China Food & Drinks

China Says Potato

Rice and wheat have been the dominant staple in China for centuries. The potato, generally perceived a vegetable instead of staple food, is a cuckoo in the Chinese nest. Something is about to change.

Published

10 years ago

January 9, 2015

Manya Koetse

READING TIME: 1 MINUTE, 30 SECONDS

Rice and wheat have been the dominant staple in China for centuries. The potato, generally perceived a vegetable instead of staple food, is a cuckoo in the Chinese nest. Something might be about to change, as China’s Ministry of Agriculture announced changes in China’s national cuisine this week, turning the potato into a hot topic on social media.

Chinese cuisine is globally famous, with rice being the essential part of the daily menu. Traditionally, rice and wheat are part of the main course in most areas of China, whereas potato generally is considered a vegetable and treated as such. It is not uncommon to eat potato as a side dish next to rice, or use it as one of the vegetables for hotpot. The potato topic became a hot thread on Sina Weibo (#土豆成主粮#) when China’s Ministry of Agriculture announced on January 6th that potato, following rice, wheat and corn, will become one of the new staple foods of China this year.

The introduction of the potato as a staple is believed to improve the overall nutritional value of Chinese style meals. More importantly, the move comes as part of China’s possible solution to low agricultural yield. According to the Ministry, “[The move] is an attempt to ensure food security, ease the pressure on the environment and increase the income of farmers” (foodnavigator-asia).

Due to China’s large population and growing size of cities, the total area of farm field is decreasing year by year. The adverse environment such as weather, water population and land population has dramatically increased the cost of cultivating wheat or rice. The potato is therefore seen as a viable substitute for future generations.

On Sina Weibo, netizens have started sharing various recipes for making potatoes. The traditional Chinese way of cooking potatoes differs from the mainstream cooking style in the West. Besides turning them into chips, jacked potatoes, crisps or mashed potato, the future Chinese potato will mainly be used for noodles, steamed buns or vermicelli, which are all made of potato flour.

– by Fan Bai

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China Food & Drinks

Guming’s 1 Yuan Ice Water: China’s Coolest Summer Trend

Published

4 weeks ago

May 22, 2025

Manya Koetse

🔥 Quick Take: Trending in China
This is a brief update from our curated roundup of what’s trending in China this week. A version of this story also appears in the Weibo Watch newsletter. Subscribe to stay in the loop.

Over the past decade, China’s milk tea industry has become something of a cultural phenomenon. The market has gone well beyond milk tea or bubble tea alone, and is now about any tea-based drink — hot or cold — and the marketing ideas that come with it, from trendy snacks to collectible wannahaves.

This time, it’s the Chinese teashop brand Guming (古茗) that has managed to become an online hit again. Not because of creative collabs or artsy tea cups — the reason is surprisingly plain: selling a cup of ice and water for 1 yuan ($0.15).

How come Guming’s “one cup of iced water” (一杯冰水) has become a hit among Chinese teashop goers? One reason is that it’s something people often want yet hesitate to ask for. Now that it’s actually on the menu (medium cup, regular ice, no sugar), people can just order it for 1 RMB — cheaper than a bottle of water from the supermarket — and it’s become a major hit, like a little ‘luxury’ everyone can afford.

People love getting a cup of ice water (more ice than water) to cool down in hot weather, add it to their lemon tea or iced coffee, or store it in the freezer at home or work for their DIY drinks. Add instant coffee and you’ve got your own iced Americano. Others throw in a tea bag for a refreshing iced tea.

Some say it’s the perfect product for lazy people who don’t make their own ice cubes or who like convenience on the go.

Besides the iced water, Guming has also added a simple lemon water (鲜活柠檬水) to its menu for 2.5 yuan ($0.35). Perfect to quench thirst on a hot summer’s day, one Xiaohongshu user called it Guming’s “secret weapon” (大杀器) in China’s (milk) tea shop market.

Compared to relatively low-priced tea beverage competitors like Mixue Ice Cream & Tea (蜜雪冰城), which sells lemon water for 4 yuan ($0.56), Guming offers great value for money (although it should be noted that Guming, unlike Mixue, doesn’t use real lemon slices but diluted lemon juice).

People are loving these simple and affordable pleasures.

Just last month, Guming shot to the top of Weibo’s trending lists when it launched its new collaboration with the Chinese anime-style game Honkai: Star Rail (崩坏：星穹铁道), featuring a range of collectible tea cups, bags, and other accessories.

Guming was founded in 2010 in Zhejiang and has become one of China’s largest custom beverage chains alongside Mixue and Luckin. Competition is fierce — but at least Guming has its iced water as a secret weapon for this summer.

By Manya Koetse

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China Brands, Marketing & Consumers

‘Lai Dou Lai Le’: IShowSpeed Debuts in Chinese Online Commercial

Published

1 month ago

May 8, 2025

Manya Koetse

🔥 A version of this story also appeared in the Weibo Watch newsletter. Subscribe to stay in the loop.

The China tour of American Youtube star IShowSpeed (Darren Watkins Jr.) is still echoing on Chinese social media—the hype hasn’t quieted down just yet, especially now that the popular livestreamer launched his very first Chinese commercial recently, just before the May Day holiday.

It’s an online commercial for China’s dairy giant Yili, and—in line with IShowSpeed’s high-energy livestream—it is entertainingly chaotic. Watkins himself posted the video on his Weibo account on April 30.

In China, Watkins is known as 甲亢哥 (Jiǎ Kàng Gē), which literally means “Hyperthyroidism Brother.” Hyperthyroidism is a condition where the thyroid is overactive, leading to symptoms like restlessness, a rapid heartbeat, and high energy levels. Due to Watkins’ fast-paced livestreams and his reputation for running, screaming, and jumping around, the nickname is a tongue-in-cheek reference that fits him well.

The commercial also suits him, as it is a bit of a rollercoaster. It begins like a typical celebrity endorsement, with Watkins promoting a dairy drink, but quickly shifts into a quirky narrative. In it, Watkins appears god-like, watching over people from a mountaintop and encouraging them to try new things. The ad then morphs into a music video before ending with some inspirational words from the YouTuber himself. Watch the commercial here.

The slogan used in the commercial is “lái dōu lái le” (来都来了), along with the English tagline “Enjoy milk, enjoy holiday.”

“Lái dōu lái le” (来都来了) is a simple phrase that basically means “You’re already here,” and implies a light-hearted “Why not?” to encourage people to go on and do something (since you’ve come this far), or try something new.

Dao Insights’ Yimin Wang explained it as having a positive and daring tone to try new things that you’d otherwise “wouldn’t, couldn’t, or even shouldn’t,” much like “YOLO” from the early 2010s (link).

On Xiaohongshu, typical responses to the commercial describe it as “creative” and “cute.” More notably, many users see it as proof of how successful Watkins’ tour in China has been. “He’s like a native celebrity in China now,” one commenter remarked.

By Manya Koetse

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