Cantonese cuisine is delicious and fragrant to the world. On October 7, China Guangdong Agricultural Products Global Tasting and Exchange Event (US session, hereinafter referred to as the “Event”) took place at Five Star Seafood Restaurant in Los Angeles. The Event aimed to promote agricultural collaborations between Guangdong and the US and opened up more opportunities for economic growth. Over 50 dignitaries, including representatives from the industry associations, catering sector, and supermarket sector in the US, convened.
“With a history of more than two millennia, Cantonese cuisine is characterized by its diversity, excellent culinary techniques, and a wide spectrum of followers,” the representative of the Event organizer remarked. The Event was also seen as an opportunity to share Guangdong’s premium agricultural products and delicacies with more American consumers. By showcasing the unique flavor of Cantonese cuisine, local diners’ gastronomic choices were widened.The venue, Five Star Seafood Restaurant, is said to enjoy a high reputation in the catering industry in Los Angeles. Its diverse Cantonese dishes and dim sum (food items served in Cantonese morning tea) have captured the taste buds of food enthusiasts. The restaurant’s owner warmly welcomed the introduction of “Cantonese flavor” to the American diners and anticipated offering diners a new experience in terms of both dishes and flavors using Guangdong’s premium agricultural offerings and delicacies. Meanwhile, he believed that prepared food could better ensure high quality and food safety.
Best-seller Promotion
“Cantonese Flavor” Acclaimed by American Diners
“We aspire to promote Guangdong’s culinary delights over to the world, elevating it to be on a par with French cuisine,” said the renowned gourmet and show director, Huel-Yi Lin.
Cantonese cuisine, which is characterized by its extensive varieties and impeccable culinary techniques, appeals to both people all over the country and American diners. The US, as the cradle of prepared food, boasts sound prepared food consumption habits and a rock-solid market foundation, whereas prepared Cantonese food, thanks to its early establishment, systematicness, and industry clusters, is gaining popularity overseas, bringing global food enthusiasts a feast of Cantonese cuisine. At the Event, guests delved into Guangdong’s premium agricultural products and prepared food made from them. They also savored Guangdong’s specialties, such as the crayfish, dried shredded squid, frog legs, and spicy grilled fish, and were truly impressed and delighted.
“I went to Guangzhou six years ago and really had amazing food there. I can’t wait to go back,” said Shane Valdez, representative of a finance company, when being interviewed, whose wonderful memories of Guangzhou were evoked by Cantonese food at the Event.
The owner of Five Star Seafood Restaurant also fully recognized the quality of Cantonese cuisine at the Event. He said, “Cantonese cuisine is renowned around the world for its fresh ingredients, faithful representation of the authentic flavor, and relentless pursuit of impeccable texture through excellent culinary techniques, including stir-frying, boiling, steaming, simmering, and cooking.”
“Many of our guests shared the Event on their social media. We originally invited only 40 guests, but more than 50 came. Some even asked if we had any extra seats available and inquired about the future events,” the representative of the Event organizer told the reporter. A lot of guests highly acclaimed Cantonese cuisine at the Event, and some expressed an interest in Guangdong’s mushrooms exhibited in the exhibition area and anticipated further understanding and collaboration.
Exchanges and Interaction
Collision of Flavors and Culture
At the Event, an array of Guangdong agricultural products and prepared food export companies was showcased, and the owners of more than 20 Guangdong enterprises provided their contact information, forging a bridge for agricultural trade and business collaboration between China and the US.
Specifically, Shantou Ocean Best Seafood Corporation participated in the promotion. As the company’s Chairman, Ke Ruicheng, introduced, “Incorporated in 2010, Ocean Best is a large, intensive, and specialized producer and processor of seafood and aquatic products. We are mainly engaged in the acquisition, processing, self-operated import and export, breeding, and warehousing of seafood and aquatic products. We are strict with food quality and safety and comply with the European and American food quality standards in each indicator. Moreover, we have obtained the American HACCP, European Union, and BRC certifications. We took the leadership in exporting our products to Europe and the US. We started exporting products under our own brand, including golden pompanos and squids, to the US as early as 1989. The Event contributed to the collision of the East and the West in the domain of agriculture. More importantly, we see it as an important platform for Chinese agricultural enterprises to showcase our latest technological developments in food to overseas friends and business partners. We hope to foster collaborative growth and win-win cooperation with our international partners through the Event.”
Shaoguan Starway Bio-Technology Co., Ltd. also showcased its mushroom products at the Event. The company’s marketing director, Weng Weiling, said, “Incorporated in 2004, Starway is a provincial leading enterprise in the modern agriculture sector and the first enterprise in northern Guangdong to be engaged in industrial cultivation of edible fungi. We have been dedicated to the cultivation of edible fungi for more than a decade. At present, we own several large production bases, R&D centers, and deep processing product lines for edible fungi in northern Guangdong. Moreover, we boast a stable distribution network and diverse product ranges. Our products have been exported to Europe and the member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), including Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia.”
“As the representative of the supermarket sector, I feel a great sense of responsibility. We see the Event as a platform to introduce authentic, fresh, safe, and delicious Cantonese food to American consumers and hope to foster deeper culinary exchanges and integration between China and the US through the Event,” Hui Qin, representative of the supermarket sector said at the Event.
Expand into the Overseas Markets
Promising American Market
According to the statistics released by the United States Census Bureau in 2021, the population of overseas Chinese and Asians in the US has been on the rise since 2000. It is expected to triple by 2060, making them the fastest-growing ethnic group in the US. Except for population growth, the average household income of the Asian group has outperformed that of the entire American population.
Additionally, as indicated by the Ethnic Foods Market – Growth, Trends, and Forecasts (2022 – 2027) released by Mordor Intelligence, the presence of Asian cuisine in the US ethnic food marketspace is one of the major market trends. According to the forecast, consumers’ interest in Asian cuisines is increasing globally, and they seek bold flavors. This trend is driven by the increasing immigrant population, as well as robust demand from native populations.
Ke Ruicheng told the reporter that the percentage of the population of Asian Americans had been on the rise year by year, opening up many opportunities for us. He also indicated, “The US is a major importer of Ocean Best’s aquatic products, mainly including the frog legs, skinless squid, and golden pompanos, accounting for 70% to 80% of our total export volume. At present, we have dozens of shipments shipped to the US every month on average.”
Earlier this year, more than 600,000 American enthusiasts of Chinese food participated in the “Selection of the Most Popular Prepared Cantonese Dishes among the Chinese Restaurants and Consumers in the US” organized by the Chinese Restaurant News in the US, selecting the top 10 popular prepared Cantonese dishes. These selected dishes included Squid Rolls, Sauce-Flavored Frog Legs, Steamed Golden Pompanos, and Pan-Fried Golden Pompanos. Perhaps the high market demand in the US will attract an increasing number of agricultural enterprises in Guangdong.
Reporter: Lin Jianmin
Source: Guangdong Nanfang Rural News Business Co., Ltd.
Media ContactCompany Name: Guangdong Nanfang Rural News Business Co., Ltd.Contact Person: Lin JianminEmail: Send EmailCountry: ChinaWebsite: https://www.nfncb.cn/
