The 12th China Pickles Food International Expo and 3rd World Sichuan Cuisine 
Conference will be held between November 16 and 22, 2020, at Dongpo District in 
Meishan, China. The Expo is sponsored by the China National Food Industry 
Association and China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, 
and organized by the Sichuan Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural 
Affairs and Meishan Municipal People's Government, while this year's World 
Sichuan Cuisine Conference is sponsored by the World Federation of Chinese 
Catering Industry and also organized by the Meishan Municipal People's 
Government.

The event will also be broadcasted online, with delegates from 25 nations and 
regions to partake through the Internet. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 individuals 
including representatives from over 300 well-known Chinese and foreign 
enterprises, some 120 professional procurement agencies alongside Sichuan 
restauranteurs and chefs have confirmed their attendance.

Revolving around the theme of "Healthy Food, World Sharing", the event will 
spotlight Dongpo pickle, which has conquered the taste buds of countless 
gastronomes across the globe with its healthily low salt content, crunchy 
texture, irresistible aroma and unique flavor. The COVID-19 pandemic has 
ravaged the planet, and the crispy and appetizing Dongpo pickle, a healthy and 
leisurely consumable, has helped reinvigorate the palate suppressed by the dire 
circumstance, endowing people with an extra bit of joy in this difficult time. 
Pairing Dongpo pickle with bread, steak or instant noodles have even emerged as 
a culinary trend around the world.

Dongpo pickle is named after the revered intellect and gastronome Su Dongpo, 
who was born in Meishan, the "home of Chinese pickled vegetables", where the 
custom of pickling foodstuff dates back to three millennia ago. Su Dongpo was a 
fan of eating and making pickled vegetables, which he used to cook Dongpo ham 
hock and Dongpo fish, two classic dishes in the Sichuan culinary repertoire. 
One reason why Sichuan cuisine has swept the world by storm is because of the 
magic in this seemingly ordinary pickled food, which some call the soul of 
Sichuan cuisine.

Since the 1980s, the production of Dongpo pickle has shifted from traditional 
folk workshops toward modernized methods. Today, Meishan is home to more than 
60 pickled foods and condiments enterprises capable of processing 2.06 million 
tons of ingredients and generating sales revenue in excess of RMB20 billion. 
They account for one third of the entire Chinese market and half of the Sichuan 
market, with products sold in over one hundred nations and regions around the 
globe.

Located around the 30th parallel north, Meishan is noted for its mild and 
comfortable climate that is conducive to the fermentation of Dongpo pickle and 
the growth of constituent natural ingredients. To guarantee the quality of 
Dongpo pickle, Meishan not only built the National Pickled Vegetable Quality 
Inspection Center and founded the Sichuan Dongpo Chinese Paocai Industrial 
Technology Research Institute, but also pioneered the first pickled vegetable 
industry standard. The stringent vegetable base product output requirements 
ensure the standard, quality and safety of raw ingredients used to make pickled 
vegetables. At present, Meishan is home to 460,000mu of pickled vegetable raw 
material bases and has established the food safety supervision, monitoring and 
traceability systems, with 100% agricultural products certified harm-free.

When the fresh, green and ecological vegetables arrive from production base to 
the enterprise, workers at the Jixiangju Food Co., Ltd. swing into action. They 
have to pre-process, clean and cut the vegetables within the shortest possible 
time, then apply pickling materials to preserve the nutrients of the vegetables 
to the maximum. After months of fermentation, workers would further process and 
then package the pickled goods. After completing the final pasteurization step, 
bags of healthy, nutritious and delicious Dongpo pickle are ready to be shipped 
to corners around the world.

At Sichuan Laotanzi Food Co., Ltd., "Dongpo pickle production technique" 
intangible cultural heritage inheritor He Yanping produces Dongpo pickle using 
ancient method that creates a distinct flavor profile. Clean veggies are 
submerged and sealed in 5,000 ancient ceramic jars that contain old pickling 
solution, and after undergoing lactic fermentation that lasts several months or 
even up to a year, vegetables emanate a robust and pure sour fragrance that 
bestows on Sichuan cuisine a unique, delectable taste. Laotanzi joins the ranks 
of Jixiangju, Chuannan and Liji Pickle as one of the country's first pickled 
vegetable enterprises with independent export operation. Jixiangju even 
partnered with the Walt Disney Company to collaborate on high-end pickled 
vegetable products with packaging that features IP imagery such as those of 
Marvel Comics superheroes, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, joining hands with 
Ironman, Captain America, Thor, Mickey and Minnie in leading a new gastronomic 
trend.

This year marks the 12th year for Meishan to host the China Pickles Food 
International Expo, and at every session the Dongpo pickle has always tickled 
the taste buds of attendees with its crunchy yet soft texture, sour yet 
tantalizing flavor, and long-lasting after taste. Over the past years, guests 
had witnessed the evolution and progress of Dongpo pickle, and this little 
culinary delight has emerged alongside Meishan as yet another brilliant calling 
cards well-received worldwide.

Source: Meishan Municipal People's Government