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Showing posts with the label China

Rice Dumpling (Zongzi): Saving the Gold for Last

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The first time you hold a Rice Dumpling, or Zongzi, there is a brief pause. It is tightly wrapped in bamboo leaves, tied with string, sealed at every angle. There is no visible filling and no obvious starting point. For a moment, you are not entirely sure how to approach it. Also known as a Chinese glutinous rice dumpling traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival, Zongzi appears simple from the outside. Then you unwrap it. Steam escapes. The rice is compact and glossy, faintly sweet from the leaf and carrying the sheen of melted pork fat. You are not tasting. You are hunting for the gold. Pork belly appears first, dark and collapsing at the edges, its fat already melting into the surrounding grains. Mushroom follows, soaked in soy and deep with savoury notes. The rice clings together between your chopsticks, warm and steady. But the salted egg yolk is still hidden. Image via  @ WokStreetChina You ease the bundle open just enough to see inside. And there it is. Golden. Den...

Master Soy Sauce launches packaging collaboration in Quanzhou, China

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English Version | 中文版本 Master Soy Sauce has introduced a packaging collaboration in Quanzhou, China, incorporating visual elements commonly seen on local restaurant signboards into the design of its Master Premium Soy Sauce bottles. Across Quanzhou’s dining scene, the character 「鲜」(xiān) is widely used on restaurant signage. Rather than acting as a literal flavour description or a promotional slogan, it functions as a long established visual shorthand that signals savoury flavour quality and culinary reputation through repeated everyday use by local eateries. In this collaboration, the brand does not introduce new symbols or invented narratives . Instead, existing restaurant signage is directly referenced and adapted into the product’s packaging , allowing the bottle itself to reflect a recognisable part of the local food environment. From publicly available information, the collaboration centres on design alignment rather than endorsement. By translating familiar restaurant visu...

A Herbal Tea Brand Just Dropped a ¥18.28 Million “Diamond Can”

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English Version | 中文版本 For most people, Wanglaoji still means a red can, cold from the fridge, bought without thinking. This week, it briefly means something else. In collaboration with jewelry brand iMOKJT , Wanglaoji has released a limited-edition collectible set often referred to as “Diamond Wanglaoji.” Price as signal: ¥18.28 million RMB per set. Scarcity as posture: three sets worldwide. Each set includes five full-scale “cans” made not of aluminium, but 18K gold, set with over 18,000 natural gemstones. Function is deliberately removed. They are not meant to be opened, poured, or drunk. They are meant to be displayed. This is not a premium extension of a mass product. It is a halo object , placed far above the everyday range. For years, mass brands have borrowed from luxury through packaging upgrades, collaborations, or limited lines. This skips the ladder entirely. Wanglaoji jumps straight to the extreme end, using jewelry language to restate brand age, symbolism, and...

Starbucks Opens Concept Store Inside Hong Kong Palace Museum

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Starbucks has opened a new concept coffeehouse inside the Hong Kong Palace Museum , located in the West Kowloon Cultural District . The Hong Kong Palace Museum is a public museum dedicated to the study and display of Chinese art, history, and cultural heritage , with exhibitions developed in collaboration with major cultural institutions. The store was designed specifically for a museum setting . Its interior features subdued lighting, natural materials , and artwork created by Hong Kong–based artists , including calligraphy, ceramics, and botanical illustrations integrated into the space. The opening aligns with the museum’s special exhibition Ancient Egypt: Unveiled Treasures from Egyptian Museums . To coincide with the exhibition period, Starbucks introduced a limited-time selection of themed food, beverages, and merchandise available at the museum location. Starbucks also released a Hong Kong Palace Museum Collection , featuring drinkware and lifestyle items inspired by motifs fr...

Do You Remember This 7UP Cartoon?

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English Version | 中文版本 Do you remember that 7UP cartoon? You’ve seen him before. Black and white. Messy hair. Always leaning. He didn’t smile. He didn’t try. His name is Fido Dido . He wasn’t a character you followed. He was a mood you recognized. No story. No catchphrases. In the 90s, when advertising was loud, he did the opposite. Cool without trying. That memory is closely tied to 7UP . In the 1990s, the brand gave Fido Dido global visibility at a time when advertising was energetic and expressive. He stood out by doing less. The partnership worked because it amplified what was already there, not because it defined him. When that era passed, the association finished its role and stepped aside. That restraint is why he stayed. Not as an ad, but as a presence. Then culture got louder. Quiet stopped being useful. Fido Dido did not change. The world did. Seeing him again now doesn’t feel like a comeback. It feels like relief. Nothing about him needed fixing. And ...

UNESCO × Lee Kum Kee Launch a Global Food Memory Archive — Public Submissions Now Open

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English Version | 中文版本 UNESCO and Lee Kum Kee have launched the Forever Flavors Project , a global initiative inviting the public to submit personal food memories and family recipes for cultural documentation. The project focuses on everyday cooking experiences, encouraging participants to share stories connected to home dishes, food traditions, and personal memories, rather than professional cuisine. Selected submissions will be officially recorded as part of the project archive and will receive an archival certificate acknowledging their inclusion. The first submission period runs from January 20 to March 15, 2026 . Entries can be submitted via the official campaign website at foreverflavorsproject.lkk.com   or by email at foreverflavorsproject@lkk.com. The initiative is open worldwide, with no professional cooking background required. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lee Kum Kee (@leekumkeeglobal) The Forever Flavors Project...

Guangzhou Dairy Brand Launches White-Cut Chicken–Flavored Milk

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English Version | 中文版本 A Guangzhou dairy brand has launched a ginger-scallion white-cut chicken–flavored milk , drawing online attention for combining a savory Cantonese dish with milk . The company said the product was developed to stand out in a highly competitive dairy market and to promote locally inspired flavors . Development reportedly took several months , focusing on recreating aroma and aftertaste , rather than sweetness. Consumers who tried the drink reported a strong ginger-and-scallion hit on the first sip , followed by a distinct chicken flavor , with relatively little milk taste . Public reaction has been mixed , with many describing the product as a novelty worth trying once . The brand said it is also researching additional savory flavors , including char siu– and shrimp dumpling–inspired milk . English Version  |  中文版本

This Is Not an Egg Waffle. But Tell That to Your Brain.

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English Version | 中文版本 You’re scrolling fashion archives . Everything feels serious. Historical. Very capital-F Fashion. Then suddenly - your brain whispers: egg waffle . An A/W 2000 archive jacket by Issey Miyake keeps resurfacing online, and once you see it, you really can’t unsee it. That rounded, bumpy, bubble-like texture no longer reads as tailoring. It reads as Gai Daan Jai , the classic Hong Kong street snack. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Solarbeam Kingdom (@solarbeam.kingdom) There’s no official note saying this piece was inspired by food. No archive caption. No designer quote. Which somehow makes the moment more fun. Because this isn’t about intention. It’s about recognition . Food memories are fast. Faster than fashion theory. Your eyes catch the texture. Your brain skips the analysis. Your stomach votes immediately. What makes this A/W 2000 piece interesting today isn’t a trend comeback or a design revival. It’...