Improved logistics put pepper in the fast lane

LANZHOU－For decades, Kou Rui's father kept his family of seven afloat through the huajiao－Sichuan pepper－trade.

Now Kou, 38, has built his own fortune from the unique plant and helped spice up poor farmers' lives deep in the mountains of northwestern China.

Despite its name, Sichuan pepper, the dried, rust-colored berries of a type of spiky shrub native to parts of western China, is not actual pepper. Delivering a slightly numbing sensation and a lemony, peppery aroma, it is used extensively in Sichuan food to create its trademark flavor: numbing heat.

Many Chinese people adore Sichuan pepper, but its journey from farm to table used to be arduous.

Kou and his family live in Longnan, in northwestern China's Gansu province, which neighbors the provinces of Shaanxi and Sichuan. While the junction boasts a major Sichuan pepper-growing region, offering locals a potential lifeline, soaring mountains long stood in the way.

Among those to blaze a trail was Kou's father. Three decades ago, due to the technical know-how needed to grow and harvest Sichuan pepper, planting was scattered and limited in scale. So was the trade. Besides, the journey to the nearest market was quite a trek. The crop was in great demand in Sichuan, on the other side of the mountains, but to carry it there Kou's father had to spend over 20 hours on the road, transferring from bus to train.

Quality Sichuan pepper produced in Longnan's Wudu district was sold for up to 8 yuan a kilogram 30 years ago, twice the average daily salary of most workers in western China at the time.

Sichuan pepper brought fortune to Kou's family, and even a taste of the unknown. Once, his father bought peanuts back home from Sichuan after selling his pepper in the province. "It was the first time that I'd ever seen or eaten peanuts. I ate too many and suffered from diarrhea and vomiting for days," Kou said. "But Sichuan pepper gave me a glimpse of the outside world."

Despite such humble beginnings, the younger generation has spiced up the narrative in recent years, taking advantage of improved logistics and introducing fresh ideas, aided by favorable government policies.

Kou set up a Sichuan pepper cooperative in 2003 after completing military service. Since then it has lifted over 90 households out of poverty.

"Great potential in the demand for Sichuan pepper has revved up local growers' enthusiasm," said Chen Hongyan, head of an organization in Wudu that serves the Sichuan pepper trade.

In 2003, the local government designated the industry as a prime way to eliminate poverty, encouraging large-scale planting and bolstering the logistical infrastructure.

More recently, powered by China's poverty alleviation efforts, the city's transportation service has embraced a new round of upgrades. In 2017, a major railway connecting Lanzhou, Gansu's provincial capital, with the southwestern municipality of Chongqing, via Longnan and other cities, opened for service. Couriers like SF Express have also established branches in Longnan, speeding up the delivery of goods.

Due to the leap forward in development, Kou has seen the freight journey time from his hometown to Sichuan reduced to less than five hours. Meanwhile, locally grown Sichuan pepper is of higher quality thanks to government support, and supply is booming.

Once a local delight, the spice has now ventured abroad, gaining traction among foreign customers. Gao Zhidong, founder of another Sichuan pepper cooperative in Longnan, has not only succeeded in selling his products to hotpot heavyweight Haidilao but also tapped the German market.

When an industry offers hope, talented youths step in. Ouyang Shuzhi, a college graduate in e-commerce who is employed by Gao's cooperative, incorporated his expertise into its business strategies. Last year, a third of the cooperative's more than 30 million yuan ($4.32 million) in Sichuan pepper sales came from online platforms.

Niu Junping, deputy head of Wudu district, said: "Among various Sichuan peppers of prime quality across China, those grown in Wudu district stand out due to their prominent numbing properties, thus enjoying popularity. And with top yields, we play a crucial role in leading the domestic Sichuan pepper market."

At the height of summer, clumps of ripened berries hang from shrubs in a village in Longnan. Villager Wang Fuchao weaves in and out of the branches, racing to finish picking all the berries on over 500 Sichuan pepper trees before early August. He said Sichuan pepper can sell for more than 120 yuan a kilogram this year, and his total income will reach at least 40,000 yuan. After the harvest, he will seek work in other places, earning more money for his family.

In Longnan, the history of cultivating Sichuan pepper dates back about 1,000 years. Now, the industry is taking on a new look. The area planted with Sichuan pepper in Wudu district has reached 66,667 hectares, and the industry has helped 86,000 local residents cast off poverty.

Xinhua