GuShiio.com Wen| Xiaguangshe, author| Canghai Mingyuesheng, Editor| Liu Jingfeng
The end of winter food must be hot pot.
Especially during the New Year, relatives and friends gather at a table. The wind and snow outside, firecrackers are ringing, and the stove and pots are set up in the house. The heat is filled with the air, making it noisy like spring, and the atmosphere is full of atmosphere.
As an original delicacy in China, hot pot has carried the cultural connotation of inclusiveness and joy since its inception. Hot pot is not only a food, but also a social way to accumulate joy, enthusiasm and taste.
Regardless of the world, there is always a hot pot that suits you: the delicious and spicy Sichuan hot pot, the hot and heavy Chongqing hot pot, the mellow and delicious pork shabu in copper pot, and the exquisite and smooth Chaoshan hot pot.……
In this era of globalization, cultural exchanges and collisions are becoming increasingly frequent, and more and more hot pots are entering the tables of overseas families.
According to data from Frost Sullivan, a world-renowned growth consulting firm, the number of overseas hot pot restaurants in the world will reach 134,000 in 2023, with a market size of US$28.9 billion, accounting for 11.1% of the international Chinese catering market.
China hot pot is accelerating towards the world’s table.
Where there are people, there will be Jianghu; where there are China people, there will be delicious food.
There are two theories about the origin of hot pot in the historical world.
According to records in the Book of Wei, copper hot pot appeared during the period when Cao Pi proclaimed himself emperor in the Three Kingdoms, but this eating method was not popularized at that time. With the increasing development of economy and culture, cooking techniques have also been improved, and all kinds of hot pot have been served on people’s tables.
Zuo Si, a scholar of the Western Jin Dynasty, described the banquet scene of the rich people in Chengdu at that time in his “Shu Du Fu”: sitting in the golden lei, and serving in the four rows of dishes. The wine is made with clear rice and fresh with purple scales.” rdquo; Some people inferred from this that hot pot China has a history of at least 1700 years.
The cultural relic unearthed in the ancient tomb of the Eastern Han Dynasty-Wodou looks like a hot pot. Some people speculate that this container, which is placed on a brazier to cook food, may be the prototype of hot pot.
Ancient wok bucket
In 1338 AD, China hot pot was first introduced to Japan, and later evolved into Japan’s specialty food Sukiyaki. This was also the first time that China hot pot went abroad.
In the mid-19th century, the gold rush in the western United States was popular, gathering tens of thousands of Chinese workers in the San Francisco area of the United States. In a foreign country far away from their homeland at that time, how to make delicious food that could satisfy their taste buds with the least amount of money became a practical problem that these foreigners urgently needed to solve.
Later, some people discovered that if animal offal that Americans did not eat and some vegetable scraps were stewed indiscriminately, they actually tasted like their hometown.
As a result, this dish, which came out in poverty and wandering, had a down-to-earth name-fried chop suey.
As Chinese restaurants mushroomed in various states in the United States, fried chop suey has gradually become popular overseas, and even once appeared in many American movies and TV series, becoming a iconic delicacy for Chinese people.
The outbreak of two world wars caused a large number of Chinese to flock to Europe and the United States to escape the war. Many of them chose to operate restaurants as a source of income.
Under their improvements, hot pot that is more suitable for public tastes has become popular among people.
In the 1990s, with the deepening of reform and opening up policies, some state-owned catering brands such as Quanjude and Donglaishun began to explore overseas markets, resulting in the rise of Chinese food going abroad.
After a century of ups and downs, China restaurants, represented by hot pot, have finally gone abroad with pride.
Everyone sits around the stove and shares a pot of steaming delicious food. This unique dining method not only meets the needs of different taste buds, but also shortens the distance between people.
Even Nordic people, known for their social phobia, cannot resist the inherent enthusiasm of hot pot.
Ye Meifang, whose ancestral home is Qingtian, Zhejiang, has been engaged in the Chinese food industry in Stockholm, Sweden since 2003. Six years later, she opened a hot pot restaurant called Asahi near the Stockholm Concert Hall.
It took two years to decorate the store alone. In order to highlight China characteristics, Ye Meifang decorated the store with China style decorations such as Fu characters and China knots. Dining tables, chairs, boilers, pots, etc. were also purchased from China.
At that time, most Swedes did not know what hot pot was, and the majority of people who went to Asahi Hot Pot Restaurant to consume it.
Later, some Swedes walked into the store with a curious mentality, and Ye Meifang immediately realized that the opportunity had come.
So, she went out of her way to teach these people how to make hot pot and how to mix dipping ingredients.
In response to the Swedish eating habits, Ye Meifang also adjusted the dishes in the store.
Locals did not eat animal offal, so the store eliminated beef and goose sausages and replaced them with beef and mutton, seafood, various meatballs, spinach, baby vegetables and other vegetables.
