The Chinese people have come a long way to achieve food security in the 75 years since the founding of the People’s Republic of China.
As an old Chinese saying goes, “food is people’s first necessity.” But over the years, Chinese attitudes toward food have changed dramatically, especially among young people.
With a greater focus now on the emotional value of food and maintaining a healthy diet, young Chinese people’s evolving understanding of food has reflected the country’s evolution.
HEALTHIER DIETS
Yang Ming, from Tianjin Municipality in northern China, is the fourth generation of owners of a once-struggling, but now revived, traditional pastry shop.
When he took over his father’s store nine years ago, he knew he had to attract the interest of younger customers to turn things around. To this end, it notably reduced the quantities of oil and sugar used in the composition of pastries by more than 30%, while retaining their full flavor.
This measure helped meet growing customer demand for healthier products and was well received in the market. Thanks to this change and others that were implemented to meet the needs of a younger customer base, Mr. Yang’s company today has more than 40 branches and 5 million online subscribers, of which more than three quarters are aged 18 to 35.
The search for healthier diets has slowly changed the urban market landscape, as evidenced by areas where residents used to consume a lot of cooking oil and salt.
In the Hinggan League of northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, increasing quantities of fruits and vegetables now sit alongside traditional foods, such as lamb stew and fried noodles, on nomadic tables. .
To counter the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases associated with traditional dietary habits, the local government encouraged residents to plant more fruits and vegetables, and distributed special oil pots and salt spoons to help people limit the volumes they add to their food.
This shift in eating habits is in line with observations made in the China Agricultural Sector Development Report 2024, released earlier this year. This report shows the constant improvement in the structure of Chinese food consumption, which no longer focuses only on basic foods. Cereals, meat, fruits, vegetables and fish now occupy a predominant place in this consumption structure.
EMOTIONAL VALUE
For many young Chinese people, eating has also become a way to add emotional value to life. In the words of a young person who spoke to Xinhua, “eating and drinking is like massaging your mind.”
This attitude towards food is evident online, with young consumers using food-related slang terms and hashtags on social media to show off their personality, choosing foods that suit their tastes and tastes. their values.
Thus, nicknames such as “matcha brain” for matcha lovers and “microscope food watcher” for those who always examine ingredient lists are now commonplace on social media.
Food and beverage companies are taking advantage of this trend. According to a report compiled by PwC and the China Association of Chain and Franchise Stores, these companies are now focusing more on providing emotional value to their young customers.
For example, we see popular restaurant chains labeling discounted meal plans for workdays as “worker combos” in order to attract the attention of young professionals. And given the growing popularity of temples among young people, some companies are putting messages such as “Get rich overnight” on their products to attract young temple visitors seeking good fortune.
For Yang Ming and his pastry shop, adaptation to this market evolution came naturally. While continuing to serve seasonal traditional pastries, he embraced young Chinese’s fervor for traditional culture and designed a number of product packaging that merge traditional culture with modern elements, gaining popularity among customers .
“Traditional pastries are not only a daily source of livelihood, they are also carriers of Chinese culture and symbols of spiritual feelings,” according to Mr. Yang.
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