Flavored city
Food oasis Guangzhou has added another jewel to its crown — as an exporter of exquisite Chinese precooked delicacies to the world. Its one-stop export service platform is set to grow, serving as a tribute to the city's traditional culinary culture. Atlas Shao reports from Guangzhou.
Mai says research and development is critical in China's crowded precooked food sector, with over 80,000 companies in the fray. A price war would sacrifice quality, he warns.
Founded in 2018, Wulixing initially distributed branded goods to connect consumers with quality factories before launching its own product line in 2022. It has since developed over 2,000 products, including 200 to 300 regular items.
Guangzhou has lived up to its accolade — a connoisseurs' paradise. "We have the Cantonese saying, 'Eat in Guangzhou'," notes Mai, paying tribute to the city's traditional culinary culture, talent base and logistics network.
He champions the innovative twists used in developing traditional dishes of precooked food, including Cantonese steamed items with black truffle or squid ink, char siu bao enhanced with matsutake mushrooms, and cheese-filled steamed buns.
As production spans multiple cities, 60 percent of Wulixng's sales are in South China. "Regional dietary differences make familiar markets more advantageous," Mai explains.
The safety of precooked dishes is well assured, with continued taste upgrades to rival freshly prepared food.
"We can expect to see a growth trend in precooked dishes in the future," he says.
