Maoge Taste of Chongqing Gift Box Flavory Pickles,Thick Nostalgia

By Yang Yan/The World and Chongqing

Located in China (Chongqing) International Food Industry City in Yubei District,Maoge Food Production Base is abustle with logistics vehicles,clean standard plants,busy workshops,and aromatic pickles,exciting and inspiring.After a series of processes including cleaning,cutting,boiling,filling,and sterilization,yellowish pickled radishes roll from the production line into packages of “Maoge Duck Soup”.

As a well-established food company in Chongqing,Maoge Food Development Co.,Ltd.has 7 food series and over 100 products including soup,stew,and hotpot flavorings,which have been sold throughout China and to more than 30 countries and regions such as the United States,Canada,France,South Korea,Japan,Singapore,South Africa.Among them,“Maoge Taste of Chongqing Gift Box” has been selected as a custom product in 2021 “Chongqing Gifts for Foreign Affairs”.

“Maoge Taste of Chongqing Gift Box” has been selected as a custom product in 2021“Chongqing Gifts for Foreign Affairs”.“毛哥品味重庆礼盒装”以定制产品的方式入选2021“重庆好礼·外事礼品”。

The Production Line of Pickled Products泡菜制品生产线。

走进位于重庆渝北区中国重庆国际食品工业城内的毛哥食品生产基地，来往的物流车辆，洁净的标准厂房，繁忙的生产车间，扑面而来的泡菜醇香，热火朝天的景象让人振奋。随着生产线不断传运，一个个淡黄色的泡萝卜在经过清洗、切块、熬制、灌装、杀菌等一系列工序后，变成“毛哥老鸭汤”底料包封装下线……

Brand of Pickled Vegetable Culture

Tasty and savory Maoge Duck Soup has long been imprinted into the memory of Chongqing locals.

“Pickled radish duck soup was initially a popular dish when I opened the restaurant.With a view to making the pickled vegetables and radish in the duck soup taste purer,I opened a workshop for pickling vegetables.Little did I know that this would be the beginning of it all.” Zhou Zhijun,Chairman of Maoge Food Development Co.,Ltd,a representative inheritor of pickle-making techniques,has extensive knowledge of the pickled vegetable culture in Sichuan and Chongqing.

Spicy flavor,especially hotpot is deep in the heart of Chongqing people.Zhou Zhijun at first also worried that it might be hard for duck soup to stand out in many hotpot brands,yet facts show that light and healthy Maoge Food is beneficial to allages and has become a household food flavoring name.

作为重庆老牌食品企业，毛哥食品有限公司拥有汤料、炖料、火锅底料等7个系列、100多个单品，销往全国各地以及美国、加拿大、法国、韩国、日本、新加坡、南非等30多个国家及地区。其中，“毛哥品味重庆礼盒装”以定制产品的方式入选2021“重庆好礼·外事礼品”。

打造泡菜文化品牌

鲜美浓郁的毛哥老鸭汤，早已是多少重庆人记忆中熟悉的味道。

“酸萝卜老鸭汤最初是我开餐馆时很受欢迎的一道菜。为了让老鸭汤里的酸菜和酸萝卜味道更纯正，就开了一家腌制泡菜的作坊。没想到，这就成为了一切的开端。”毛哥食品有限公司董事长周志军，泡菜制作技艺代表性传承人，对川渝泡菜文化颇有研究。

重庆人无辣不欢，火锅深入人心，起初周志军也担心老鸭汤恐难在众多火锅品牌中突围，但事实证明，二十年如一日的毛哥食品，清淡又养生，老少皆宜，让重庆人家喻户晓。

“为了做出营养健康的食品，在生产技术和食材的选择上，我们要求非常高，把工厂的生产线建设得像药厂一样严谨专业，确保生产中的每个环节都安全卫生。”周志军介绍说，公司成立专业的研发团队并与西南大学食品科学学院进行紧密的合作，专门针对家禽家畜的炖、烧、炒等调料品的研发和生产。

秉持“发扬泡菜文化，打造民族品牌”的愿景，坚持“有真料才有好味道”的理念，2001年起，毛哥食品从小坛子到大车间，从一个萝卜到七家公司，不断加大产品研发，现有汤料、炖料、鱼调料、火锅底料等10余个系列、近200个品种的产品。

Zhou Zhijun (second from left) introduces Maoge Food to the Korean delegation.周志军（左二）向韩国考察团介绍毛哥食品。

“In order to make nutritious and healthy food,we are very strict in the production technology and the selection of ingredients,building the production line as rigorous and professional as a pharmaceutical factory to ensure that every step in production is safe and hygienic”,said Zhou Zhijun.He also added that the company has set up a professional R&D team and worked closely with the College of Food Science of Southwest University to promote the development and production of seasoning products for poultry and livestock stewing,roasting,and stir-frying.

