Let the "Freshness" of Taizhou "Immerse" Thousands of Households

On October 31, the "World City of Gastronomy Development Symposium" concluded in Tiantai. Centered on the theme of "Harmony Between Mountains and Seas, Shared Culinary Prosperity," this grand event not only brought together insights and expertise from the domestic and international culinary and cultural tourism sectors but also brought greater clarity to Taizhou’s bid to become a "World City of Gastronomy."

According to statistics, Taizhou boasts over 300 traditional delicacies and nearly 60,000 catering establishments. Culinary hubs such as Jiaojiang’s Xinhai Tiandi, Jiazhi Old Street, Huangyan’s Guanhe Water Street, and Luqiao’s Shili Long Street each offer distinct flavors. These areas have nurtured Xin Rong Ji, the restaurant with the most Michelin stars in China, as well as local benchmark brands like Lin Jiayi and Lao Bian Restaurant. Even more commendable is that over 1,300 Taizhou cuisine restaurants have taken root in Shanghai, allowing the fresh, refreshing, and rich "Taizhou flavor" to spread across the Yangtze River Delta, serving as a vivid example of how regional cuisine can gain nationwide prominence.

Taizhou cuisine is "defined by its freshness," drawing not only from the geographical blessings of its mountains and seas but also from locally passed-down seasonings, which form its unique distinction from other seafood cuisines. The essence of this freshness is inseparable from time-honored processed ingredients such as ginger sauce, dried fish, dried shrimp, and local starch. Ginger sauce, with its spicy yet mild flavor, removes any fishy notes from seafood while enhancing its natural taste. Sun-dried fish concentrate the savory essence of the sea, releasing an irresistible aroma when stewed with fresh meat. Local starch, used for thickening, adds a richer depth to the freshness. These regionally distinctive ingredients reflect the Taizhou people’s exquisite mastery of flavor, transforming ordinary ingredients into the unique taste of Taizhou cuisine.

For Taizhou cuisine to truly "go global" and establish the "Taizhou Cuisine" brand, the key lies in making its distinctive freshness more deeply resonant and accessible. Establishing a standardized system is one crucial approach. By defining ingredient selection criteria, standardizing the processing of auxiliary ingredients, and refining cooking procedures, the essence of Taizhou cuisine’s seasoning can be transformed into replicable and scalable cooking methods. Building on this, further development of pre-made dishes, seasoning packets, and other derivative products can turn Taizhou flavors, once only enjoyed in restaurants, into takeaway and replicable home-cooked meals. This extension from dining out to cooking at home allows consumers from other regions to easily recreate authentic Taizhou flavors. Moreover, it enables "Taizhou taste" to deeply integrate into daily life, creating broader scenarios for brand dissemination.

The conclusion of this symposium marks a new starting point for the promotion of Taizhou’s culinary culture and a new opportunity in its bid to become a "World City of Gastronomy." With the advantage of ingredients gifted by its mountains and seas, time-honored culinary techniques, the absorption of advanced experiences, and continuous exploration of brand innovation, Taizhou is poised to steadily advance on its path toward the "World City of Gastronomy." The vision of "Harmony Between Mountains and Seas, Shared Culinary Prosperity" will be translated into a dynamic practice of flavor dissemination, allowing the taste of Taizhou to spread its aroma worldwide.

Translator：Jiayang Lin