ZHAOTONG, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Themed “Craftsmanship and Skill-driven Industry”, a unique Zhaotong Small Beef Skewer Preparation and Grilling Skills Competition kicked off on 8th September in Yunnan province, southwest China.
This competition is divided into two categories: skewer preparation and grilling. Around 70 participants from 11 companies were evaluated on their meat-cutting speed, standard skewer preparation, and on-site grilling. The competition selected two champions in skewer preparation and grilling, along with 18 skilled technicians.
Zhaotong small beef skewers mainly use high-quality Zhaotong beef. The beef is skewered with thin bamboo sticks, grilled over high-temperature charcoal until the color changes, then marinated in a special sauce for a few minutes, and finally grilled again over charcoal, sprinkled with chili, sesame, and other seasonings. Diners savor the skewers hot, with each bite leaving a lingering flavor.
In the early 1980s, Zhaotong small beef skewers officially entered the local barbecue night market. They have evolved from street stalls to franchise stores and brand-name chains.
Today, Zhaotong leads the industry with a large number of major chain barbecue shops, setting a standard for over 700 stores in unified procurement, standardized processing, and regulated operations.
In 2023, Zhaotong established the Zhaotong Small Beef Skewer Development Association to promote the standardization and regulation of the industry.
Small skewers, big business. Currently, there are over 3,600 Zhaotong small beef skewer barbecue outlets in Yunnan Province and more than 8,000 nationwide in China, generating a combined annual output value of 10 billion yuan, which is around 1.3 billion USD, creating employment for over 70,000 people in upstream and downstream industries.
A single small skewer connects vendors and a variety of ingredients on one end, and diners from all over the country on the other. While achieving high-quality development, it also becomes a vivid example of how the food industry can integrate into the trends of the times.