A taste of home carries a deep sense of nostalgia. Chaoshan cuisine is not only the essence of Chaoshan culture but also a nostalgic memory on the taste buds of Chaoshan people at home and abroad. In recent years, riding on the wave of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the development of ready-to-cook food, batches of Chaoshan specialty food brands have been expanding into the international market, allowing a variety of Chaoshan-style foods to gain a “global appeal”.
Chaoshan-Style Mooncakes Grace Overseas Dining Tables
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, mooncakes, the traditional festive food, enter their peak season for production, processing and export. In Chaoshan, freshly baked Chaoshan-style mooncakes with unique local flavors fill the streets and alleys with an increasingly strong festive atmosphere.
Chaoshan-style mooncakes, also known as “Lubing” (mooncakes made with lard), have a history of over 300 years. They are a must-have delicacy for many Chaoshan families when admiring the moon and sipping tea during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and also one of the most delicious memories of their hometown for many Chaoshan people.
“In recent years, while adhering to the traditional craftsmanship of Chaoshan-style mooncakes, we have also launched a number of cultural-themed product series featuring ‘overseas Chinese’ and ‘Chaoshan culture’. We have developed various product categories centered on Chaoshan characteristics, covering aspects such as taste, packaging and sales,” said Liu Weixiong, General Manager of Guangdong Rongcheng Food Co., Ltd., to the reporter. “There are a large number of Chaoshan people around the world, with half in China and half overseas. ‘Overseas Chinese’ is a distinctive feature of Shantou. In recent years, we have been striving to create an overseas Chinese-themed product, using ‘Lubing’ as a carrier to tell the stories of Chaoshan overseas Chinese.”
Recently, 670 boxes of Chaoshan-style mooncakes produced by Shantou Sunan Candy Factory Co., Ltd. successfully entered the Singaporean market after passing the inspection and quarantine of Chenghai Customs, which is under the jurisdiction of Shantou Customs. It is reported that this is the first time Shantou’s Chaoshan-style mooncakes have been exported to Singapore. “We are very confident in expanding orders in the future,” said Chen Yongming, head of Shantou Sunan Candy Factory Co., Ltd.
“World Goose King” Steps into the Global Market
There is a saying among Chaoshan people regarding banquets: “No feast is complete without goose”. Braised goose, a specialty made from braised lion-head geese, is becoming a symbol of Chaoshan culture. In Shantou, the breeding of lion-head geese is mainly concentrated in Chenghai District, and it has become a local agricultural specialty brand. In December last year, the ready-to-cook lion-head goose products from Chenghai, Shantou successfully made their first export, embarking on a journey of striding into the international market and “exploring” the world.
A few days ago, the reporter walked into the production workshop of Guangdong Xiwang Food Co., Ltd., where the aroma of braised meat wafted in the air. Each braised lion-head goose looked shiny and plump. The company’s flagship product, “Wu Zhi Braised Goose (Ready-to-Cook)”, not only appears more and more on the dining tables of people in various places but also, with the help of abundant overseas Chinese resources and closely connected overseas markets, the ready-to-cook braised goose is gaining popularity around the world. “Our ready-to-cook braised goose products are deeply loved by overseas Chinese and foreign friends, and export has become a regular business for us,” said Yang Zhuoli, Manager of Foreign Trade Export Business of the company.
Relevant statistical data show that since the first export, 12,000 kilograms of braised lion-head geese have been successfully exported after passing the inspection of Shantou Customs.
In addition to the characteristic braised food, aquatic products, agricultural products, traditional foods and snacks in Chaoshan also have distinct regional characteristics and unique flavors, which are very popular in the overseas market. Haojiang District of Shantou is striving to become a pioneer zone for the development of ready-to-cook food in Chaoshan. Data shows that in the first half of this year, the trade volume of major aquatic product enterprises in Haojiang exported to RCEP member countries reached 26.54 million yuan. Among them, Guanhai Aquatic Products, the leading entity in the construction of Haojiang Aquatic Products Provincial Modern Agricultural Industrial Park, has its aquatic products exported to 18 countries and regions, allowing more and more overseas Chinese at home and abroad to taste the flavor of Chaoshan.
Green Channels Help Maintain Freshness Throughout the Journey
How to maintain the flavor of exported ready-to-cook food while ensuring the food safety of people at home and abroad? The reporter learned from the interview that in addition to the R&D and breakthroughs in fresh-keeping technology for ready-to-cook food by various production enterprises, ensuring smooth import and export is also very important.
In response, Shantou Customs has launched the “Green Action for Customs Clearance of Agricultural and Food Products”, established a “Green Channel” for the inspection of imported and exported agricultural and food products at the place of origin, implemented a 24/7 (5 working days plus 2 weekends) appointment-based inspection and customs clearance service, and combined it with customs clearance facilitation measures such as priority inspection and fast inspection and release, so as to fully ensure the safe and convenient customs clearance of agricultural and food products.
“The shelf life of finished beef balls is only 7 days when frozen. The customs ‘Green Channel’ has achieved ‘zero delay’ and ‘zero detention’ throughout the process, maximizing the preservation of the product’s flavor,” said Zhang Chuanjie, Manager of Shantou Chenghai Chaoshi Quick-Frozen Food Factory.
It is reported that since the beginning of this year, Chenghai Customs has conducted 29 surveys in Shantou Jinping Food Chamber of Commerce and enterprises in various parts of Chaoshan. Focusing on expanding the export of characteristic agricultural and food products such as aquatic products, braised lion-head geese and beef balls, it has listened to the development demands of enterprises and solved 26 urgent and difficult problems for them.
Editor: Wu Jiahong
Source: Jin Yang Wang (Golden Sheep Network)
