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Growing up in a small village in Anhui Province, I left home after junior high to study cooking at a vocational school in the capital. There, I spent the first year and a half learning the basics – recipes, cooking techniques, and a whole lot about the food I never knew.
My further study started with my internship at a hotel. My mentor at the hotel kitchen guided me as I started from chopping vegetables and gradually found my way to cooking on the stove. Over three years, I grew from an apprentice to a line-chef.
I was initially taught Cantonese dishes like Siu Mei and Chaozhou marinated cuisine. As I got better, I learned more and began mixing elements from different cuisines.
Mainly Hunan and Sichuan, digging into what we would call a “Jianghu” style of cooking. But the competition for chefs was fierce. Over time, for a better income, I tried different jobs – working in a factory, a mine, even serving as an auxiliary police officer. But I always came back to cooking, the job I knew and loved. In 2018, I met a fellow chef visiting from overseas, who introduced me to the idea of working abroad. It was a big leap, but I took the chance and moved to the Netherlands.
Life in the Netherlands wasn’t easy – I missed home and didn’t speak the Dutch language at first.
Working in the Sichuan Taste factory differs greatly from a Chinese restaurant, where things tend to be quite frenetic. Restaurant kitchens require rapid service and quick thinking, but they don’t match the intensity of a factory setting. In a factory, the focus is on rigorous food processing and maintaining a meticulously operational environment. The standards for personal hygiene and safety are extremely high. The flavor of marinated products demands precision. And every detail, from packaging to disinfection, must be executed with utmost care.
Working in the Sichuan Taste factory differs greatly from a Chinese restaurant, where things tend to be quite frenetic. Restaurant kitchens require rapid service and quick thinking, but they don’t match the intensity of a factory setting. In a factory, the focus is on rigorous food processing and maintaining a meticulously operational environment. The standards for personal hygiene and safety are extremely high. The flavor of marinated products demands precision. And every detail, from packaging to disinfection, must be executed with utmost care.
I relish the fulfillment derived from providing delicious, hygienic food through my careful preparations – it truly brings joy to my heart!