Quality Ruifu | The Quality Philosophy of “Cui”

In 1932, when Choi Seung-yang, the 18th-generation heir of Cui Zi Sesame Oil, founded the “Cui Ji Sesame Oil Workshop” in Weicheng County, he probably never imagined that his descendants would turn the “Cui Zi Brand” into China’s leading brand of small-mill sesame oil and would go on to sell sesame oil and sesame paste to more than 50 countries and regions around the world.

　　A close examination of the nearly century-long evolution of “Cui Zi”—from “Cui Ji Xiangyou Fang” to Ruifu Oils & Fats Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Ruifu Oils & Fats”)—or, viewed through a historical lens, the moment 618 years ago when Cui Zeshi, the founding ancestor of the Cui family’s sesame oil business, first invented small-mill sesame oil—reveals an increasingly clear historical thread: behind the success of “Cui Zi” lies a unique philosophical logic.

(1)

　　During this year’s “Two Sessions” in Shandong, a video interview with Cui Ruifu, Chairman of Ruifoo Oils and the 20th-generation descendant of the Cui Family Fragrant Oil brand, went viral. In the video, Cui Ruifu spoke with great confidence: “Our culture can be summed up in eight characters: ‘Genuine products at fair prices, honest treatment of both young and old.’ This is also our core philosophy. For 600 years, our commitment to quality has remained unchanged, and we’ve passed down this commitment from one generation to the next…”

　　The great way is simple; the great form is invisible. “Genuine goods at fair prices, treating both children and elders with honesty and integrity”—this is precisely Cui’s philosophy of quality.

　　Cui Ruifu clearly remembers his grandfather, Cui Shengyang, repeatedly emphasizing to both his father and himself: “You can’t make good sesame oil without good sesame seeds.” This simple yet profound philosophical principle continues to deeply influence the “Cui” brand to this day.

　　In fact, even when he first founded “Cui Ji Fragrant Oil Workshop,” Cui Shengyang had already articulated his own philosophy on quality: “The ingredients must be top-notch, the water must be of the highest quality, the utensils must be impeccably clean, and the scales must be perfectly accurate.”

　　There’s a story circulating among the locals that’s widely admired. In his early years, Cui Shengyang used to carry a basket of sesame oil down the street, hawking it from door to door. If a customer’s bottle or jar for holding the sesame oil wasn’t clean, he’d refuse to sell them any oil at all. His reasoning was simple: If the sesame oil ended up tasting off or going bad, would the fault lie with my oil—or with your dirty bottle or jar? Over time, the customers came to understand and accept his stance. After all, though Old Cui was stubbornly principled, it was always out of concern for ensuring they could enjoy high-quality sesame oil.

　　In fact, Cui Shengyang’s “stubborn adherence to principle” has a philosophical logic: If I remain committed to product quality and treat consumers with kindness, they’ll recognize and buy my products, and my sesame oil business will only get better and better, creating a virtuous cycle. On the other hand, if I don’t, I could end up “spilling the oil and ruining the whole business.”

　　It was precisely because of his unwavering commitment to the quality of sesame oil that Cui Shengyang’s business grew larger and larger, eventually leading him to open the “Cui Ji Sesame Oil Workshop” in Weixian County. Not only did he earn the reputation of “King of Sesame Oil in Weixian,” but he also became a well-known local gentry figure renowned throughout the region.

　　Although this elderly man is “stubbornly rigid,” he has an uncanny ability to sense the pulse of the times. As early as 1983, at the very beginning of the reform and opening-up period, he applied for an “Individual Industrial and Commercial Business License” with a registered capital of 60 yuan.

　　Today, this “Business License for Individual Industrial and Commercial Enterprises” lies quietly in the Cui Family Small-Mill Sesame Oil Museum, telling stories of the past and witnessing remarkable development: the initial registered capital of 60 yuan has now “transformed” into an annual turnover of 600 million yuan.

(2)

　　In the second year after his father obtained the “Individual Industrial and Commercial Business License,” Cui Xinshan, the 19th-generation inheritor of Cui Zi Sesame Oil, established a sesame oil factory and registered the “Cui Zi” trademark, marking the first step toward large-scale production and brand development for “Cui Zi.”

　　From the very beginning of his entrepreneurial journey, Cui Xinshan put forward the philosophy that "one’s character determines how one behaves, one’s friends determine how one gets things done, and product quality determines what kind of products we make," along with the goal of "producing high-quality products and exporting them." In his view, personal integrity, business conduct, and product quality are highly interconnected—only by "producing high-quality products" can we achieve our goal of "exporting products." Ultimately, product quality is a company’s greatest asset for sustainable development.

