A slicer participates in the slicing contest in Lishui's Qingtian county. [Photo/Tide News]

Qingtian county in Lishui, Zhejiang province, recently held its 3rd ham-slicing skills competition at the Qingtian Imported Commodity City, bringing together 16 professional slicers from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, and the local area.

Competitors focused intently as they skillfully maneuvered specialized knives along the natural grain of large Spanish hams, producing delicate, translucent slices.

As a renowned hometown of overseas Chinese, Qingtian boasts a deep-rooted Western cuisine culture, making Spanish ham widely popular and giving it significant potential for industrial development.

The competition not only preserved and promoted slicing skills but also built a platform for industry exchange, aiming to cultivate talent and further integrate Qingtian's Western food sector with its local specialty economy.

Spanish ham has recently become more accessible to consumers, as the product, traditionally sold as a whole leg, is now commonly available in sliced and packaged portions.

The ham, along with red wine and coffee, forms a core pillar of the "Qingtian Western Cuisine Masters" brand. The brand's training system also includes ham slicing, with the county awarding the nation's first professional certifications in this skill in 2022.

The long-term goal is to elevate the competition to higher administrative levels, boosting the industry's profile and influence nationwide.