影响世界口味的“重庆味道”

□ 文/本刊记者 唐纲

今年8月，由国家互联网信息办公室、文化部指导，中国国际广播电台国际在线主办的“2014中国城市榜——全球网民推荐的最中国美食城市”揭晓，重庆成为全球网友心目中的十座“最中国美食城市”之一。依托于独特的“重庆味道”而形成的重庆调料产业正在影响整个世界的口味。

美丽的巴渝大地四季多雨、潮湿，这样的自然条件养成了巴渝人民喜好麻辣的饮食习惯。不管是火锅、回锅肉，还是水煮鱼、麻婆豆腐、担担面，关键就是吃佐料。好的调料是美食的基础和灵魂。

重庆调料经过多年的“大浪淘沙”，逐步涌现出了一批能代表“重庆味道”的精品调料品牌，不管是红九九火锅底料、秋霞火锅底料，以及周君记麻辣鱼调料、胖子鱼调料、南吉酱油、自家卤卤料等都是能够代表“重庆味道”的佼佼者。

中国调料看重庆。重庆，已成为名副其实的“中国调料之都”。最地道的麻辣鲜香也是最地道的重庆味道，它成就了重庆调料享誉天下。

现在，重庆调料行业也开始了打造重庆城市名片的进程，不仅要为重庆人的餐桌增添美味，还要让全国乃至全世界的人足不出户就可以享用地道的“重庆味道”。当您爱上这些重庆味道的时候，也是对重庆调料行业的支持。

魅力独特的“重庆味道”

由于重庆火锅的发展带动了我市调料行业的迅速发展，重庆已成为我国最大的调料基地。据称，现在全国各地的超市里都可以看到重庆调料的踪影，这个先天优势给重庆成为全国最大的调料基地创造了条件。

现在，各个调料企业争相建基地。我市火锅业向外扩张的步伐很是迅猛，全国的加盟店越来越多。为了迅速、快捷地给加盟商配送火锅底料，从2005年起，我市餐饮企业纷纷开始兴建底料加工基地。最早的带头者是小天鹅，他们在石柱县投资2500万建立了一个火锅底料基地。随后，各大调料企业纷纷开始建立基地。

由于有现成的加工线，各企业生产的底料也有特色，他们开始尝试制造调料，这些调料可广泛用于其他家常菜，例如水煮鱼、泉水鸡等，并逐渐发展壮大起来。

目前，我市已经有近30余家火锅企业建立了各种调料生产基地。此外，为满足基地的原材料供应，还延伸了产业链。以前调料行业需要的花椒、海椒、大蒜等都是来自外地，目前我市江津、石柱等地都已建有花椒、辣椒、大蒜等原材料种植基地。

毫不夸张地说，现在随便到哪个城市的超市里，货架上的调味品中，重庆产的至少占了三分之一。

“重庆味道”影响世界

2012年9月，第三届中国餐饮博览会在澳门举行，参展企业超过1000家，分别来自20余个国家和地区。重庆德庄、乡村基、周君记和阿兴记组团参展，成为一大亮点。来自世界各地的美食爱好者十分过瘾地体会了一把麻辣鲜香的重庆味道，顿时为重庆美味倾倒。

“重庆味道”正在影响世界人的口味。外国人吃着麻辣鲜香的重庆美食，可口至极。他们在国外吃着用重庆调料调和的饭菜，美味无穷，久久流连。

创始于1992年的重庆红九九不仅获得了“中国驰名商标”，产品畅销全国，而且走向了海外市场，在国外享有极高的信誉。

重庆知名调料品牌周君记以重庆火锅底料系列、麻辣香水鱼底料系列、拌菜香佐料系列、药膳滋补炖汤料系列、速溶增味营养火锅底料系列、川味菜及川味面调料等复合调料为主。公司曾专门去香港举办佐料推广会，并走访了很多香港的餐饮企业。目前，香港有很多川菜餐厅每年几十万元的调料订单都锁定了周君记。“周君记”产品目前已销往美国、法国、新加坡、加拿大、澳大利亚和东南亚地区等。

“我现在60多岁，美国肯德基的创始人桑德斯大叔打了一辈子小工，69岁才开始创业，然而，却改变了不少人的饮食习惯，将油炸鸡块开遍了全世界。”周君记董事长周英明非常自信地说，他有信心要洋人也像重庆人一样喜欢吃火锅，引导外国人的消费习惯，学习桑德斯大叔，做中国的肯德基，把周君记调料品卖到全世界。

