Italian takes spicy hotpot to the world

Food for thought

A marketing brand called Chin-EAT has also been developed to promote and sell Chinese culinary products and traditions.

"We must be innovative in our promotion of Chinese food and culture while keeping the traditional elements," Luisi said.

ChinEAT has a media team that produces short videos about modern daily life in China and food. The videos are popular on social media platforms in China and overseas.

Luisi's passion for Chinese food and culture has attracted overseas talent, and the company has eight employees from Italy, Austria and France among its 20 workers.

Laura Rizzo is one of them. She knew Luisi through work at the Italian consulate in Chongqing.

"I was called to the mission of building a bridge between two cultures through food," she said.

"I will work hard for ChinEAT to be the most recognized Chinese food brand abroad."

Yi Feiyu, a documentary producer, joined the company in June last year to make high-quality short videos. Not a fan of spicy food, he was impressed by Luisi's passion and dedication to work. "I hope my videos can arouse the curiosity of young foreign people about Chinese food and encourage them to try it," he said.

The new approach includes paying attention to foreigners' dietary habits and telling China stories from a non-Chinese perspective, Luisi said.

"In a digital age, online marketing is very crucial," he said.

The chile business has proved a success for Luisi. His products are sold in 22 countries and regions and total revenue last year was about 50 million yuan ($7.36 million).

The Italian has also launched a nonprofit organization called the World Chilli Alliance in Rome to promote the development of a more sustainable chile industry. It also organizes seminars, summits and festivals.

"It is not easy to stick to your founding mission when running a business," Luisi said. "Promoting Chinese food and culture is a long-term project and perseverance is the key to success."