Pre-made dishes find niche in Canada

People think of loved ones far away more than ever during festivals. For the Chinese, festivals mean family reunions and food that brings back memories of hometown flavors.

Now, commercially made ready-to-cook dishes can cure overseas Chinese's homesickness — and appeal to the palates of others as well.

On the eve of Spring Festival, a Chinese pre-made cuisine advertisement that announced "calling the world to eat Cantonese specialty agricultural products of pre-made food into Canada" lit up the big screen of Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto, sending Lunar New Year's greetings to overseas Chinese and Canadians.

At a recent Guangdong pre-made-cuisine industry development forum in Toronto, which celebrated Chinese New Year with hometown flavors, stakeholders and participants expressed optimism about the market outlook in Canada.

China's pre-made-cuisine industry has developed rapidly over the past few years with the formation of a group of powerful leading companies, and it is time to tap into the North American market, where there are huge numbers of Asian descendants, said Li Jianping, director of Guangdong Prepared Cuisine Industry Development Center of North America, which aims to help the Chinese pre-made cuisine industry go global and localize its brands.

"The technologies and supply chains of these enterprises are already very mature, and in some fields they have achieved international leadership," Li said

China's pre-made cuisine industry was worth about 500 billion yuan ($73.65 billion) last year, and that figure is likely to more than double by 2026, she said.

As the digital economy has thrived during the pandemic, the booming industry has attracted cross-sector investment from companies beyond the food industry, which has made it a new darling of capital in China.

However, little is known about China's burgeoning prepared-cuisine industry in Canada.

Bill Chen, president of Sunny Foodmart in Toronto, said consumers of Chinese prepared dishes in his store are mainly Chinese students studying abroad or single young people.

"We hope to attract more consumers. We will set up special counters for prepared foods to make it easier for customers who love Chinese delicacies."

The Chinese pre-made cuisine companies can also benefit Canadian companies by increasing the participation of local suppliers in the trillion-dollar industry, Li said. They would empower the supply of local ingredients, generate higher product added value and raise the income of Canadian suppliers, she said.

"High-quality and cheap Chinese prepared dishes, especially Guangdong-prepared dishes with the most advanced technology and products, can greatly diversify Canadian meals. Restaurants will also benefit from using prepared dishes, because it can greatly reduce costs, improve production efficiency and greatly shorten the waiting time for customers."

However, Chinese pre-made cuisine brands will face some challenges in localization when they go overseas. This includes how to better integrate the brand with local resources and how to meet the norms and requirements of the local food industry, particularly in environmental, social, and governance fields.

"It will be a win-win approach if we can transplant the advanced technology and supply chain management experience of Guangdong-prepared dishes according to the preferences of local consumers and do some localized development," Li said.

North America has a rich supply of high-quality ingredients. In Canadian supermarkets many Western brands offer pre-made meals and meal kits for foods such as pizza, sandwiches and salads.

"Our products such as Golden Pomfret and Fotiaoqiang are available in major supermarkets in Canada," said Tim Liu, of Zhanjiang Guolian Aquatic Products Co, a supplier of Chinese pre-made foods in Canada.

"We are developing more cuisines to serve not only the Chinese community but also international consumers to make them feel as accustomed and convenient as eating pizza."

The pre-made Chinese food based on original Guangdong recipes using local ingredients has whet Canadians' appetite and interest.

Curtis Struthers, whose Chinese name is Dahai, a friend of Dashan (Mark Rowswell), a well-known Canadian comedian among Chinese, said he chooses "amazing and flavorful" pre-made Guangdong cuisine when he goes to the supermarket.

"I really like the pickled sour fish, xiaolongxia (crayfish)," he said. "When I see these foods in the supermarket I will definitely be buying some."

Li Tong, Chinese commercial counselor in Toronto, who attended the forum, said Chinese food culture is broad and profound, and pre-made food is the product of the times, with huge potential for growth.

"We hope that the Guangdong pre-made food industry can open up a new prospect in Canada and drive the whole industrial chain's development so as to further promote China-Canada economic exchanges and practical cooperation."