Error loading player: No playable sources found
08:28
Anyone that has been to China has most likely seen the red and green Pacman-lookalike logo above tens of thousands of restaurants across the country.
A typical Shaxian platter of various snacks. /CGTN
A typical Shaxian platter of various snacks. /CGTN
It's Shaxian Delicacies.
Hailing from Sha County in Fujian Province, the snack-like delicacy has seen massive market expansion over the past couple of decades.
What was once seen as an affordable and basic meal, is now a well-known brand that can be found around the globe in more than 65 countries and regions.
So, what made this all happen? And how? The next stop in my journey takes me to the birthplace of Shaxian Delicacies.
Mrs. Yu looks on as I take a bite out of some fried and steamed dumplings. /CGTN
Mrs. Yu looks on as I take a bite out of some fried and steamed dumplings. /CGTN
Here I've met with Mrs. Yu Jinzhu, a somewhat pioneer of starting the Shaxian Delicacy business that's now grown to millions of dollars. A few years ago, the Chinese President came to her small village of Yubang, seeing how local businesses have grown.
This was a major boost to the brand, Mrs. Yu tells me, which sells spring rolls, pork vermicelli, stews with carrots, vegetables and much more. But she says the Chinese leader hoped the brand could go bigger, to innovate the menu and variety of dishes.
Mrs. Yu shares her story with me on how she's dedicated her time and life to growing the Shaxian brand. /CGTN
Mrs. Yu shares her story with me on how she's dedicated her time and life to growing the Shaxian brand. /CGTN
It's something that resonates with Mrs. Yu. Three decades ago, the small village had no arable land and very few business opportunities. It was only when a few people first started selling their local dishes on the street that a trend was born. It caught on with the local government, who decided to support the initiative and help it grow across the country.
Since 1993, the Yubang Village native has spent time in Jiangsu, Shanghai and Beijing, operating a multitude of Shaxian Delicacy restaurants. It's been a family affair with her brothers, aunts and sisters all following her footsteps.
Aerial shot of Yubang Village. /CGTN
Aerial shot of Yubang Village. /CGTN
Much of it has been a drive to get out of poverty, to innovate and pursue a sense of entrepreneurship she tells me. The profits have allowed her to build and establish new restaurants and businesses. It's paid off after decades of hardship and dedication.
Entrance to Yubang Village's snack street, which was opened in 2019. /CGTN
Entrance to Yubang Village's snack street, which was opened in 2019. /CGTN
More good news came for Mrs. Yu and the locals of Yubang in 2019, when a new snack street was opening in their village. It allowed for more locals to open shops and restaurants, further driving the Shaxian Delicacy craze. Today, there are more than 20-thousand Yubang Village locals working across all of China, running their own Shaxian Delicacy shops.
Since 1998, the local government has trained 16,000 people on how to prepare Shaxian snacks, training courses that have been provided for free under a Shaxian Delicacy Association.
Taking a class in food prep at the Shaxian Delicacy Association. /CGTN
Taking a class in food prep at the Shaxian Delicacy Association. /CGTN
And to further keep up with the trend of everything going digital, an information platform was built in 2019 to track real time growth of the Shaxian Delicacy industry both home and abroad.
Figures from the platform show that local people's incomes have grown because of the simple food and snack. In 1997, average annual incomes were 420 dollars. Fast forward to 2020, that figure stood at 3,300 dollars.
Future business owners attend free and mandatory classes that will help them setup their own Shaxian Delicacy restaurant. /CGTN
Future business owners attend free and mandatory classes that will help them setup their own Shaxian Delicacy restaurant. /CGTN
A simple snack and a simple story. But the impacts have proven to be massive for the lives of people in Sha County. For Mrs. Yu, there's no turning back, as she hopes that future generations will keep the flavors of Sha County going forever.
(Xi Jia, Feng Yilei & Zhu Longzhou also contributed to this story.)