After cooking, Feng Yuanri, a post-80s "cook recruit" who helped in the kitchen, skillfully handed in various condiments and kitchen utensils. ...
A seemingly ordinary dish actually embodies the essence of Li Yongtai's cooking career for more than 40 years. With the precise balance of time and temperature, Li Yongtai quickly quietly opened the lid. I saw that the mellow silk of Huadiao wine infiltrated into the fresh and sweet chicken nuggets, and the rich fragrance filled the air. A simple but not simple traditional Cantonese dish "Huadiao Chicken" appeared in front of diners. Chef Feng Yuanri also silently remembered the chef's cooking skills.
"Eat in Guangzhou, the kitchen comes out of Fengcheng", and the "kitchen gang" in Shunde, Foshan can be described as the "Taishan Beidou" in Cantonese cuisine. Over the years, Foshan chefs have gone to the whole country and the world with the rise of Cantonese cuisine, and the essence of Cantonese cuisine has been passed down from generation to generation.
Inheritance, in this master "main spoon", apprentice "help kitchen" moment.
Cantonese cuisine has become a beautiful business card for Foshan, and it has also opened up a road to poverty alleviation for Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province, opposite Foshan. Since last year, Guangdong has actively promoted the "Master of Cantonese Cuisine" project as an important starting point for implementing the strategy of "revitalizing the countryside" and winning the battle against poverty. Nowadays, groups of Liangshan youths come to Foshan to "learn from teachers" and enter the kitchen classroom of famous Cantonese cuisine teachers, becoming a new force to inherit Cantonese cuisine.
The Master of Cantonese Cuisine in the Great Era
As one of the eight major cuisines in China, the formation, prosperity and development of Cantonese cuisine cannot be separated from the active promotion of Shunde chefs. Liang, a scholar in Qing Dynasty, wrote in his book Sleepwalking in Fengcheng: "Shunde is a land of milk and honey, and Guangzhou's diet is not as good as it."
By the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Shunde chefs went to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Australia and even Southeast Asia, Europe, America and even Africa to open restaurants with their skills. Guangfu Haiyun wrote: "Overseas, Shunde restaurants are mostly Cantonese clubs".
"From a historical point of view, Cantonese cuisine has great influence in China. In 1930s and 1940s, restaurants and restaurants with Cantonese cuisine appeared in Shanghai. However, the period when the influence of Cantonese cuisine reached its peak was after reform and opening up. " Li Yongtai, 1950 was born in Rong Gui, Shunde, and he was a witness of this history.
Back to 1973, most colleges and universities in China have begun to resume enrollment. At that time, Li Yongtai had been farming in his hometown Shunde for five years. By chance, he learned that Guangzhou Service Industry Secondary Professional School (now Guangzhou Tourism Business Vocational School) was about to open a cooking major, and would recruit 100 students.
"In those days, it was not easy for young people to go back to the city to study. I signed up without thinking, and I was lucky to be admitted. " Recalling the past more than 40 years ago, Li Yongtai's thoughts are still clear. "At that time, 100 students enrolled together were divided into two directions: pastry and cooking. And I chose cooking, and I embarked on the road of chef. "
In fact, Guangzhou Tourism Business Vocational School is the first school in the province to offer culinary specialties, so it is known as the "Whampoa Military Academy" for Guangdong chefs.
A big background is that in the early days of reform and opening up, the hotel industry in Guangzhou gradually rose. The famous White Swan Hotel was born in this period. According to statistics, there were 28 hotels in Guangzhou in 1980, with 8 146 rooms. What follows is the scarcity of talents in hotel-related industries. Therefore, in the 1980s, Guangzhou Tourism Business Vocational School actually undertook the task of training talents for local star-rated hotels.
However, young Li Yongtai didn't think so much. "Our generation is very simple, and it is very satisfying to have a stable job." With the deepening of his understanding of the chef industry, he gradually fell in love with this business, which lasted for more than 40 years.