With the vision of “promoting pickled vegetable culture and building the national brand” and the concept of “good taste is only possible with genuine ingredients”,since 2001,Maoge Food has intensified efforts in product research and development from small jars to large workshops and from one radish to seven companies.Now there are more than 10 series and nearly 200 varieties of products such as soup,stew,fish seasoning,and hotpot soup base.

Chongqing Pickles Going Global

So far,Maoge Food has been sold throughout the country and exported to more than 30 countries and regions,with annual export sales of around RMB30 million.

Many years ago,when Zhou Zhijun was on a field trip overseas,he found that Maoge Food was very popular among Chinese students studying overseas.

Where there is a particular flavor,there is a hometown.The delicacy of the hometown and the taste sense of childhood will always be an unforgettable memory in the hearts of people traveling faraway.“When studying abroad,eating is often a big issue.Chinese students are very hands-on and can cook ducksoup with pickled radish in the dormitory.When smelling the cooking aroma,wonderful memories of their hometown will instantly jump into their minds.” Zhou Zhijun believes that a hometown dish can satisfy the taste buds of people traveling faraway and comfort their heart,which is the transmission and inheritance of local food culture.

重庆泡菜走向世界

目前，毛哥食品已销往全国各地，出口30多个国家及地区，出口年销售额在3000万元左右。

多年前，周志军在海外考察时发现，毛哥食品深受中国留学生的喜爱。

味至浓时是故乡，故乡的美食、童年的味觉永远是游子心中无法忘却的记忆。“在国外读书期间，饮食往往是个大问题。中国留学生动手能力强，在宿舍里煮一锅酸萝卜老鸭汤，在袅袅醇香中有关家乡的美好记忆便一下子涌动出来。”周志军认为，一道家乡的菜肴能满足游子的味蕾、慰藉心灵，这便是地方美食文化的传递与传承。

为了让更多的人了解重庆美食，让重庆泡菜走向世界，毛哥食品研发团队严格对标出口国家的要求和标准，在不改变产品口味的情况下对产品配料进行微调，逐渐打开海外人士的味蕾。同时，毛哥食品以国际会展为契机打开国际视野，SIAL国际食品展（上海）、上海国际餐饮食材博览会、中国（广州）酒店餐饮业博览会……都能见其身影。不仅如此，韩国代表团、“一带一路”沿线国家代表团等先后来到毛哥食品生产基地参观考察，深入了解中国泡菜文化。

In order to get publicity for Chongqing cuisine and help Chongqing pickles go global,the R&D team of Maoge Food strictly follows the requirements and standards of exporting countries.Without changing the taste of the food,the ingredients are fine-tuned to gradually open the taste buds of foreigners.Meanwhile,Maoge Food takes international exhibitions as an opportunity to expand its international market,and it can be seen at SIAL Shanghai,Shanghai International New Catering Ingredients Exhibition and China (Guangzhou) Hotel Catering Industry Expo......In addition,Korean delegation and delegations from countries along the Belt and Road have visited the production base to learn more about Chinese pickle culture.

Zhongtan Industrial Park in Wusheng Economic Development Zone,Guang’an,Sichuan,has integrated research and development,production,sales,tourism and planting.In July 2022,the first phase of the Maoge pickles and condiment industrial processing base project with a total investment of RMB700 million was put into operation there.“In the future,we will also cooperate with tourism companies in Sichuan and Chongqing to incorporate the Wusheng production base as well as the surrounding tourist attractions into a tourism loop.And we will develop sightseeing tourism so that people can come to experience this ‘visible’pickled vegetable culture.” Deep in the heart of Zhou Zhijun,he has never given up the dream of setting up a centenary enterprise and centenary brand.

Photo/The Interviewee

2022年7月，在四川广安武胜经开区中滩工业园区，集研发、生产、销售、观光旅游、种植于一体，总投资7亿元的毛哥泡菜、调味品产业化加工基地项目一期已投产。“未来，我们还将与川渝两地的旅游公司合作，将武胜生产基地以及周边旅游景点纳入形成旅游环线，发展观光旅游，让大家走进来，体验这‘看得见’的泡菜文化。”在周志军心里，百年企业、百年品牌的梦想从未停止。

Maoge Food is well received at the Shanghai International New Catering Ingredients Exhibition (Hangzhou).毛哥食品参加上海国际餐饮食材展（杭州站），深受欢迎。