“重庆味道”还须主动融入国际平台

要打造中国调料之都的全球影响力，重庆调料品牌还必须主动融入重要的国际性平台，增强品牌的国际性机会。

近年来，重庆对外开放程度越来越高，仅在重庆举办的大型国际性会议也越来越多，重庆更加具有全球影响力，重庆调料作为重庆特色，在家门口获取的国际性机会也越来越多。比如，去年6月份在重庆召开的中国—中东欧国家地方领导人会议就是一次大型的国际性会议，参会嘉宾达1000余人，其中外宾500余人，包括两个国家的总理。再比如，今年2月份在重庆举办的中俄两河流域会议（中国长江与俄罗斯伏尔加河流域），中国方面包括重庆、四川、湖南等6省市以及国家部委办局领导，伏尔加河流域有16个州（共和国）参加。在这些国际性会议上，笔者看见有成都的服装展出、武汉有一个特产展出并现场销售，而重庆产品并没有被纳入。

记者在考虑，之所以重庆调料品牌虽然远销国内外，但却鲜有在家门的国际性会议上亮相。主要是主办单位根本就没有考虑这个，可能在他们心目中，重庆调料的分量还难以上到这样高层面的国际会议上，这就需要我们所有的调料品牌共同谋划，如何增强重庆调料品牌的核心魅力和感召力，能让主办单位自觉地考虑到把重庆调料品牌纳入会议内容。

另外，外国政府在重庆设立的使领馆已达10家，重庆已成为继北京、上海之后的中国领馆第三城，实际上这也是重庆调料品牌走向国际市场的捷径。每年还可组织使领馆人员参访重庆调料品牌，让他们充当推介重庆调料之都的中间人。

重庆市政府外侨办去年专门评选了重庆外事礼品，重庆调料品牌作为重庆最独特的地方特色产品，完全可以作为重庆外事礼品赠送外宾。

“2014 City Billboard: The Most Recommended Chinese Gastronomic Cities by Global Netizens”, instructed by the State Internet Information Office and the Ministry of Culture and hosted by CRI international online, was released this August. Chongqing was among the top 10 “Most Recommended Chinese Gastronomic Cities” in the mind of global netizens. Its seasoning industry, which is characterized by the unique “Chongqing f l avor”, is inf l uencing the world’s palate.

The beautiful Chongqing is always rainy and humid throughout all seasons. Under such environment, local people cultivate a Mala(spicy and numbing)diet. For hotpot, twice cooked pork, f i sh f i llets in hot chili oil, Mapo bean-curd or Dandan noodle, the seasoning is the critical element. Good seasoning is the foundation and the soul of great delicacy.

After years of ref i nement in Chongqing’s seasoning industry, many quality brands representing “Chongqing flavor” stand out from the competition, such as Hongjiujiu hotpot condiment, Qiuxia hotpot condiment, Zhoujunji spicy fish seasoning, Pangzi fish seasoning, Nanji soybean sauce and Zijialu marinating sauce are typical examples.

As a pacesetter of Chinese seasoning industry, Chongqing has literally become the “capital of Chinese seasoning”. The spicy and fresh taste is the most authentic Chongqing flavor and it makes the city’s seasonings famous across the world.

Now, Chongqing’s seasoning industry is being forged as one of the city’s signatures. The seasonings will not only bring aroma to Chongqing people but also allow the people all over the world to enjoy “Chongqing flavor” at home. Upon falling in love with Chongqing flavor, one also develops an attachment toward the seasoning industry.

The Unique “Chongqing Flavor”

Powered by the fast development of Chongqing hotpot, the seasoning industry in Chongqing grows rapidly and the city has become the largest seasoning base in China. It is said that the Chongqing seasoning products are available in all supermarkets across China. Such deep penetration lays the foundation for this city to become the largest seasoning base in China.

Currently, seasoning producers are building an increasing number of processing bases. Chongqing’s hotpot industry quickly expands their business into other cities by setting up more and more franchised restaurants. In order to deliver the hotpot condiment to the restaurants in a fast and convenient way, producers started to set up condiment processing bases since 2005. The earliest starter was the Little Swan, which invested RMB 25 million to build a hotpot condiment processing base in Shizhu County. After that, other producers began to follow suit.

