Huoqiu county brings affordable foie gras to the table

7月21日,《中國日報》頭版China Vibes(向·往中國)專欄刊發(fā)關(guān)于安徽六安霍邱法式鵝肝的報道Huoqiu county brings affordable foie gras to the table(《霍邱平價鵝肝走上百姓餐桌》）。

Huoqiu county brings affordable foie gras to the table

霍邱平價鵝肝走上百姓餐桌

Once a rare luxury, French delicacy is now a casual indulgence, thanks to producers in Anhui province

曾經(jīng)稀缺昂貴的法式珍饈，如今走入尋常食客生活，這背后離不開安徽產(chǎn)區(qū)從業(yè)者的耕耘。

BY ZHU LIXIN IN LU'AN, ANHUI

記者 朱立新 安徽六安報道

Sitting in a century-old restaurant in Shanghai, Hu Jianyuan orders a dish that was once the epitome of European luxury: cherry foie gras. Eight glistening slices, each a perfect 12 grams, arrive at his table — priced at 198 yuan ($29). Hu smiles as the delicate, buttery flavor explodes in his mouth. Hu was no ordinary diner; he has played a large role in developing the delicacy. The restaurant is just one of his foie gras-producing company's many clients.

坐在上海一家百年歷史的餐廳，胡建遠點了一道曾經(jīng)是歐洲奢華美食代表的菜品—— 櫻桃鵝肝。八枚油潤透亮的鵝肝，每一枚12克，端上桌售價198元（折合29 美元）。細膩綿密、奶香濃郁的滋味在口中散開，胡建遠面露笑意。他并非普通食客，而是推動這款美食產(chǎn)業(yè)化的關(guān)鍵人物，這家餐廳只是他旗下鵝肝生產(chǎn)企業(yè)眾多合作客戶之一。

Back in Huoqiu county in Lu'an, a city in East China's Anhui province, Hu's story began in fields filled with the honking of Landes geese. Here, far from the gilded dining rooms of Shanghai, lies the unlikely epicenter of China's foie gras revolution.

故事的起點在華東安徽省六安市霍邱縣，成片養(yǎng)殖場里不時傳來朗德鵝的鳴叫。遠離上海裝潢奢華的高端餐廳，這座縣城意外成為中國鵝肥肝產(chǎn)業(yè)變革的核心地帶。

Huoqiu raises 5 million Landes geese and produces more than 5,000 metric tons of the luxury food product annually — accounting for more than a third of the entire nation's output.

霍邱全縣年出欄朗德鵝500 萬只，鵝肥肝年產(chǎn)量超5000噸，占據(jù)全國總產(chǎn)量三分之一以上。

In Hefei, the provincial capital, the food scene is delicious but down-to-earth. For local resident Zhang Wanjing, foie gras is now a casual indulgence.

在省會合肥，美食豐富又充滿煙火氣。合肥市民張婉靜如今隨時都能享用法式鵝肝美食。

In March, Zhang found herself savoring a foie gras sushi roll at a Japanese restaurant, at just 18 yuan apiece. "The menu didn't say where it came from, but I could take a pretty good guess," she said with a knowing smile. "It's probably from Huoqiu."

今年3月，她在一家日料店品嘗鵝肝壽司，一枚僅售18元。“菜單沒標(biāo)注產(chǎn)地，但我心里大致有數(shù)，”她會心一笑，“多半來自霍邱”。

And in Huoqiu, foie gras is affordable food, enjoyed stir-fried, pan-fried or even in hotpot.

而在霍邱本地，鵝肝已是平價菜肴，爆炒、香煎、涮火鍋皆可。

On Hefei's Oufengjie — the "European-style street" brimming with eateries serving international cuisine — visitors can now find at least four restaurants serving foie gras. But like truffles and caviar, foie gras, originating from the Landes department in France, was once a rare luxury.

合肥歐風(fēng)街匯聚各國風(fēng)味餐廳，如今至少四家門店供應(yīng)法式鵝肝。法式鵝肝與松露、魚子醬齊名，原產(chǎn)于法國朗德省，曾經(jīng)是難得一見的高端食材。

Today, the Landes goose, world-renowned and much-sought-after for foie gras, is widely bred in countries like Hungary and China.

如今，因出產(chǎn)鵝肥肝聞名全球的朗德鵝，在匈牙利、中國等多個國家實現(xiàn)規(guī)模化養(yǎng)殖。

Hu has been part of this quiet culinary revolution for over 20 years. In 2003, he was one of the first in Huoqiu to gamble on Landes geese.

胡建遠投身這場靜悄悄的美食產(chǎn)業(yè)變革已有二十余年。2003年，他成為霍邱首批試水養(yǎng)殖朗德鵝的創(chuàng)業(yè)者之一。

Initially, he faced challenges selling fresh foie gras in upscale markets and hotels in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, often encountering skepticism.

創(chuàng)業(yè)初期，他帶著新鮮鵝肝開拓北京、上海、廣州等城市高端商超與酒店市場，屢屢遭遇質(zhì)疑。

"I said it was from Huoqiu, but they hadn't even heard of the place and were hesitant to use it. That setback taught me that without a brand, even the best products wouldn't gain trust," said Hu.

“我說鵝肝產(chǎn)自霍邱，可很多人壓根沒聽過這個地方，不敢選用。一次次碰壁讓我明白，沒有自主品牌，再好的產(chǎn)品也難以贏得市場信任，”胡建遠說道。

In 2006, he registered his Longxiang brand, which went on to become a well-known trademark in China, and his company is now the largest among over 140 foie gras producers in Huoqiu.

2006年，他注冊 “龍翔” 品牌，該商標(biāo)后續(xù)獲評中國馳名商標(biāo)。如今，他的企業(yè)是霍邱140余家鵝肥肝生產(chǎn)企業(yè)中規(guī)模最大的一家。

The turning point came when a foreign chef at a high-end Hefei restaurant simply poked the liver with his finger, inspected the texture, and declared it equal to French imports — only fresher and far less costly. An instant partnership was born.

產(chǎn)業(yè)迎來轉(zhuǎn)折點，源自合肥一家高端西餐廳外籍主廚的一次品鑒。這位主廚只用手指輕按鵝肝、觀察肌理，隨即判定品質(zhì)不輸法國進口貨，而且更新鮮、價格更低。雙方當(dāng)即達成合作。

The cherry foie gras that Hu consumed in Shanghai, is sold from his factory at just 5 yuan apiece. But in high-end restaurants, the price varies, at between 20 and 30 yuan apiece.

胡建遠在上海品嘗的櫻桃鵝肝，工廠出廠單價僅5元一枚，而高端餐廳售價一般在20至30元。

Since 2013, Hu has continuously developed new products, now numbering more than 30, turning foie gras into ready-to-eat specialty snacks.

2013年起，胡建遠持續(xù)研發(fā)新品，產(chǎn)品線現(xiàn)已拓展至30余款，把鵝肥肝加工成各類即食特色零食。

"If you're a seasoned foie gras enthusiast, visiting China, and more specifically Anhui, would be a great idea," said Hu.

“如果你是資深鵝肝愛好者，來中國，來安徽，一定會不虛此行，”胡建遠說。

Liu Qinqin contributed to this story.

劉琴琴參與報道

編輯/袁慧 監(jiān)制/蘭天 終審/孫峰 朱天明