Taking into account the tastes of Swedes, Ye Meifang also adjusted the spiciness of the pot based on the local people’s acceptance of spicy food, and used percentages to quantify the spiciness to provide diverse and customizable flavors.
In addition, the store also provides clear soup pots, tomato pots and other bottoms to cater to diners and children who cannot eat spicy food.
Stockholm is rainy in summer, snowy in winter, and is wet and cold all year round. The effect of hot pot in removing dampness and warming the body has also made more and more Swedes obsessed with this magical oriental food.
At the party, everyone ate while eating around the hot pot. They watched the ingredients rolling and dancing in the red oil. The peppers and pepper collided violently. The heat and aroma rose in the air, which undoubtedly brought a visual, taste and sensory feast to the diners.
Nowadays, hot pot restaurants are mushrooming on the streets of Stockholm, and hot pot has led to a new trend of Swedish cuisine.
If social attributes give hot pot the spiritual core, then standardization that is easy to replicate obviously sets technical barriers for hot pot.
Chinese food, which is famous for its breadth and depth, has extremely complex cooking methods. There are 28 cooking methods in eight major cuisines, including frying, roasting, frying, boiling, blanching, rinsing, steaming, and stewing, which are dazzling.
Therefore, the mainstream view in the catering industry believes that the most difficult cooking in the world is Chinese food. rdquo;
However, in the era of restaurant chains, what food needs to pursue is standardization and stylization.
Compared with those Chinese food categories that focus on chef experience, hot pot bases, ingredients, and ingredients can be produced and distributed uniformly, with a higher degree of standardization.
Because of this, the taste and stability of hot pot are guaranteed, and the costs and risks of companies operating overseas are greatly reduced.
As a person in charge of a hot pot brand said: The biggest advantage of hot pot going out to sea is standardization. As long as the ingredients and ingredients are in place, authentic Sichuan-Chongqing hot pot can be made no matter where you are.& rdquo;
Social attributes + standardization have made hot pot a leader in the Chinese food sea track.
According to the “2022 New Catering Industry Research Report” of Meituan New Catering Research Institute, the current chain rate of hot pot has reached 21%, ranking first among chain Chinese food.
As the domestic catering industry continues to become involved, going to sea has become the key word for the development of catering companies.
Leading catering brands represented by hot pot are all gearing up and showcasing their unique skills.
Southeast Asia, which has many Chinese people and a high sense of cultural identity, is the first choice for hot pot brands to go abroad.
As a leader in the hot pot industry, Haidilao opened its first overseas store in Singapore as early as 2012. With its meticulous service, Haidilao has quickly won reputation among local diners, and the number of stores has grown steadily. As of 2024, the number of Haidilao stores in Singapore has reached 20.
In Malaysia, Haidilao has carefully developed hot pot that meets halal standards based on the eating habits of the local Muslim community, and has been successfully integrated into the local market.
In Europe and the United States, where cultural differences are large, Haidilao works even harder. Taking into account the preference of Europeans and Americans for split meals, the traditional big pot was changed to a small hot pot form with one pot for each person.
In response to European and American tastes, Haidilao has increased the supply of beef, chicken and other dishes, while reducing ingredients such as brain flowers and duck intestines that may make it difficult for local people to accept.
In the UK, Haidilao’s first store in London is located in the core commercial area of Piccadilly Circle. The interior decoration is unique, which not only retains the elegance of Chinese style, but also incorporates British fashion elements, attracting many tourists to check in.
Today, Haidilao already operates 122 Haidilao hot pot restaurants in 13 countries on four continents, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the United States, Canada and other countries.
As the leading brand of Sichuan-style hot pot, Xiaolongkan has more than 900 stores around the world, including more than 70 overseas stores, mainly distributed in Europe, Southeast Asia, North America and other places.
Behind this shining performance list is inseparable from the company’s flexible control of local taste preferences and supply chain conditions.
In Bangkok, Thailand, Xiaolongkan combines the local hot climate with a special drink that is cool and spicy, paired with hot hot pot, bringing diners a wonderful experience of ice and fire.
In Madrid, Spain, in response to local tastes, Xiaolongkan cleverly blends Spaniards ‘favorite tomatoes with Chinese hot pot to launch a slightly spicy tomato butter duck pot.
Local stores will also hold hot pot cultural experience activities from time to time, inviting local customers to make hot pot seasonings by hand to experience the unique charm of Chinese cuisine.
In Europe, Xiaolongkan uses local scenic spots to turn stores into check-in holy places for food lovers. Xiaolongkan Store in Paris, France, has attracted a large number of China students and China tourists to the store for dinner.
As one of the first companies to start going to sea, Happy Lamb Hotpot is committed to bringing fresh, healthy and localized taste enjoyment to diners around the world. It has adopted a supply chain-first model according to local conditions: Belgian blue sheep are selected for stores in Australia, and Welsh sheep are selected in the UK.
