Lanzhou beef noodle training schools raise new generation of chefs

More than 20 students from across China are learning the craft of Lanzhou beef noodles at a training school in the city, guided by two master chefs in northwest China's Gansu Province.

A chef makes Lanzhou beef noodles during a contest in Lanzhou, northwest China's Gansu Province on July 2, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Gao Xiang)

"The craftsmanship is one of China's national intangible cultural heritage items. I came to Lanzhou to learn this skill partly to help preserve the traditional craft and partly because I want more people to taste this authentic delicacy," said Gao Lei from north China's Tianjin Municipality.

Gao is enrolled at the Gansu Dingle Lanzhou Beef Noodle Vocational Training School. He said that after tasting authentic Lanzhou beef noodles a year ago, he was struck by their distinctive flavor and decided to travel more than 1,000 kilometers to study the craft. He plans to invest 500,000 yuan (about $70,100) in a Beijing restaurant once the training is finished.

Established in 2012, the school is recognized as a national center for vocational training and skills assessment. Over the past decade, it has trained nearly 10,000 Lanzhou beef noodle specialists.

China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security listed "beef noodle chef" among 42 newly recognized job categories in July.

Zhao Xiaoli, deputy director of the Gansu vocational skills assessment and guidance center, said the recognition gives Lanzhou beef noodle chefs clearer career prospects and more chances to hone their craft. It also builds professional identity and draws more talent into the industry.

Ding Guocai, an instructor at the vocational training school with 15 years of teaching experience, said a couple running a beef noodle restaurant together can earn a decent income by local standards. Individual operators often start as apprentices and, after mastering the craft, open their own restaurants. "In the past, many people learned the trade as apprentices in noodle restaurants, which often took at least a year or more," Ding said.

With professional training schools now available, students can acquire the full set of skills within a month, and qualified graduates receive job placement assistance, he added.

Many of Ding's former students have opened noodle restaurants in the U.S., France and Britain. Some business owners travel directly to the school to recruit chefs, while others, unable to find skilled practitioners, enroll in the courses themselves.