Bouncy Handmade Bianrou, Crystal-Clear Shuijing Shaomai, Fragrant Peanut Butter Noodles… The Two-Day “Fujian-Taiwan Snack Exchange Carnival” Held in Ximending, Taipei from November 23rd to 24th
Cooperation Agreement Signed
At the event, 14 snack craft inheritors from Shaxian County used local Taiwanese ingredients to make a series of classic snacks on-site, including noodles with sauce, bianrou, shuijing shaomai, laoba, jinbaoyin, and more. The rich variety and authentic flavors of Shaxian snacks attracted numerous Taiwanese people to queue up for a taste.
Separated by a strip of water, Fujian and Taiwan share a common food culture with many similarities. “Our ancestors also came from the mainland. The overall taste is quite similar to many Taiwanese snacks, and it’s very delicious,” said Zheng Chunze, a Taipei citizen, who felt a sense of familiarity and closeness after tasting the snacks at the event. During the event, a signing ceremony was also held between the Shaxian Snack Group and Taiwan’s Chuangxin Shengji Group, with the latter obtaining the agency rights for the Shaxian snack trademark in Taiwan. In the future, they will operate through the opening of physical stores and online sales, and Shaxian snack craft inheritors will also provide cooking technique training to Taiwanese practitioners.
“We will adopt a combination of online and offline promotion methods to allow Taiwanese consumers to fully experience the unique flavors of Shaxian snacks. At the same time, we will make minor adjustments or develop new products based on the taste preferences of Taiwanese consumers, and incorporate Taiwanese snack specialties such as beef noodles and chicken cutlets into Shaxian snack branded stores, striving to make Shaxian snacks more popular in Taiwan,” introduced Guo Yujie, Chairman of Chuangxin Shengji. As a hallmark of Fujian cuisine, Shaxian snacks have a history of over 1,600 years, dating back to the Han and Jin dynasties, and still retain the traditional dietary characteristics of the ancient Han ethnic group. In 2021, the craft of making Shaxian snacks was included in the fifth batch of representative projects of national intangible cultural heritage. Currently, Shaxian snacks boast over 240 varieties, have reached 79 countries and regions globally, have over 88,000 stores, and have an annual turnover of over 55 billion yuan, driving employment for over 300,000 people, making it one of the most well-known snack brands in China.
Taiwanese Citizens Queue Up for a Taste
Shaxian snacks have a deep connection with Taiwan. In December 2006, the first China (Shaxian) Snack Culture Festival and Cross-Strait Snack Invitation Competition brought together over 100 elites from the food and beverage, and cooking industries from Taiwan and the mainland to compete in Shaxian. In May 2010, Shaxian snacks entered Taiwan with the “Shaxian Snacks Taiwan Tour” event, which was well-received by people from all walks of life on the island. With the continuous deepening of cross-strait food culture exchange activities, Shaxian, relying on its geographical proximity, cultural affinity, similar customs, and kinship with Taiwan, has fully leveraged the unique role of Shaxian snacks as “national snacks” in the emotional and cultural identification of cross-strait people. Using snacks as a medium, it has built a bridge for cross-strait exchanges. Currently, nearly ten Shaxian snack stores have been opened in Taipei, Yilan, Taichung, New Taipei, and other regions in Taiwan.
Praise from Taiwanese Citizens
A bowl of snacks connects the two shores. Since the release of the “Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Supporting Fujian in Exploring New Paths for Cross-Strait Integration and Development and Building a Demonstration Zone for Cross-Strait Integration and Development”, Shaxian District has leveraged its snack advantages according to local conditions, actively promoted Shaxian snacks in Taiwan, and facilitated the integrated development of cross-strait snack agricultural product raw material industries and therapeutic food industries, enhancing the brand of the “Cross-Strait Exchange Base”. This year, Shaxian District has invited over 1,000 Taiwan compatriots to participate in a series of cross-strait snack culture exchange activities such as the Cross-Strait Dragon Boat Race during the Dragon Boat Festival and the New Fujian Cuisine – Shaxian Wufu Banquet, continuously promoting cross-strait cultural exchanges and supporting the construction of the demonstration zone for cross-strait integration and development.