Cantonese cuisine is a cultural card of Guangdong, and its development changes with the changes of the times. Guangdong chef was a nobody in the great era. The story of their struggle to pursue their dreams also has a distinct brand of the times.
From 65438 to 0989, Li Yongtai graduated and stayed in school to teach for more than 14 years. At this time, Kong Qingcong, who lives in Liu Le, Shunde, just graduated from middle school and came to Xianquan Hotel as an apprentice.
"There is a saying that roughly means that if you can't learn, you will be a chef. I think it's good to be a chef and eat many things, including many novel foods. " Kong Qingcong also revealed that because being a chef was too hard, he was shaken when he first entered the business. "The challenges and innovations of the chef profession have kept me going."
Time flies. Today, Kong Qingcong has been engaged in the chef industry for more than 30 years and taught in Shunde Vocational and Technical College (hereinafter referred to as Shunzhi College) for 8 years. "What I have to do now is to pass on my cooking experience to the students."
Feng Yuanri is a colleague of Kong Qingcong, born in 1980s. In 2008, after failing the college entrance examination, he chose to study cooking at Shunzhi College. "I choose to do this because chefs can make delicious food, thus improving people's quality of life and even becoming a carrier of regional cultural communication."
This year, Yun Feng became a cooking professional teacher in Shunzhi College, teaching cooking techniques and serving as a class teacher. "How to teach my brothers and sisters well and guide them to start their careers better is my new challenge."
The change and invariability of skill inheritance
There is a saying in Cantonese cuisine, which is traditional, but not authentic.
"Every master has a killer, and every famous chef has a good dish. They summed up their experience into valuable experience and passed it on from generation to generation, which is also the reason why the disciples have made rapid progress. " In Li Yongtai's view, today, the traditional "master with apprentice" is still an important way to inherit the skills of Cantonese cuisine industry.
In the 1970s, as soon as he entered the school, he studied with a group of famous chefs from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. "My predecessors taught me not only cooking skills, but also cooking ethics. Their love for this industry deeply touched me. "
Enterprise practice is an indispensable part of learning cooking. After graduation, Li Yongtai took to the podium and still insisted on going into the hotel kitchen with the students to participate in production and operation.
"At that time, I took my students back and forth in Guangzhou Datong Restaurant for four years. Go to the restaurant early in the morning and make cakes with my classmates; In the morning tea time, push snack car to sell with the students; I have done a lot of work such as Dutch, chopping board, wok, etc. " In his mind, going into the kitchen and going to work is the best way to improve his skills. "My cooking skills were accumulated in those years."
From the student to the teacher, and then gradually to the post of principal, Li Yongtai attributed his persistence to the guidance and teaching of the master and the progress made in the practice process. "After eight assessments, I went from a person who didn't understand the kitchen at first to a senior technician (a first-class chef). Along the way, I felt my progress and the sense of accomplishment that followed. "
For Kong Qingcong, the road to learning cooking is more difficult. "At the beginning, there was a saying in the industry called' teaching apprentices and starving teachers'. Newcomers who want to learn from their teachers are mostly unwilling to accept them, and generally don't let apprentices get close. "
"Stealing teachers" became the main way for Kong Qingcong to learn cooking. "When I work at ordinary times, I secretly see how the master operates. When the master goes to smoke or get off work, we will eat kitchen garbage to practice basic skills such as knife work and wok. "
The process of learning to cook is like a road of "upgrading and playing tricks": when you first enter the business, you start as a handyman; After two months to half a year, they will be assigned to the post of "water platform", responsible for the slaughter and cleaning of fish and seafood; If you work hard, you will soon be promoted to the "chopping block", which is responsible for cutting vegetables and side dishes.
"From rough processing to fine processing, and then slowly learn to cook simple dishes, until one and a half years later, the master will rest assured that you are alone." Kong Qingcong said that it is difficult for many people to stick to this road and will waver halfway. "But I understand that once shaken, the time ahead will be wasted." After about four years in the business, I began to rise from the "tail fire" responsible for cooking and working meals to the supervisor.