　　Cui Xinshan is also a man who takes things seriously. Take sesame selection as an example: he strictly adheres to his father’s family motto—“You can’t make good sesame oil without good sesame seeds”—and is incredibly picky about the quality of sesame seeds, to the point of being “extremely strict.” While others simply go to the fields in autumn to harvest sesame seeds, he starts visiting the fields as soon as the sesame plants are planted, making several trips from planting to harvesting until he knows every detail about the sesame crop inside and out.

　　When Cui Ruifu took over the sesame oil factory, the sesame oil industry was mired in a severe crisis of trust due to widespread product counterfeiting. Cui Ruifu keenly recognized that to turn the situation around, he had to start with quality and integrity. Thus, at the right moment, he put forward the development philosophy: “Where there is quality, there is a market; where there is integrity, there is a future.”

　　Cui Ruifu is passionate about philosophy and deeply admires Wang Yangming’s idea of the unity of knowledge and action. He firmly believes that ideas only come alive when they are put into practice. Thus, he spearheaded the development of a comprehensive, end-to-end assurance system covering the entire chain—from sourcing to production to after-sales service. At the source, he adheres strictly to the principle of “selecting the best from the best,” carefully choosing sesame seeds from premium growing regions both at home and abroad. Each batch of raw materials must pass multiple rigorous tests before being accepted into the warehouse. In production, he established a “zero-defect” quality management system and invested tens of millions of yuan in building a state-of-the-art testing center. Every stage—from roasting and grinding to filling—undergoes comprehensive monitoring and data traceability, ensuring consistent product quality throughout the entire process.

　　“The company has also established a comprehensive traceable logistics and after-sales service system, creating a complete quality loop—from farm to table—so that consumers can shop with confidence and eat with peace of mind,” said Cui Ruifu. “The reason why the ‘Cui’ brand has earned hundreds of honors—including ‘Time-Honored Brand of China,’ ‘Good Grain & Oil Products of China,’ ‘Shandong’s Fine Products,’ and ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Shandong Province’—is, above all else, that its product quality is truly exceptional.”

(3)

　　In Cui Ruifu’s view, it’s perfectly understandable for businesses to pursue profit. However, if a company regards profit-making as its sole objective—even going so far as to be solely driven by profit and resorting to any means necessary—it will inevitably head down the path of failure. Only by transcending the mere pursuit of profit and building a corporate cultural philosophy from a higher-dimensional perspective, while elevating its ideal aspirations, can a company break free from its predetermined fate and become a truly unique entity.

　　“‘Balancing righteousness and profit’ is an important characteristic of Lu merchants. If they fail to grasp the dialectical relationship between ‘righteousness’ and ‘profit’ and cannot find the right balance between the two, it will be extremely difficult for a company to succeed,” Cui Ruifu told reporters. “Behind every outstanding enterprise lies a well-defined philosophical logic.”

　　At different historical stages of the company’s development, Cui Ruifu has always been able to adapt to the times and put forward his guiding principles. Statements such as “Follow the broad path, take the right course” and “Eat from just one bowl of rice for a lifetime, and dedicate yourself to one single task for a hundred years”—these principles have provided the company with powerful spiritual motivation as it continues to move forward on the right track.

　　“Walk the straight path and follow the right way” is meant to remind the people of Cui’s family to uphold integrity and foster innovation, earning market recognition through product quality. They must never take shortcuts or resort to underhanded tactics, lest they tarnish their hard-earned golden reputation. “To eat only one bowl of rice in a lifetime and devote oneself wholeheartedly to just one thing for a hundred years”—this embodies the craftsman’s spirit of dedication and relentless pursuit of excellence. It serves as a reminder to the people of Cui’s family to “focus single-mindedly on their core business,” continuously innovate, and constantly enhance product quality, thereby bringing tangible benefits to more consumers with superior products.

　　Quality control at “Cui Zi” has evolved into a corporate culture philosophy—a philosophy that Cui Ruifu has refined over nearly 40 years of business through continuous learning, practice, reflection, refinement, and insight. At its core, this philosophy can be summarized as “genuine products at fair prices, treating both young and old with honesty and integrity.” This corporate culture philosophy operates subtly yet profoundly, seamlessly integrating itself into every stage of “Cui Zi’s” procurement, production, and sales processes.

　　In the tide of the commercial society, enterprises—as the micro-entities of the economy—undoubtedly exert a profound impact on the overall development of society through their actions and pursuits. From this perspective, the quality philosophy embodied by “Cui Zi” takes on exemplary significance.

Li Jingyou / Text and Photos

Correspondent: Wen Lei

Video source: Lightning News