Global apprentices spread Jinyun shaobing

International apprentices learn to make Jinyun shaobing. [Photo/Tide News]

Jinyun shaobing (a kind of bucket-baked roll) master Zhao Yijun has won a national award in Beijing and returned to Jinyun county in Lishui, Zhejiang province, to train more students. He has taught over 10,000 apprentices to date, including more than 20 from abroad.

One of them is a Russian businessman. After tasting Jinyun shaobing on a business trip, he fell in love with its crispy flavor and signed up for a training course. Following half a month of study, he brought the skill back to Russia.

The Jinyun shaobing brand has now gained global recognition and has been registered as a trademark in the European Union. Local authorities have cooperated with overseas Chinese chambers of commerce and Chinese restaurants to offer training courses and master studios, boosting employment and entrepreneurship.

Global stores are thriving. In Usera district, Madrid, Spain, overseas Chinese Liu Jianmei has run a Jinyun shaobing shop for 11 years, with a monthly turnover approaching 100,000 yuan ($14,750.13), attracting customers from France, Italy, and Australia.

In Sao Paulo, Brazil, Shi Chuanming and his nephew Du Wenxiang created a delivery model for Jinyun shaobing. A Brazilian delivery boy makes over 40 deliveries per day, saying this crispy "Chinese pizza" wins Brazilian hearts.

To date, nearly 100 international apprentices have been trained by Jinyun shaobing masters, while over 800 global demonstration shops have already opened.

In the United States, Jinyun shaobing is sold as a specialty pastry in Chinese restaurants; in Canada, it comes in a new spicy flavor; in Italy, a localized version has become "pizza shaobing".