Tianfuhao, A Brand Name for 270 Years

It was about 7 p.m. when I spotted the elderly woman as she entered the Beijing Tianfuhao Food Company Limited outlet in Xizhimen: I was waiting there to interview a descendent of the company's founder.

The elderly woman gingerly entered the shop, walked up to a counter and began trying to retrieve something from an inner pocket in her clothing.

Afterward, her hands shook slightly as she worked to remove a rubber band from around her packet that was wrapped in an old piece of coloured paper: it was money.

Then she straightened and spoke softly to the waitress behind the sales counter: "I want some jiang zhouzi (braised pork shoulder with soy sauce).

Here I am, bringing you money again," she said. "I've been doing this for decades." "Yes, here you are again, but you know you are going to get what you want," the salesman responded in agreement.

Jiang zhouzi has long been one of the most famous products of Tianfuhao, a Zhonghua Laozihao (China Time Honoured Brand) founded as a small shop in Beijing in the third year of Qing Emperor Qianlong's reign (1738) by Liu Fengxiang of Shandong Province.

Tianfuhao's products are famous despite their being somewhat expensive as far as some Beijingers are concerned, but the good taste and quality of Tianfuhao's delicacies allow no discount. If you search the Internet for comments on Tianfuhao, the description of its food alone will make your mouth water, and the real thing is a testament to Tianfuhao's 270 years of excellence.

Yet, Tianfuhao's success story begins with a mistake; in the beginning, Liu Fengxiang's braised pork and pork tripe was not so special. Then, one night, he asked his grandson Liu Diming to look after some pork that was being braised, but the small child fell into a sound sleep. When he woke up, he realized the pork had cooked too long. Even worse, an imperial eunuch was coming to buy that very batch of jiang zhouzi. Liu Fengxiang was upset, but he dared not refuse his customer. Trembling, he handed over the jiang zhouzi. But the eunuch was happy with that day's jiang zhouzi and even took some to the imperial palace for the Empress Dowager Ci Xi (1835¨C1908) to try. Fortunately for Liu Fengxiang, Ci Xi liked it too. Liu Diming recounted how he'd over-braised pork, and the secret of the jiang zhouzi was revealed. The Liu family's jiang zhouzi was accepted in tribute by the imperial family, whose recognition was invaluable to Tianfuhao.

Tianfuhao guarded its secret for making jiang zhouzi for hundreds of years, incorporating it into other foods made by Tianfuhao. No other company has been successful in mimicking Tianfuhao's braised pork products, especially its incomparable taste.

And the company's food products make it a profitable concern even to today. As a single product, about 2,000 kilograms per day of jiang zhouzi is sold. During traditional Chinese festivals, this number soars to 20 or 30 tons per day, as eating Tianfuhao's food has become a traditional part of festival observances.

"In the pork market, we're undoubtedly number one," said Feng Juntang, an eighth generation of Tianfuhao's braised pork- making craft said.

Now, a modern factory makes it possible to produce more food for the market, which includes more than 400 outlets and sales networks covering Central Beijing and its suburban areas. The company's modern packaging techniques make storage easier and its sanitation more reliable. Stylish packaging is an outward sign of the company's attempt to change with the times.

Safety is the life blood of any food company, something Tianfuhao officials say they understand very clearly. For Tianfuhao, safety and sanitation begins at the source, with its raw materials and ingredients, but this care and concern continues in its food processing and quality-control procedures. Whether in materials purchasing, processing or preservation safety is a first concern.

"We never let disqualified products enter the market. No matter how perfect our work is in the factory, the customers can't see it. They only care about the products they find presented to them. So the real quality assurance is in our factory," said Tianfuhao's manager. Care and concern about their products, but also the great gift of their predecessors, have won this company many honours and certificates, yet, they never stop trying to improve, guided by the thought: "Honour Belongs to the Past, Only Development Is Our Future."

Address: 21 Yuhua Lu, B Area, Airport Industrial Development Zone, Shunyi

District, Beijing 101300

Tel: +86 10 8049 3709, 8049 3710

website: www.tianfuhao.com.cn