Hiking and exploring the great outdoors are popular among the young people in China today and new-style ready-made meals fit the bill when it comes to satisfying their hunger.
Unlike conventional ready-made meals you may be familiar with, these are just a little bit different. Fanhu, a creative Guangzhou based start-up, entered this market in 2020 with “campfire-ready meals-in-one, featuring pre-portioned ingredients and easily assembled seasoning packets in pottery dishes at RMB20 ($2.89) each.” What makes this type of ready-meal so popular is that it allows the consumer to taste authentic Cantonese-style clay pot rice on the go and avoids usual time-consuming preparation.
These aren’t like the ready-made meals we know that are reheated in the microwave or oven. Instead, they are packed in a traditional white clay pot that can be put directly on the camp stove and enjoyed by hungry hikers. Are they popular? Fanhu’s Tmall store posted RMB25 million in sales in 2021 and sales continue to grow.
credit: Fanhu
“China’s pre-packaged meal sector will be valued at over RMB1 trillion by 2026, a more than four-fold increase since 2019, according to a report from iiMedia Research. “
But you don’t have to be an outdoor enthusiast to enjoy a great pre-made meal these days. Meal kits can be ordered online and will arrive at the doorstep chilled and ready to heat – a great alternative to eating “take-out” or having to cook at home.
“Nearly two-thirds of online shoppers in China have bought into the trend, a survey conducted by Alibaba Group and financial media outlet CBN Data in May revealed. Ready-made meal kits are quality meals at home without sacrificing flavor,” Zhang Qian, head of procurement at hypermart Freshippo‘s ready-made food business 3R, told Alizila in Mandarin.” The company 3R, a direct-to-consumer ready-made food kitchen was founded in 2018 and stands for ready to cook, ready to heat and ready to eat.
You can even order delicious roast duck online from Da Dong’s ready-made meal line on Alibaba’s Tmall – Dong to Go. Along with the duck, buyers receive pancakes, julienned cucumber, chopped scallions and a sweet-salty hoisin dipping sauce to enjoy with this Beijing specialty!
It’s no wonder with all these healthy, delicious and time-saving options that consumers are turning to ready-made meal alternatives in a big way.
Lily Noon
Sources:
Unpacking Chinese Consumers’ Growing Appetite for Pre-Made Meals Over Takeaway by Chloe Shen & Elizabeth Utley, August 18, 2022, www.alizila.com
「Alibaba Groupと金融メディアのCBN Dataが5月に行った調査では、中国のオンラインショッピング利用者の3分の2近くが、このトレンドに乗っていることが分かりました。『出来合いの料理キットは、自宅で食べる食事としても品質に優れ、味を犠牲にしません』と、スーパー大手Freshippo（盒馬鮮生）の出来合い食品事業部門、3Rで調達責任者を務めるZhang Qian氏はAlizilaの取材に応えて中国語で語っています」。この3Rという会社は2018年に設立され、消費者直販の出来合い食品を製造しています。「Ready to cook」、「Read to heat」、「Ready to eat」の3つのRを取ったのが社名の由来です。
また、北京のチェーン店、DaDong（大董）がAlibabaのTmallに開設した「Dong to Go」で、おいしい北京ダックの出来合い食品を注文することもできます。このメニューには、北京ダックを包むための皮（薄餅）、細切りのキュウリ、アサツキ、それに海鮮醤も付いてきますから、この特産料理を余すことなく楽しめます！
Unpacking Chinese Consumers’ Growing Appetite for Pre-Made Meals Over Takeaway（中国の消費者がテイクアウトから出来合い食品に向かう理由）、著：Chloe Shen、Elizabeth Utley、2022年8月18日、alizila.com
