A Chinese seafood company seeking "professional crayfish tasters" is promising successful applicants up to $75,000 annually but passing their tests is anything but a snap.
Over 100 people from across China converged on the city of Nanjing last Sunday, July 1st, to compete for the position of full-time “crayfish taster”. Success was hardly a slam dunk in hot butter, however – at press time only nine applicants had made it through to the second round of interviews.
Aspiring candidates for the position were required to identify the presented crayfish's species by eye alone, shell a cooked crayfish in under three seconds, and be able to consume 1 kg (about 2.2 pounds) of crayfish every working day.
The recruitment fair was hosted by food producer Bingku Daxia, a Nanjing-based company that currently produces roughly 500 tons of packaged crayfish each year. Affectionately known as “little lobsters”, the freshwater crustaceans have enjoyed a boom in popularity among foodies.
Not only are they delicious when traditionally prepared in a sauce of chilies, garlic and other spices, diners wear disposable plastic gloves that make smartphone use impossible and thus promote social interaction.
While an affinity for crayfish is definitely a plus, Bingku Daxia has stated their new Crayfish Taster – actually, a position in the company's Quality Control department – must also have at least a bachelor's degree in supply chain management and/or food science, previous food industry quality assurance experience at the managerial level, and demonstrated fluency in English. Personalized nutcracker and tiny fork are optional but recommended.
The rewards (besides delicious 2.2-pound crayfish feasts EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.) are an annual salary ranging from 300,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan ($42,195 to $75,330) and dividend rights of the company's crayfish farm. (via China Plus and Yangtze Evening News)
