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Listen up, fellow foodies. It's high time to revolutionize culinary exchanges between China and the West.
We've seen the success that special economic zones have enjoyed in China, with policy incentives that attract foreign investment.
Imagine establishing a "special gastronomic zone", where China could make it ultra-convenient for foreign restaurateurs to set up kitchens.
Understandably, foreign chains might be hesitant to invest in the real estate and equipment needed to launch in a market that, despite the potential, poses uncertainties as well.
Why not reduce the risks for, and thereby the reluctance of, foreign food interests that might want to test the waters in China?
One way to do so would be a food "incubator" — but more on that in a moment.
First, some morsels for consideration from a recent visit to the United States, where the inspiration for this proposal snowballed.
The first stop was a long-awaited return to Taco Bell, the pseudo-Mexican-food chain where crunchy tacos and fat burritos share the menu with warm, puffy soft-shell delights known as chalupas, which are stuffed with cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce and special sauce.
You can also gorge on crispy grilled tortillas filled with tender chicken and gooey melted cheese, washing it down with a refreshing Baja Blast Mountain Dew, the ocean-blue soda that's a Taco Bell exclusive.
Mouth-watering, no? Well, Taco Bell said in January that it was returning to China, and it opened an outlet in Shanghai, but the fast food chain has been slow to deliver.
Maybe it's hesitant because its first foray into the Middle Kingdom was a disappointment (it pulled out in 2008). But, oh, how the climate has changed. It's time for Taco Bell to (making a play on its ad slogan) make another run for the border.
Another contender in China would be Arby's. If luscious roast beef or ham on a sesame seed bun doesn't grab you, how about a chicken parmesan/pepperoni sandwich oozing melted mozzarella cheese, or fried potato cakes and fruit turnover pies, or small sandwiches, known as sliders, filled with such delights as zesty buffalo-wing chicken slathered with blue cheese?
There's also Wendy's, which offers juicy burgers at a budget price, sea-salt french fries, buttery baked potatoes and scrumptious chili with cheese.
All these and more — fire-grilled chicken from El Pollo Loco, anyone? — might easily be lured to China by a food incubator pilot zone.
The zone's centerpiece would be a hive of trial-basis restaurants, food court style, in a highly visible central location. The incubator would be furnished with a variety of adjustable kitchen setups — fryers, grills and ovens — to accommodate restaurant businesses that would rotate into the mix for a test run.
With minimal investment and lowered risk, restaurateurs could wade, rather than dive headlong, into the market waters.
And a ready audience of adventurous customers in China could sample a wide range of treats — making the food hive a popular epicurean destination as well as providing valuable feedback to foreign expansion candidates.
In fact, properly executed, this could be a trial marriage made in heaven.
About the author & broadcaster
James Healy is from the United States and has been a copy editor at China Daily since 2014. He is an advanced student of Chen style tai chi and enjoys Chinese culture, food and carvings.
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