-made food himself at home and distributing it to friends.

"It's very convenient to store some pre-made food at home, and it gives me a strong sense of security knowing that I can serve my family and friends a proper meal by a simply clicking on the button of the microwave," Li says.

Lin Han, 32, is obsessed with science and technology that makes life easier, such as the food cooking machine that he proudly shows friends when they visit him. Recently he has been buying sets of Japanese-style beef with rice from the supermarket.

"Pre-made food is one of the best solutions for someone who is single," he says. "I no longer have to spend half an hour waiting for takeaway to arrive, or one hour cooking and another hour cleaning up.

"Cooking at home or going out with someone is a luxury, because people are all so busy, but slowing down is what makes life good."

When you opt for pre-made food, you are opting for predictability, reliability and saving time and money, but in so doing you lose the element of surprise and personal flair that chefs can serve up, and which some regard as the very spice of life.