Spicy Strip Cleans up Image to Conquer Snack World
辣条改头换面以征服世界
Anyone who approaches Malawangzi's snack factory in Pingjiang county, Hunan province, is greeted by the mouthwatering aroma combination of chili pepper, peppercorn, cumin, and cinnamon.
走进湖南省平江县麻辣王子辣条厂，首先迎接你的是由辣椒、花椒、孜然和肉桂混合而成的诱人香气。
Malawangzi is known for producing latiao, spicy wheat strips that are popular with young people and children. The snack evokes fond childhood memories for many Chinese people.
这种香辣小麦条深受年轻人和孩子们的喜爱。对许多中国人来说，辣条唤起了他们美好的童年回忆。
However, it is also a treat that many parents forbid their children from eating, as it is regarded as unhealthy, greasy, and salty. This unflattering image of the gluten strips is what manufacturers have been striving to change.
然而，它也是许多家长禁止孩子食用的零食，因为它被认为是不健康、油腻和咸的。辣条这种不讨喜的形象正是制造商们一直在努力改变的。
There are more than 600 latiao producers in China, and 90 percent of the founders of those companies are from Pingjiang. Latiao is a 60 billion yuan ($8.37 billion) industry, a third of which is generated in Pingjiang, home to 116 latiao enterprises. The sector employs about 102,000 people — or almost 10 percent —of the county's 1.1 million population.
中国辣条生产商超过600家，其中90%的创始人来自平江。辣条是一个价值600亿元人民币（约合83.7亿美元）的产业，其中三分之一来自平江，平江拥有116家辣条企业。该行业雇佣了约10.2万人，占平江县110万人口的近10%。
The fiery snack has caught on around the world and is now sold in 160 countries, including Japan, South Korea, and the United States. In early July, news that operations at the Malawangzi factory had been suspended due to a flood became one of the highest trending topics on social media platforms.
这种火辣的零食已经风靡全球，现在在包括日本、韩国和美国在内的160个国家都有销售。7月初，麻辣王子工厂因洪水而停产的消息成为社交媒体平台上最热门的话题之一。
Twenty-six years ago, there was another flood in Pingjiang that led three people to invent the snack. After the flood devastated the county's soybean farms, soybeans were replaced by more affordable wheat flour to create a new snack inspired by the county's tradition of producing dried bean curds, a culinary dish that dates back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
26年前，平江也发生了一场洪水，这场洪水促使三个人发明了辣条。洪水摧毁了平江县的大豆农田后，大豆被更便宜的小麦粉所取代，从而创造出了一种新的零食，这种零食的灵感来自平江县制作豆腐干的传统，这种美食可以追溯到清朝（1644-1911年）。
The snack was an instant sensation, and many small local food factories in Pingjiang started to make latiao. Qiu Pingjiang is one of the creators of the snack, and he now works for Malawangzi as a consultant.
这种零食迅速走红，平江县许多小型食品厂开始生产辣条。邱平江是辣条的发明者之一，现在他在麻辣王子担任顾问。
"We decided to make latiao because we had to make a living," Qiu said of its invention. "The flood had significantly increased the price of soybeans, so there was no profit in continuing to make the bean curds," he said, adding that's why he and two other villagers started to make latiao.
“我们决定制作辣条是因为我们要谋生，”邱平江谈到辣条的发明时说。 “洪水导致大豆价格大幅上涨，因此继续制作豆腐干已无利可图，”他补充说，这就是他和另外两个村民开始制作辣条的原因。
After the snack increased in popularity, more processing plants opened in other places in China, Qiu said. "I feel pleased that such a simple snack that is about 8 centimeters long, can be loved by so many people and has brought joy and delight to generations of children."
邱平江说，随着辣条越来越受欢迎，中国其他地方也开设了更多的加工厂。“我感到很高兴，这样一种只有8厘米长的小零食，能被这么多人喜爱，给一代又一代的孩子带来欢乐和喜悦。”
Qiu is also aware of the snack's negative reputation, which is why he believes the industry must stick to the food safety and quality standards it has implemented.
邱平江也意识到辣条的负面声誉，因此他认为该行业必须坚持已实施的食品安全和质量标准。
The latiao industry provides important job opportunities for the county, which was a national-level impoverished county until 2020. As a mountainous county, in the past, many people in Pingjiang had to leave to find jobs in bigger cities. However, the labor-intensive latiao industry has offered locals jobs near their homes, and the opportunity to take care of their children and elderly parents.
辣条产业为该县提供了重要的就业机会，该县直到2020年还是国家级贫困县。作为一个山区县，过去平江县的许多人不得不离开家乡去大城市找工作。然而，劳动密集型的辣条产业为当地人提供了在家附近工作的机会，使他们能够照顾孩子和年迈的父母。
The average salary for Malawangzi workers is about 6,200 yuan per month, a relatively high salary in the county, he said, adding that the industry's development had contributed to local poverty alleviation efforts.
他表示，麻辣王子员工的平均工资约为每月6200元，这在县里算是相对较高的工资，并补充说该行业的发展为当地扶贫工作做出了贡献。
The development has also spurred up and downstream industries, such as machinery manufacturing, packaging, and rapeseed farming.
此外，该产业的发展还带动了上下游产业，如机械制造、包装和油菜籽种植。
To help train more skilled workers in the latiao industry, the Pingjiang Vocational School has cooperated with Malawangzi since 2020.
为了帮助辣条产业培养更多技术工人，平江县职业中专学校自2020年起与麻辣王子合作。
The three-year program teaches students how to make latiao, and educates them about food quality and safety as well as marketing strategies. It is the first latiao "major" offered in the country, the school said. More than 230 students have taken the course in the past four years.
这个为期三年的课程教授学生如何制作辣条，并教育他们了解食品质量和安全以及营销策略。学校表示，这是全国首个辣条“专业”。过去四年里，已有超过230名学生参加了这门课程。
Offering specialized training will also help ensure the rapid development of the latiao industry. In 2023, the first 50 graduates were employed by Malawangzi and other companies in the county, he said. Graduate Zhang Qi secured a job as a technician with Malawangzi.
提供专业培训还将有助于确保辣条产业的快速发展。2023年，首批50名毕业生被麻辣王子和县内其他公司聘用。毕业生张琪在麻辣王子担任技术员。
He believes his career prospects in the industry are good, and happily admits to being a fan of the snack since childhood. "I used to secretly eat the snack when I was little because my parents did not allow it," he said. "Now I have learned how to make it, and my appreciation of the snack has deepened."
他相信自己在该行业的职业前景很好，并高兴地承认自己从小就是辣条的粉丝。他说：“我小时候经常偷偷吃辣条，因为父母不允许我吃，现在我学会了如何制作它，我对辣条的喜爱也加深了。”
Zhang said many of his friends envy him because he can now eat as many of the spicy strips as he likes. He is pleased the snack is getting healthier and better quality, which he said gives him a sense of achievement.
张琪说，他的许多朋友都羡慕他，因为他现在可以随心所欲地吃辣条了。他很高兴看到辣条变得更加健康和优质，这给了他一种成就感。
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