YUEYANG, Hunan: Forget law schools and engineering degrees – a university in China is raising the steaks with a new college programme aimed at training the next generation of Chinese grill masters.
Yueyang Barbecue College, jointly established by Yueyang Open University and the Yueyang Barbecue Association, welcomed its first cohort of students on Monday (Mar 9), according to Chinese media reports.
Like crispy Peking duck in Beijing and fiery hotpot in Chongqing, the prefecture-level city in the central Hunan province has been carving out its own culinary identity – renowned for its local barbecue.
It is home to more than 2,000 barbecue restaurants, contributing more than 2 billion yuan (US$291 million) annually and supporting around 50,000 jobs, according to official statistics.
Local favourites include lamb skewers seasoned with spice combinations of chilli powder, perilla and mountain pepper – characterised by its numbing spicy taste.
Billed as China’s first university-level programme focused specifically on Yueyang’s barbecue industry, students will participate in both online courses and in-person classes which will cover areas like “ingredient selection, charcoal control and flavour development”, according to a report by China Daily, citing the academy.
The programme will also equip students with practical business skills like restaurant operations and costs, and management.
Upon graduation, participants will receive an academic diploma along with a vocational certificate recognised by human resources authorities.
Speaking to the Beijing News, Hu Jun, dean of Yueyang Barbecue College, said there had been high public interest. The school had received numerous phone calls from interested parties, both people already working in the industry and those planning to start their own barbecue businesses.
Read the full article here
