Zhejiang raises the standard of family reunions
In rural areas of Zhejiang Province, large-scale family reunion feasts and festive banquets are often hosted in temporary sheds made up of steel poles and waterproof material.
The chefs in the village are responsible for erecting them. They bring their own woks, tableware and other culinary tools. The host just needs to buy food materials and pay them for their services. When the meal is over the sheds will be pulled down and moved to the next host’s home.
Such rustic feasts are in full swing during the Chinese New Year holiday and the busy time for weddings, especially in May and October. People prefer local produce and an atmosphere that just can’t be found in urban restaurants. And the cost is much lower.
Nonetheless, their popularity can’t ignore the problems of sanitation, food safety and fire hazards.
In a bid to improve the level of rural get-together banquets, Zhejiang Province Market Supervision and Management Bureau last year announced a program to build public “safe kitchens” across the province.
“Around 1,603 kitchens have been completed last year. In 2019, we plan to add 660 more in Zhejiang Province,” said the bureau’s Shao Huiqun, who is in charge of the project.
The safe kitchen in Jiaxing’s Panjiabang Village was packed with diners every day during the Chinese New Year holiday. It is comprised of two sections, a professional kitchen and a dining hall that has 27 tables with 10 chairs at each.
Villagers are encouraged to host large-scale banquets in the kitchen. The chefs are required to have the necessary certificates and licences before they are allowed to cook in the kitchen.
“Every qualified chef in our village has to sign an agreement related to food safety,” said Ye Lili, the village chief. “If a chef is invited from another village, his or her certification will be checked by us before cooking.”
Villagers have to book the kitchen because of its popularity. One resident has already booked a wedding banquet for May. The village committee only charges 150 yuan (US$22) for cleaning the venue plus a fee of 60 yuan per table.
“On average, it only takes 1,000 yuan to prepare a table of food here, much lower than dining in restaurants. Also, extravagance is not permitted,” Ye said.
To establish the kitchen, the village committee invested 50,000 yuan and the Jiaxing government provided a subsidy of 150,000 yuan.
The kitchen is equipped with professional equipment, including a disinfection cabinet, closed circuit television, segregated washing basins, and different sizes of stoves and steamers.
CCTV is used to trace every step of the chefs’ work. The washing basins are categorized into vegetables, meat, seafood and tableware, preventing cross contamination. The kitchen is divided into five sections for food preparation, cold appetizers, washing, cooking and disinfecting.
When word of the kitchen in Panjiabang spread throughout Jiaxing’s Xiuzhou District, people from other villages have been queuing up to host ceremonial banquets. However, it still adheres to local taboos and traditions — no funeral get-togethers, but a warm welcome for birthday, wedding and reunion banquets.
“Formerly, alfresco sheds are too hot in summer and too chilly in winter. Now, the dining hall with its air conditioning system provides people with a comfortable environment to get together,” Ye said.
“We also set up a small stage, making it available for performances and ceremonies.”
The Jiaxing government is currently preparing an official standard for the operation of safe kitchens, which is expected to be released by June.
Haining County, which is affiliated to Jiaxing, last year announced the first local regulation to supervise their daily management and chefs’ certifications.