One, the threshold of the old craft is high
In the kitchen of the long-established catering company Hong Changxing, 30 years in the industry, Master Li is performing "masterpiece": rolling out the dough, wrapping the meat filling to the thumb as a pivot point, the index finger and the middle finger in tacit cooperation, will be wrapped up into a circle, but in three seconds, the prototype of a beef frying buns The first time I saw this, it was in the palm of my hand.
Master Li said, he began at the age of 15 to do apprenticeship, do beef fried bread on the water temperature, ingredients, crust have to pay attention to, take and noodles, the need to pour hot and cold water repeatedly and alternately into a large pot, and then through the fingers to test the temperature of the water, "there is no specific standard of temperature, according to the air temperature control of the water temperature, like the weather, 50 ℃ or so on the can! ".
At the butterfly pastry skills competition, pastry chefs from Shanghai's long-established catering companies such as Apricot Tower are also showing off their skills. Zhou Zhigang, senior technician of Shanghai pastry, said that as a typical representative of Shanghai pastry, butterfly pastry has high requirements for technical process: "Even the most experienced masters can't guarantee the clarity of the texture level of the final product before it comes out of the oven."
Two, a lot of young apprentices halfway
Working environment is one of the dilemmas of the heritage of the old craft, many masters lamented, "Now few people are willing to do this line, too hard.
Hong Changxing staff said the backroom masters start working at 10 a.m. every day and finish at 2 p.m. After a two-hour break, they continue at 5 p.m. and work until 8 p.m. Many young apprentices are willing to come into the old school to learn when they have zero foundation, "but after a long time, they can't take the pain, and many of them have left."
The old boss Chang's confectionery chef Miao said, every day in the kitchen to stay seven or eight hours, once busy even have no time to look at the phone, and such working hours and workload of only 4,000 yuan per month, "in Shanghai, I think the income is a little low." Master Miao said.
Three, to learn the skills is not overnight
The small a fried bread, a butterfly pastry, which cohesion may be several generations of artisans unremitting research left behind valuable experience. To get to the essence of these old snacks is not an overnight thing.
Zhou Zhigang said it would take at least eight years to master the art of butterfly pastry making: "A new apprentice will take three years to wipe the dishes."
Master Li of Hong Changxing said that according to industry regulations, masters with apprentices, from inheritance, help to teach, every aspect of the craft requires 3 years to let the basic maturity, and this "maturity" is only the apprentice can operate independently of some of the basic things for the apprentice, 3 years to learn are the basics! The first is to learn the basics, not the essence of the old-fashioned food production.
Four, some masters are not willing to teach
Shanghai Chinese old enterprise association vice president Shao Yuling said that the city **** there are 180 "Chinese old" enterprises, including "Shanghai old" 42, but dozens of old faces a challenge. But dozens of old faces a **** the same problem: some masters are not willing to continue to pass on the craft, leading to the old craft heritage becomes more and more difficult.