中国·福州——热爱城市从热爱美食开始

Currently, Fuzhou is bidding for “City of Gastronomy”. Tourists from other places outside the city come in an endless stream to enjoy fish balls in Nanhou Street, Fuzhou. In Chinatown, the United States, the Fuzhou Fish Ball Exhibition Hall receives a great number of foreigners and overseas Chinese every day. The popularity of Fuzhou fish balls is inseparable from the promotion of overseas Chinese.

For many of the older generation of Fuzhou people, fish balls are not only delicious food, but also a carrier of their memories of hometown. “No feast is complete without fish balls.” Fuzhou is a famous hometown of overseas Chinese, and overseas Chinese of Fuzhou origin are all over the world. Fish balls represent their deep yearning for home.

"Fish balls were not available here before. But we can buy them in American supermarkets now," said Mr. Lin who lives in the United States.

How do overseas Chinese have access to fish balls? In recent years, with the development of the "Belt and Road" initiative, Fuzhou fish ball enterprises have continued to launch innovative products, obtained the export license to EU, export license to South Korea, export license to the USA, HACCP certification, US FDA certification and EU BRC certification, kept opening up markets in North America, Oceania, Africa, Southeast Asia and the European Union, and continued to build the international brand of Fuzhou fish balls.

"We have cooperated with Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University to develop the artificial meat stuffing making technology with the national patent, and used it in the production of fish balls, thus opening the door to the North American market. Our company's export volume of fish balls accounts for more than half of Fuzhou's total." An employee of Fuzhou Xuhuang Foods Co., Ltd. said, especially in New York, the five major Chinese supermarkets all sell fish ball products. In addition, Fuzhou Baiyang Seafood Co., Ltd. has developed cuttlefish penguin balls without fillings which sell well in Singapore and other places.

How should Fuzhou further promote Fuzhou fish balls to the world? In early 2022, Fuzhou Fish Ball Museum and its associated exhibition halls in Shanghai, New York and Philadelphia opened, with the joint efforts of overseas Chinese at home and abroad. Among them, the New York Exhibition Hall is located in Chinatown, New York, and the Philadelphia Exhibition Hall is located in the American Chinese Museum, both carrying the yearning of overseas Chinese for their hometown.

China News Service published an article titled Fuzhou Fish Balls: A Taste of the Past Like the Smell of Mom which reads “The two exhibition halls of Fuzhou Fish Ball Museum in New York and Philadelphia have received a large number of American people and foreign visitors since their opening. There are often tasting activities in the two exhibition halls, which has promoted not only the spread of Fuzhou fish ball culture, but also the sales of Fuzhou fish balls in the United States.”

"We wish Fuzhou fish balls better and better! May they go global!" It is worth mentioning that at the First Fuzhou Fish Ball Cultural Festival, dozens of overseas Chinese federations, chambers of commerce and associations, such as the Fukien Benevolent Association and the World Fujian Youth Federation of Brazil, sent their blessings from overseas by videos, congratulatory telegrams and letters.

"We will gather the strength of overseas Chinese to spread the delicious Fuzhou fish ball to the world." At the Second Fuzhou Fish Ball Cultural Festival, 15 people, including Chen Jinguo, executive vice chairman of the European Fujian Development Union, were awarded the "Global Fish Ball Promotion Ambassador" to promote Fuzhou fish balls to the world. (Reporter Zheng Ruiyang)