1999, after working in Xianquan Hotel for more than ten years, Kong Qingcong moved to Shunfeng Mountain Villa Hotel as the director of production department. During this period, the catering industry in Guangdong developed rapidly. Many newly opened restaurants are looking for chefs and are willing to hire apprentices from Shunde Xianquan Hotel. "In the beginning, Cantonese restaurants were more common in Guangzhou and Shunde. Later, many bosses took chefs out of the province to start businesses, which is another story. "
In Feng Yuanri's generation, there are more choices to learn to cook, such as going to vocational schools. "I never cooked before I went to college, and I didn't even bring a knife. I just started learning cooking, and I have a poor foundation among 46 students in my class. "
Due to the limitation of course arrangement and teaching progress, the more important role of teachers is to "lead students into the door" and let them have a comprehensive understanding of chefs. As for the improvement of cooking skills, it is still "practice makes perfect by individuals". "There are very few opportunities for classroom practice, so several students and I thought of a way to help the staff canteen." During his college years, Feng Yuanri and his classmates insisted on helping the kitchen in the staff canteen, which included free working meals. "Through a lot of high-intensity training, I feel that my skills have improved significantly."
Even so, in Feng Yuanri's view, "master with apprentice" is still an important survival mode of the chef industry. "In this line, learning from a good master means a better platform and development opportunities."
The Inner Philosophy of Harmonious Aesthetics
Dice the onion, ginger, garlic and other auxiliary materials, and then put the peeled raw shrimp into the pot. At that time, the hot oil in the pot was boiling and the aroma was overflowing. This is the first class on April 12. Li Yongtai and Kong Qingcong participated in the "Precision Poverty Alleviation" chef training class in Liangshan Prefecture: chilli shrimp.
Cantonese cuisine, especially Guangfu cuisine, has always been known for its lightness and delicacy. "Nowadays, young people's dietary tastes are partial, so we also try to combine the cooking techniques of Sichuan cuisine and Cantonese cuisine." Kong Qingcong said.
The continuous harmonious evolution of taste reveals the inherent philosophy of innovation and tolerance of Cantonese cuisine. In the Qing Dynasty, Qu Dajun's "Guangdong New Language" said: "The food in the world is available in eastern Guangdong; All the cuisines in eastern Guangdong may not be available in the world. " Lingnan's rich products provide sufficient material guarantee for the diversified ingredients of Cantonese cuisine. For this, Zhou Qufei's "A Generation Beyond the Ridge" in the Southern Song Dynasty also has an incisive record: "People who are harmonious, regardless of birds, animals, snakes and insects, eat everything. In the meantime, the smell is good and ugly. " Until today, Cantonese cuisine is still absorbing and introducing foods from all over the world as ingredients.
In addition, Guangdong's unique geographical location, convenient land and water transportation and developed commercial trade make it easier to absorb and integrate the characteristics of foreign food culture, thus further promoting the catering industry in other regions.
In Li Yongtai's impression, after the reform and opening up, many chefs in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao began to "go north" gradually, which had an impact on the taste, cooking habits and even styles of northern cuisines to some extent.
"The common stainless steel cooking equipment was first introduced to Guangdong from Hong Kong, and then gradually spread all over the country." He explained that kitchen utensils and equipment made of stainless steel have the advantages of easy cleaning and strong functionality, and once introduced, they will soon be widely used. In addition to advanced equipment, the concept of kitchen management in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, represented by post setting, has also brought profound influence to the catering industry in various places.
"The catering industry is the window of the national economy. At that time, Guangdong's economic development advanced by leaps and bounds, and it naturally developed faster and had a greater impact on the diet. " Li Yongtai said.
In recent years, various new dishes such as "creative dishes", "conceptual dishes" and "artistic dishes" have become quite popular, and their innovations in taste and presentation are sought after by young people. This invisibly inspired the innovative inspiration of Cantonese cuisine masters.