With the existing processing lines and the distinctive recipes, producers started manufacturing seasonings which can be extensively used in other home cuisines, such as f i sh f i llets in hot chili oil and spring-water chicken and eventually scaled up.

Now, around 30 Chongqing hotpot producers have established processing bases of various seasonings. In addition, the industrial chain has been extended to supply raw materials. Previously, brown pepper, chili pepper and garlic were sourced from other cities. Now, planting bases for such raw materials have been built in counties like Jiangjin and Shizhu.

It is no exaggeration to say that in every supermarket of every city, one can f i nd that Chongqing seasoning products taking up at least one third of its kind on the shelf.

“Chongqing Flavor” Inf l uences the World

In September, 2012, the 3rd China Catering Expo was held in Macao. Over 1000 enterprises from more than 20 countries and regions participated in the Expo. Chongqing Dezhuang, CSC, Zhoujunji and Axingji formed a cluster and became the highlight in the Expo. Feasting on Chongqing’s Mala f l avor, food lovers from all parts of the world were glamorized by its delicacy.

“Chongqing flavor” is now influencing the palate of people across the globe. Even foreigners find the spicy and delicious local delicacy palatable. Cuisines f l avored Chongqing seasonings can always give them a lingering taste in their home countries.

Founded in 1992, Chongqing Hongjiujiu has been awarded with “China Famous Brand”. Its products are not only well sold in China but also available on the overseas markets with high credibility.

Chongqing’s famous seasoning brand Zhoujunji produces mainly hotpot condiment series, spicy fish condiment series, salad sauce series, medicine soup series, instant nutritious hotpot condiment series and Sichuan cuisine and Sichuan-styled noodle seasonings. Zhoujunji had specif i cally held a seasoning promotion session in Hong Kong and visited many local catering enterprises. At present, many Sichuan-styled restaurants in Hong Kong place seasoning orders worth of hundreds of thousands yuan with Zhoujunji every year. Zhoujunji products are marketed to the US, France, Singapore, Canada, Australia, Southeast Asia, etc.

Zhou Yingming, president of Zhoujunji, said, “I am also in my sixties, just like Uncle Sanders, founder of KFC who worked as a busboy all the time and started his business at the age of 69. His fried chicken, however, is now available all over the world and has changed many people’s diet habits.” He has confidence in spreading the popularity of hotpot and even changing foreigners’ consumption habits. By learning from Uncle Sanders to create the Chinese KFC, he strives to sell Zhoujinji’s seasonings across the world.

“Chongqing Flavor” Needs to Merge into International Platform

To bring global influence to China’s seasoning capital, Chongqing’s seasoning brands need to merge into important international platforms proactively so as to increase international opportunities.

In the recent years, thanks to further opening-up in Chongqing, more and more international meetings are held here and the city becomes increasingly influential in the world. Chongqing seasonings, as the local specialty, are gaining more and more international opportunities. For instance, China-CEEC Local Leaders Meeting last June, was one of such large international meetings. There were over 1000 attendants including more than 500 foreign guests and prime ministers of two countries. Besides, China-Russia Two River Meeting(Yangtze River of China and Volga River Reaches of Russia)was held in Chongqing this February. Chinese leaders of six provinces and municipalities including Chongqing, Sichuan and Hunan and 16 states(republics)alongside the Volga River attended the meeting. At these international meetings, the author noticed that some Chengdu garments and Wuhan specialties were displayed and sold. But there were no Chongqing products.

Due to lack of planning of the organizers, Chongqing’s seasoning brands are seldom exhibited in local international conferences despite worldwide sales. Perhaps they believe such seasonings are not yet qualif i ed for appearing at such high-level international occasions. To change this mindset, our seasoning brands should make concerted effort to enhance glamour and appeal so that the organizers will voluntarily include them into the meeting agenda.

In addition, 10 countries have set up consulates in Chongqing, making it the third largest consular city after Beijing and Shanghai. In fact, this can facilitate local seasoning brands to go global. Every year, consular staff can be organized to visit local seasoning producers and collect their testimony for Chongqing as the capital of seasonings.

Last year Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Chongqing municipal government had a vote for foreign affair gifts. Chongqing seasonings, as the most distinctive local specialty, can be also used for such purpose. .