HotpotexpertWangWenjun(centerright)teachesstudentshowtofryhotpotsauceatChongqingWenZhiSuHotpotCateringSchoolinChongqingonMarch9.Hotpotcooksnowhavetheirownnationalworkingandevalsuationstandards,whichwillprovidethemabetteropportunitytoexcelintheircareers.TheState-levelhotpotstandard,releasedbytheMinistryofHumanResourcesandSocialSecurityandtheMinistryofCommerceinFebruary,setafive-levelevalsuationsystemfortheprofession.Attheentrylevel,hotpotcooksshouldknowtheproperwaytocleaningredientssuchasvegetablesandmeats,whilethoseatthehighestlevelshouldbeabletodevelophotpotsouprecipesandarrangeandmanageahotpotbanquet.Designatedasanationalprofessionin2022bythehumanresourcesministry,ahotpotcookisdefinedasapersonwhopossessestheskillstomakehotpotseasonings,soupsanddippingsaucesandtopreparemeatsandvegetables.Theabilitytoensurefoodsafetyandawarenessoftheimportanceofenvironmentalprotectionarealsorequiredofthecooks.Thestandardsetsrathergeneral,well-balancedworkingandevalsuationguidelinesallowingforthediversityanddifferentiationofhotpotcookingmethods,includingspicyhotpotwithstir-friedsaucesandlight-flavoredhotpotwithmushroomsoup,expertssaid."Chinesehotpothasnumerousflavors,"saidWangWenjun,theleaderofthegroupofeditorsinvolvedinsettingthenationalhotpotcookstandard,whoisalsoaChinesecuisineexpert."Thefourmaintypes—spicy,sauerkraut,tomatoandmushroom—makeuparound85percentofthemarketshare."Hesaidthattheeditorsvisitedeightcitiesfamousfortheirdifferenthotpotflavors—includingChongqingforitsspicyhotpotandKunming,Yunnanprovince,foritsmushroomhotpot—andsentquestionnairesto85hotpot-relatedorganizationsandcompaniesnationwidetosolicitadvice.TheState-levelstandardwasrevised28timesoveraperiodofsixyearsbeforeitsofficialreleaseinFebruary.Wangsaidthatworkethicisthemostimportantqualitytoconsiderwhenevalsuatinghotpotcooks,followedbytheircookingtheoriesandpracticalskills.Hesaidthatinthefuture,thestandardmayaddcriteriaoncooks'management,teachingandinnovativeabilities,aswellastheircraftsmanship.WangHuayuan,vice-directorofChongqing'svocationalskillsappraisalcenter,saidthatthereleaseofthenationalstandardcanhelpcultivatefuturetalentandputthemonapathtoprogressionintheindustry."Thenationhasalargenumberofpeopleworkinginthehotpotindustry,andwedidn'thaveastandardizedidentificationfortheirprofessionbefore,whichhamperedtheircareerdevelopment,"shesaid."Thehotpotcookprofessionisnowanationallyapprovedprofessionandhasitsownworkingstandard,offeringsystematicandprofessionalevalsuationtothecooksandgivingthemopportunitiestogrowfromordinarycatererstoskilledworkers,whichcanhelpensuretheindustryachievesbetter,sustainabledevelopment."WangWenjun,thestandard'seditinggroupleader,saidthathehopeswithnationalcertification,hotpotcookswillseesalaryincreases.Healsowishesmorecookswouldparticipateinnationalorinternationalcookingcompetitions.In2021,theChinaCuisineAssociationreleasedareportontheindustry,sayingthathotpotsaleswereresponsibleforroughlyone-thirdofdomesticcateringrevenuein2020.E-commerceplatformMeituansaidthatthenumberofhotpotrestaurantsinSichuanprovinceandChongqing—twoofthemostfamoushotpotdestinationsinthenation'ssouthwest—madeupnearly60percentofthenation'stotalin2021.TheChongqingmunicipalgovernmentsaidthatithasover20,000hotpotcompaniesandmorethan30,000restaurantsasofOctoberlastyear.Thecityhasnearly1millionpeopleinvolvedintheindustry,withannualrevenuereachingover400billionyuan($55.7billion)asofthatmonth.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.