Recently, Feng Yuanri learned many innovative Cantonese dishes, one of which is "Braised eel slices in colorful sauce". This dish uses eel, a traditional Cantonese ingredient, and combines western cooking techniques.
After cutting the raw materials, Feng Yuanri took out the electronic kitchen scale, carefully measured the grams of salt, sugar, chicken powder and other seasonings, and then prepared them into boiled juice. "Before mastering this dish, you can use the kitchen scale to measure it and try to avoid taste deviation."
Stir-fry the processed eel slices in cooking wine evenly, put them into a dish containing shredded onion, shredded green pepper, shredded red pepper, shredded onion, shredded sour ginger, shredded sour onion and coriander stalks, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. A "colorful pickled eel slices" is finished. When eating, you only need to stir all kinds of ingredients evenly. The sweet and layered taste and colorful appearance not only satisfy their taste preferences, but also cater to the young people's dining habit of "let the mobile phone eat first". "In the current environment of frequent emerging dishes, Cantonese cuisine needs packaging and creativity more." Feng Yuanri said.
An ingenious return after the noise
"I love my job and I want to train more excellent chefs." Since retiring from the post of president of Guangzhou Tourism Business Vocational School on 20 1 1, Li Yongtai has been working as a professional consultant in Shunzhi College, assisting the school in teaching guidance, teaching research and development, etc.
In his teaching career of more than 40 years, Li Yongtai has lost count of how many students he has taught. "In the 1970s and 1980s, a group of Beijing students came to our school to study Cantonese cuisine for two years." Later, you can taste the skills of these students at important banquets in many countries.
In addition to teaching, Li Yongtai often participates in food research and development and technical research of catering enterprises. In his view, there are still many articles to be done in the current Cantonese cuisine industry in terms of food culture mining.
"After this year, I really' put down the kitchen knife'." At the end of the interview, 69-year-old Li Yongtai said with a smile that he was going to enjoy retirement and his career was over.
From "stealing teachers" to preaching and teaching to solve doubts, from a certain point of view, Kong Qingcong has also achieved a reincarnation of his career. "In the past, as a chef, my sense of accomplishment came from the recognition of the guests. Now as a teacher, my sense of accomplishment comes from every progress of the students. " He also said half jokingly, "In the past, we all learned to steal teachers, and now students are very happy to have teachers to teach."
Unlike his two predecessors, Feng Yuanri has just returned to the Cantonese cuisine industry after a short absence. "20 1 1 After graduation, I entered the catering industry. Later, due to various objective factors and inner confusion, I entered the financial industry for some time. " On August 20 14, he returned to Shunzhi College to participate in a cooking training program, and now he is a cooking teacher and head teacher. "I used to be very keen on making life plans, but now I prefer to focus on the present and cultivate my cooking skills."
The struggle stories of Li Yongtai, Kong Qingcong and Feng Yuanri are the epitome of the growth process of three generations of Cantonese chefs in Foshan.
From the confusion of Cantonese chefs to firmness, from the prosperity of the whole cuisine to the integration and innovation, there is a return of values and the return of food and cooking itself.
"In the past two years, Guangdong has vigorously implemented the' Master of Cantonese Cuisine' project to boost rural revitalization. At the same time, it also allows more people to understand Cantonese culture and attract more people to join the ranks of Cantonese chefs, thus effectively promoting the rapid development of the Cantonese cuisine industry. " In Li Yongtai's view, no matter how the times change and the world changes, the essence of Cantonese cuisine masters remains unchanged.
"At any time, cooking is a craft, and every chef needs to practice cooking and make good dishes. Only in this way can Cantonese culture be truly passed down from generation to generation. "
Author Wang,
Photography Dai Jiaxin
Author Wang Wei; Dai Jiaxin; Don
Source: South Newspaper Media Group South+ Client SouthNo. ~ Foshan city ~ Foshan self-operated no. ~ urban methodology