Among many barbecues, why did Zibo barbecue suddenly catch fire? There are several reasons for this:

First, the documentary "A String of Life 3" added heat to the barbecue in Zibo. 202 1 The series "Life 3", which was broadcasted in Bili Bili, introduced the barbecue in Zibo in an all-round way, especially the bread and shallots accompanied by the barbecue, which made millions of viewers fascinated by the barbecue in Zibo through the screen.

Second, every dish has a great depth.

This "planting grass" made many netizens remember the barbecue in Zibo. At the end of the music festival that night, the barbecue stalls around Xiaofuhe Wetland Park in Zibo were all hard to find; In 2022, Tik Tok food blogger "Special urala" came to Zibo to taste and introduce the local barbecue, and his short video won the praise of more than 900,000 people, further opening up the popularity of Zibo barbecue.

Third, the deep fermentation of short video platforms such as Tik Tok. After the optimization and adjustment of epidemic prevention and control policies, college students from Jinan, Tai 'an and other neighboring cities came to Zibo by high-speed train, and the passenger flow in high-speed railway station, Zibo was unprecedented, so it was hard to find a barbecue shop. This action quickly spread among people on social platforms, thus creating the first catering IP after the spring. Now, not only the barbecue shops in Zibo are full of customers, but also the surrounding cities. All barbecues with the word "Zibo" receive dividends, and the passenger flow is several times more than usual.

What are the characteristics of Zibo barbecue?

Suddenly it became popular, which made the barbecue shops in the surrounding cities unable to sit still: "It's all roast mutton. Why do customers go to Zibo for dinner? Where are we? "

Image source: Red Kitchen Network photo

So, what are the characteristics of Zibo barbecue? Why do foreign college students go to the local area for a meal at the expense of travel expenses?

First, Zibo barbecue has a unique way of eating, stunning the taste buds of carbohydrate+meat lovers. For customers in most cities, eating barbecue is just a kebab. However, with the rising prices of beef, mutton and other ingredients, in recent years, it is obvious that mutton skewers have become smaller and more expensive, and a barbecue is not enough for everyone to eat. While Zibo barbecue is made of flour cakes and shallots. Customers can make single skewers, or they can make mutton skewers into small cakes and roll them with shallots. Tendons are flexible and full of wheat flavor, and shallots can stimulate taste buds. This way of eating is solid, delicious and enjoyable. Most importantly, a small cake gives customers a "bottom feeling" of barbecue and makes them consume. Therefore, at present, the per capita consumption is 1000 yuan, and the barbecue in Zibo is particularly close to the people, and the per capita consumption is 60 to 70 yuan.

Secondly, Zibo's barbecue cooking mode is unique, which gives customers a space for DIY. In most cities, barbecues are cooked by chefs and served directly to the table. But Zibo barbecue can only be served when it is cooked in the back kitchen until it is 78% mature. This is because the shop put a small stove with charcoal blocks on the customer's table. After the kebab is served, you can continue to roast it. It's up to the customers to decide whether they want to eat tender or roasted. This practice, on the one hand, reduces the cooking pressure for the kitchen and speeds up the serving; On the other hand, give customers a DIY space, so that every foodie has an unforgettable sense of participation and accomplishment.

Thirdly, Zibo barbecue is richer in dipping sauce and more layered in taste. In addition to the seasoning of kebabs, Zibo Barbecue also provides customers with dipping materials such as garlic hot sauce, chopped flowers and Chili noodles. Guests can sprinkle small ingredients on the cake according to their own tastes, and then add rolled food such as mutton skewers. The configuration of a variety of small ingredients gives customers more room to play, further improving the added value of dining and making the barbecue more fragrant.

When talking about the barbecue in Zibo, Li Changshun, a chef from China and Zibo, and deputy director of the Logistics Department of Shandong University of Technology, said: "Barbecues always contain the wildness and romance of the fishing and hunting era. Young people roast around the stove and eat, emitting attractive fragrance and happy atmosphere. Zibo barbecue pays attention to its own rolling roasting, bulk roasting, skewering, rolling food and drinking. This kind of food is interesting, leisurely and romantic, and it is also the endogenous motivation to attract today's college students to go to Zibo and linger. "

What are you going to do for the barbecue this year?

Li Lin, founder of Zibo Li Kitchen Studio, said: "The popularity of barbecue in Zibo has injected a shot in the arm into the unremarkable barbecue industry in the past two years, and it has also brought the power of integration and innovation to barbecue practitioners everywhere."

Master Li Changshun explained in detail the enlightenment of Zibo barbecue to catering people, especially barbecue shop owners and chefs:

First, the barbecue industry should constantly improve its products and cultivate new products. The popularity of barbecue in Zibo is not entirely due to luck. In recent years, barbecue practitioners in Zibo have been innovating and perfecting their products. On the one hand, baking products are more diversified. In addition to the common kebabs, seafood and vegetables, Zibo BBQ has also innovated roasted Chiba tofu, pork belly, crispy bones, mushrooms, carrots, Chinese cabbage, corn and other varieties, which can be said to be all-encompassing. Rich baked goods can not only bring freshness to customers, but also maintain a stable per capita consumption level. On the other hand, in recent two years, the barbecue in Zibo has gradually evolved from smokeless to smokeless, and the fuel used has also changed from ordinary charcoal to machine-made charcoal, creating a fresher barbecue environment for customers, which is in line with the city's environmental protection development concept.

Secondly, Zibo barbecue attracts loyal consumers, including college students, with its delicious, affordable and grounded features. You know, the number of teachers and students in a university is equivalent to the population of a township, and college students have excellent communication skills. Playing Tik Tok and Aauto is faster, and brushing Weibo and Xiaohongshu every day has played a great role in the spread of barbecue in Zibo.

Third, barbecue should also be universal. In recent years, due to the high price of beef and mutton, barbecue in many cities has entered the ranks of middle and high-end consumption, which has blocked many low-income people and students. Zibo's diversified barbecue products, such as flour cakes, shallots and soy sauce, make the per capita consumption of barbecue stable at 60-70 yuan. Therefore, the store that manages barbecue can use their brains in the collocation of barbecue products and the launch of set meals, so that barbecue can be more grounded and return to become a leisure food for the general public.

Fourth, barbecue should improve the display. The popularity of Zibo BBQ is won by its strong display. After the guests are seated, the store first serves the stove, cakes, shallots, dipping sauce and dipping materials. No matter how many kebabs you order, this set of equipment makes a meal look full and ceremonial. This form is more interesting than a table of people eating mutton skewers around an iron plate, and it is also more effective in taking pictures and displaying.