Smaller portions and milk tea reflect Chinese diners' changing tastes

The Beijing Cuisine Association recently released 16 consumer keywords to enable the world to better understand the changes taking place in the Chinese catering industry and the trends of Chinese diners.

According to consumer preferences, catering industry trends, user reviews and search data on Meituan－a Chinese e-commerce platform－the keywords are selected before a final review conducted by 11 experts from the Beijing Cuisine Association, the catering industry and mass media.

The 16 keywords selected from three categories of new taste, new fashion and new trend. They are the first cup of milk tea in autumn; luosifen (river snail rice noodles);luchuan'er (Chinese barbecue);chuanchuanxiang (skewered food served in a hotpot); new Chinese bakery; light meal; "crayfish freedom"; Shaxian snacks; ordering food delivery; "smaller dishes";looking it up online; solo dining; foods on the intangible cultural heritage list; food district; the black pearl restaurant guide; and China's time-honored brand.

"The 16 keywords are a condensed version of the hot events or trends that have happened in China's catering field in the past few years. It's a reflection of China's social transformation, Chinese consumption patterns and cultural life," said Yun Cheng, president of the Beijing Cuisine Association.

The changes in Chinese catering include diversified consumer demands especially in the internet era, the anti-food waste campaign and a rising demand for takeout food due to the fast pace of modern life.

The internet meme, the first cup of milk tea in autumn, refers to the trend of treating loved ones with milk tea in early autumn. Young people have posted photos of milk tea and autumn scenery on social media as a seasonal ritual. "The first cup of milk tea in autumn "became a trending hashtag on social media platform Weibo.

Marketing strategies by tea-based beverage brands and social media celebrities used this meme to fuel consumption.

On Sept 7, 2021, the Beginning of Autumn, the 13th solar term of the year, more than 21 million cups of milk tea were sold on Meituan alone.

In recent years, with China's economic growth and upgraded consumption pattern, new marketing ideas are coming to the fore to meet increasingly diversified consumer demands. A cup of milk tea is a small treat that brings genuine happiness, a means of social interaction and a daily indulgence. Explosive online visibility and huge followings have resulted in phenomenal sales, which also reflects the active consumption of Chinese young consumer groups in the catering market.

"My company doesn't have a canteen, so I usually order takeout food for lunch and dinner. Even if I have a sudden craving for skewers or fried chicken after 10 pm, it's convenient to make the order (through takeaway platforms)," said a consumer surnamed Yuan.

According to Meituan's third quarter 2021 financial report, the platform provided more diverse choices and more high-quality categories to cater to consumers' changing preferences. During the summer, evening snacks and afternoon tea were popular. Orders from these two categories recorded a two-year compound annual growth rate of nearly 30 percent during the quarter.

"Smaller dishes" refer to food combos served in small portions, which have become popular as China launches a Clean Plate campaign to tackle food waste.

The smaller portions at lower prices are suitable for customers who dine alone and cause little food waste. With the promotion of saving food and a heightened awareness of healthy and moderate diets, more customers and catering businesses are participating in the Clean Plate campaign.

Previously, some customers found that one dish wasn't enough while two were too much. Now at about the same cost, they can pick several dishes in smaller portions to satisfy their appetite while reducing food waste. At the same time, caterers get more orders and economic benefits with such services.

China's top legislature enacted the Anti-Food Waste Law in 2021 to curb the practice of food wastage. The advent and promotion of smaller dishes mark the dynamic actions of catering businesses in fostering core socialist values and their contribution to China's sustainable development.

According to Meituan, the number of restaurants offering small-portion dishes and the number of such dishes both increased by more than 50 percent year-on-year in 2021.

In terms of food delivery, the number of merchants offering smaller dishes on Meituan increased by nearly 40 percent compared with 2020.

Since 2021, the number of searches for keywords such as "small portion" and "meal for one" on Meituan has increased by 53 percent.

"I'm single and there are very few meals suitable for one person nowadays. I hope there will be more meals for one, which could be more delicate and cheap, and help reduce food waste," said a consumer surnamed Shen.

Foods on the intangible cultural heritage list refer to signature regional cuisines that are noted for their specific methods of preparation. Such a dish must have a clear genealogy with a recorded history and time-honored cultural values.

Among the iconic dishes are Beijing roast duck, as well as Beijing's special snacks of lyudagunr (glutinous rice rolls stuffed with red bean paste) and pea-flour cake.

zhangdandan@chinadaily.com.cn