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Leisure foods
Leisure Food (xiuxian shipin) is a typically Chinese category. Many Chinese supermarkets, including the Chinese subsidiaries of multinationals, e.g. Carrefour, have a special section for these products and several of the news sources for the Chinese food industry discern this category as well. Leisure foods are popular with Chinese travelers, business travelers as well as holidaymakers. They are sold in shops in railroad stations, interregional bus stations, airports, etc., and near sites such as the Great Wall or the Terra Cotta Army. This is the reason why Leisure Foods do not only include candies or cookies, but also small packs of processed meat. The total turnover of leisure food in China in 2007 was approximately RMB 30 billion. In this special section, we are introducing the subcategories of leisure foods, as used in the Chinese website for these products (http://www.xiuxianshipin.com/).
‘Leisure Food’ in Chinese characters Preserved fruit (lianguo) This product type is often confused with candied fruit. Preserved fruits are fresh fruit soaked in a licorice and salt bath, which gives them their unique sweet and salty taste. The Chinese often eat preserved fruit after meals, as it is believed to help digestion and freshen the breath.
Preserved fruit
Candied fruit (mijian, guopu) Candied fruits are soaked in a sugar solution, which gives them a sweet taste. Candied fruits are consumed as candy and have no medicinal association like that of preserved fruit.
Candied fruit Fruit jelly (guodong) While the previous two categories belong to the traditional Chinese foods, fruit jelly is a more recent product, with konjac and fruit juice as the main raw materials. Fruit jelly is extremely popular with children in Asia.
Fruit jelly
Loose/bulk goods (sanzhuanghuo) This is an umbrella term for a wide range of products, comprising all the foods in this category, sold by weight. While this is still the case in the countryside, the trend for leisure food is to be sold pre-packed. However, in large cities such as Beijing or Shanghai, typically in the main shopping streets, one can still find shops that show ‘leisure foods’ in large displays, allowing customers to buy the products in any quantity they wish.
Minimarket at railroad station Meat products (rouzhipin) Meat is not immediately associated with leisure foods by most of us. In the Chinese perception, this subcategory refers to traditional products like beef jerky. A recent addition to this product groups is ‘meat chunks’, small pieces of dried beef, wrapped like candy. These can be seen as a modernized version of beef jerky, more convenient to carry around in a bag, pocket, etc.
Is this candy? Not really, it is beef jerky packed as candy
Chewing gum (kouxiangtang) This category does not need further explanation. It is interesting to note that the Chinese categorization distinguishes it as a separate subcategory from candy in general. Many suppliers of xylitol sweetened chewing gum in China advertise their products as an aid against tooth decay. Puffed food (penghua shipin) Most foods belonging to this category would be regarded as pastries in a Western categorization. However, products like such as extruded snacks are included in puffed foods.
Sun Brand rice chips are one of the most successful snack foods based on traditional Chinese food. Candy (tangguo) Candy is a Western food, but some indigenously developed candies exist, the most popular brand being the Big White Rabbit milk candy.
Big White Rabbit milk candy is well known in many countries
Roasted foods (chaohuo) Roasted foods are mainly seeds (e.g. melon and pine seeds), nuts, beans, etc., that are roasted to facilitate digestion. They are usually also soaked in spiced brine before roasting. The recipe of the marinade is the secret of the manufacturer, determining the typical taste of each brand.
Chinese love to eat melon seeds in the train, and many other places Chocolate (qiaokeli) Chocolate is regarded as symbol of friendship. Chocolate always makes a perfect gift for any occasion. The Chinese chocolate market is still mainly dominated by international brands. Bread/pastry (mianbao/gaodian) Like meat, bread would not generally be regarded as a leisure food in the Western perception. In Chinese food statistics, bread is also referred to as a staple food, though usually specified as ‘convenience staple’. Bread was introduced from abroad in the late 19th century, and it took until the early 1980s for bulk bread production to start in China. However, production increased rapidly, causing a genuine war among the major global suppliers of baker’s yeast to gain market share in China. Lesaffre was the most successful company in the category of imported yeast, while Mauri (ABF/Burns-Philp) was the first to start local production. Currently, the market is gradually being taken over by local brands, in particular Angel. Traditional Chinese pastry is rather heavy, mainly because the puffing effect is carried out using oil rather than yeast or another raising agent. The most famous variety is the moon cake, eaten during the Mid Autumn Festival.
Moon cake Shaobing This is a very typical Chinese product and is probably the reason that it is listed on the website as a separate subcategory, rather than included with bread/pastry. Shaobing – literally, baked cake - is a sesame coated cake, consisting of several layers. It can be eaten any time, but is a must to accompany the traditional Mongolian Hot Pot.
Shaobing Fruit, soft drinks (shuiguo, yinpin) The fact that fresh fruit, alongside preserved and candied versions and fruit jelly, is also listed shows how important fruit is in China as ‘a food you eat when you are in the company of friends’. While Europeans would prefer pastries, biscuits or sandwiches with their tea, Chinese often serve tea with a selection of fruit.
Eurasia Consult has been following the Chinese food industry since 1985. We combine our high standard market studies with a deep insight in the cultural background of eating and drinking in China. Let us redesign your strategy in this market.