Dezhuang Hotpot, which has more than 900 stores at home and abroad, is famous for its largest hot pot in the world. After entering Toronto, Canada, its founder Li Dejian successfully developed Li’s spicy degrees: 12, 36, 45, 52, 65, and 75 indicate that the spicy taste is gradually increasing, providing consumers with diversified and customizable flavors.
In recent years, with the improvement of China’s overseas identity, Chinese food represented by hot pot has been preparing to go out to sea to expand the boundaries of the brand market and gain new increments.
At the same time, the policy dividends released by the government have injected a shot in the arm for hot pot companies to go abroad.
On March 28, 2024, with the approval of the State Council, the Ministry of Commerce and other nine departments jointly issued the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the High-Quality Development of the Catering Industry” to support catering business entities to actively explore overseas markets.
According to statistics, there are currently more than 600,000 Chinese restaurants around the world, located in more than 200 countries and regions. In the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries, Chinese restaurants have become an indispensable part of the local catering market.
In addition to policy guidance, the large number of Chinese and overseas Chinese consumer groups also provide potential opportunities for Chinese food to go abroad.
According to the “Blue Book of Chinese and Overseas Chinese: Research Report on Overseas Chinese” released in 2020, as of 2020, there are nearly 60 million overseas Chinese in the world.
“Deutsche Welle quoted German tourism experts as predicting that: China is the world’s largest source of tourists, and it is expected that by 2030, the number of China tourists traveling to all over the world is expected to increase to 228 million.
Considering the development process of economic globalization, this number will continue to increase.
What’s more, the currently booming digital economy has been fueling the fuel for Chinese food going abroad.
Digital application scenarios have penetrated into every aspect of the catering industry. For example, scanning code ordering, mobile payment, online takeout, online reviews, central kitchens, etc. have long become standard features in restaurants and supermarkets, and their penetration rate is far ahead of overseas.
Various consumption forms such as online ordering, online takeout, live delivery, Short Video, smart restaurants and smart kitchens, and consumption scenarios are emerging one after another; the development of digital supply chains such as fully automatic sorting robots and unmanned distribution has not only greatly improved corporate efficiency, but also reduced operating costs.
Wave after wave of good news indicates that Chinese food will surely usher in a blue ocean of commerce.
However, it is not easy for China’s catering industry, which is gradually heading to deep waters, to ride the wind and waves overseas.
First of all, compliance differences caused by culture and laws constitute the number one obstacle for the catering industry to go abroad.
Food safety rules vary in different countries or different regions of the same country, and the same ingredients, condiments, and production methods will be treated differently.
For example, goose sausage can be eaten in Sydney and Australia, but it is banned in Melbourne. Special condiments commonly used in Chinese food, such as soy sauce, fermented bean and some preserved products, are unsanitary according to Western hygiene standards, and many companies have been fined for this.
Localization construction is another challenge faced by catering brands when going abroad.
For example, Haidilao, which is famous for its high-quality services in China, seems to have become acclimatized in the United States. Americans value privacy and security more than humble services.
Compared with China, foreigners will mind more about eating hot pot leaving a smell on their bodies. Good ventilation, exhaust and deodorization tools are also important.
To this end, after Tan Duck Blood went to Europe, it would even stir-fry the hot pot base to suit the local tastes.
Differences in overseas employment have also restricted the development of China catering companies overseas to varying degrees.
Different from low-cost employment in the domestic service industry, developed countries such as Europe and the United States have higher demands for employment hours and welfare guarantees.
In this regard, Haidilao is at the forefront of the industry.
It is reported that Haidilao has cultivated localized catering management talents in Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, South Korea and the United States. For example, in Malaysia, more than half of store managers are Malaysian Chinese.
Yang Ou, vice president of Happy Sheep, also announced that it is working with some educational institutions to establish training bases to cultivate qualified talents and deliver them to overseas branches.
Hot pot going out to sea is not only a big breakthrough for the catering industry to fight corruption, but also an inevitable trend in the development of economic globalization.
It is foreseeable that international exchanges will become increasingly frequent in the future, and hot pot, a special Chinese food, will continue to boil the taste buds around the world and create a hot world on the global commercial stage.
Because controlling the appetite of diners means controlling the code of wealth.
References:
[1]”Sichuan and Chongqing Hotpot Spicy Business Experience: Leading New Food Fashion Overseas”, China News Network
[2]”Hot Pot Going to Sea Business”, China Management Network
[3]”Hot! Spicy! Get out! Hot! Sichuan and Chongqing Hot Pot is popular in more than 80 countries around the world,”CCTV Finance
[4]”Spicy Hot Pot, Conquering the Swedes”, China Overseas Chinese Network
[5]”Southeast Asia’s New Development Code: China Hot Pot?” Huanshi Finance
