Yongfeng Chili Sauce in China's Rural Revitalization: Transmission and Development of Food Heritage

Abstract

This study examines Yongfeng Chili Sauce's vital role in China's rural revitalization, emphasizing its status as a provincial intangible cultural heritage and its significance in preserving and advancing culinary history, particularly in Shuangfeng County. To provide a comprehensive understanding of the social, cultural, and economic implications of Yongfeng Chili Sauce, the study employs qualitative approaches, including ethnographic techniques like in-depth interviews and participant observations. The analysis highlights the traditional ways passed down through observation, practice, and oral instruction, and it provides detailed information about the generational transfer of Yongfeng Chili Sauce producing processes within family units. The difficulty of generational succession in maintaining this culinary expertise is an important discovery, since younger generations frequently choose other job routes or encounter barriers to carrying on the family tradition. This feature draws attention to the fine line that must be drawn between upholding heritage and adjusting to modern lifestyle shifts. The study also looks at how Yongfeng Chili Sauce's traditional production processes help to preserve its authenticity and cultural value while utilizing modern procedures to meet market demands. This modification is essential to the sauce's economic viability and ongoing relevance, especially in light of initiatives to revitalize rural areas.The study emphasizes how Yongfeng Chili Sauce may stimulate community involvement, rural economic growth, and cultural tourism. To guarantee the sauce's sustainability, the study proposes Yongfeng Chili Sauce be recognized nationally as intangible cultural heritage and be incorporated into educational programs and travel experiences. It also suggests creating specific locations to highlight its history and promote cultural tourism, including as industrial parks and museums dedicated to Yongfeng Chili Sauce.The study concludes by highlighting the ways in which culinary traditions aid in rural revival and emphasizes the need of finding a balance between tradition and innovation to assist China's rural development in a sustainable manner.