County’s bakers see their profits rising
Print Edition
STOVES below 100 griddle plates roared into action, and 100 bakers waited eagerly for the starting gong.
The chefs were in Xiangfen in north China’s Shanxi Province, for the county’s first contest to find the best baker of shaobing, a traditional flatbread.
Shaobing was first brought to Xiangfen sometime after 770BC, and, while available elsewhere, is particularly popular in the north.
After more than two hours, Qiao Yongjun from Yonggu Town was named the winner. He sells shaobing in the provincial capital of Taiyuan.
Since the 1990s, 20,000 people have left Xiangfen to find work in China’s cities. While many migrant workers look for jobs as construction or factory workers, a large number from Xiangfen have chosen to make shaobing their livelihood.
Yuan Wugen, 43, lost out in the competition but is a winner in the shaobing business.
Born into a poor rural family, he got his first job at a restaurant when he was just 14 and by the time he was 20 had his own restaurant in Beijing that specialized in shaobing. He now heads a lucrative catering enterprise.
After getting married in 1999, Yu Dongxiang, 45, found himself in debt, so he went to Beijing and rented a tiny store, not much more than a hole in the wall, to sell shaobing.
“I earned more than 20,000 yuan (US$2,906) in that first year, which meant I could pay off my debt,” said Yu who now owns a restaurant in the capital.
Shaobing pioneers like Yu have reported earnings of more than 300,000 yuan a year.
The purpose of the contest was to promote Xiangfen shaobing and offer bakers an opportunity to share and perfect their skills, said deputy county chief Du Xutang. “We want every resident of Xiangfen, especially the young, to know that this traditional snack has the potential to generate a good income,” he said.
The profits haven’t gone unnoticed by Xiangfen’s younger generation, who are happily donning aprons and taking over their parents’ businesses.
“Making shaobing may be hard work, but I am motivated knowing that this food is being turned into cash, cars and house,” said Yang Huiting, 31, who recently took over a restaurant from her father.
Yang returned to Xiangfen for Spring Festival but she will be returning to Beijing sometime soon.
“Selling snacks is about more than just the money, it’s about keeping our traditions alive,” she said.
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