A bowl of luosifen shows innovative way out of trouble

The strict pandemic prevention and control measures implemented in Shanghai, Beijing and some other places have ironically helped increase the sales of luosifen, a snail-based rice noodle soup dish. In fact, it has been selling like the proverbial hot cakes.

Luosifen originated in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, in the 1970s and features rice vermicelli soaked in a spicy soup, topped with locally grown ingredients including bamboo shoots, string beans, turnips, peanuts and tofu. And although the dish, first sold by roadside kiosks as a snack, has the word "snail" in its Chinese name, snails don't commonly appear in the dish but are used to flavor the soup.

Initially, Guangxi residents working in other provinces would go to great lengths to find eateries or stalls selling luosifen whenever they felt homesick. Slowly, the dish gained favor with youths across the country.

The sales of prepackaged luosifen have continued to rise, because it has become a must-have dish for many young people, especially those born after 2000. With restrictions on the movement of people amplifying the effects of the pandemic, having a bowl of the odorous luosifen has become a mood-booster for many.

The dish became popular among youths especially after the Liuzhou government suggested in 2014 that luosifen be prepackaged like other noodle dishes. Accordingly, the Liuzhou local authorities initiated efforts to create a more enabling environment and help market entities overcome the difficulties to boost the sales of luosifen.

Although initially, it was mainly workshop-style production, where everyone tried their hands at developing special ingredients, equipment and packaging, the local government's policies to regulate the industry's development have ensured the quality of the prepackaged products. As a result, by the end of 2021, there were 127 prepackaged luosifen manufacturers in Liuzhou. And thanks to e-commerce, luosifen, a local specialty, has entered the dining room of many households across the nation.

Liuzhou bureau of commerce data show that in 2021, the revenue of the luosifen industry chain was 50.16 billion yuan ($7.4 billion), with prepackaged luosifen sales reaching 15 billion yuan, up 38.23 percent year-on-year. As for the turnover of physical stores around the country, it reached 20 billion yuan, an increase of a whopping 75.25 percent year-on-year.

The strict implementation of a series of standards is a vivid footnote to the rise of Liuzhou luosifen. To ensure the quality and safety of luosifen, the Liuzhou Luosifen Industry Standardization Technical Committee and the Liuzhou luosifen industry chain standard system were established.

Liuzhou also promoted the branding, standardization and large-scale development of the luosifen industry, and applied for the National Geographic Indication trademark, which it won in 2018. Aside from establishing a luosifen quality inspection center and luosifen raw material base, Liuzhou has also built two key luosifen parks, which have attracted more than 100 upstream and downstream enterprises, facilitating the sector's incredible development from a small workshop to a modern industrial cluster.

Innovation and development mark not only the government departments' top-down designs but also luosifen manufacturers' rapid growth. Liuzhou now has more than 110 scientific and technological innovation patents related to luosifen, whose flavors are expanding to other food products, leading to the production of new dishes such as luosifen rice, luosifen hot pot and luosifen moon cakes.

At present, Liuzhou is focused on deepening cooperation with research institutes and establishing luosifen industry "academician workstation".

Internet + Luosifen, online Liuzhou luosifen festivals, live broadcasts by online celebrity anchors, and trends on social platforms have added to the popularity of the dish, and given rise to "luosifen + cultural tourism", luosifen travel special line and other activities.

According to Liuzhou rural development bureau data, the Liuzhou luosifen industry has created employment for more than 300,000 local people, including more than 200,000 rural residents, and helped lift over 5,500 households with more than 28,000 members out of poverty.

Today, Liuzhou's luosifen raw material base is spread over 552,000 mu (36,800 hectares), including 12 demonstration bases for raw material production.

Besides, luosifen is gradually becoming popular in overseas markets. Statistics show luosifen is exported to more than 20 countries and regions, with its export volume in 2021 reaching $8.24 million, up 89.86 percent year-on-year. In March this year, Guangxi set a new export target for 2025: more than 100 million yuan.

Further, some enterprises have started e-commerce live broadcasts, and people born after 2000 hold live broadcasts every day to sell luosifen, with even some foreigners voluntarily joining the overseas publicity campaign. At the China-ASEAN Expo, luosifen has become one of the most popular products, and an increasing number of foreign influencers have set their eyes on Liuzhou luosifen.

Against the background of slowing economic growth at home and abroad, the rising sales of luosifen reflect the resilience of special industries and show other industries and enterprises how to get out of trouble through innovation.

The author is an associate researcher with the Guangxi University of Finance and Economics. The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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