China's Viral Latiao Spicy Strips Conquer Global Snack Market
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Chinese latiao, the fiery wheat-flour snack nicknamed 'spicy strips,' has transformed from a humble emergency food born out of necessity into a global phenomenon. Created in Pingjiang county, Hunan province, in 1998 after devastating floods destroyed local soybean crops, the chewy, sweet and spicy strips have evolved into a 60 billion yuan industry. The snacks, produced by cooking wheat flour dough at high temperature and pressure, now travel to over 160 countries worldwide, driven by viral enthusiasm for Chinese culture sweeping across social media platforms .
Key Points
- Mala Wangzi's factory in Hunan province's Pingjiang produces nearly 700 tonnes of latiao daily, with masked workers in white uniforms seasoning and sifting through the spongy, red-coloured strips
- Latiao were developed in 1998 as emergency staple food after floods wiped out local soybean harvests, with the finished product resembling squashed French fries coated in oil
- The industry's current market value exceeds 60 billion yuan ($8.9 billion), with latiao exported to more than 160 countries globally
- Weilong, China's largest latiao producer listed in Hong Kong, generated 117 million yuan in overseas sales last year, representing nearly 50 percent growth from 2024
- Social media platforms TikTok and Instagram are fueling demand, with one influencer's model house made entirely of latiao gaining 1.5 million views, and an Australian reviewer's video reaching 2.6 million views
Why It Matters
The explosive overseas growth of latiao demonstrates how Chinese street food can leverage viral social media trends to break into international markets traditionally dominated by Western snack brands. As platforms like TikTok continue shrinking cultural distances, other Chinese regional snacks may follow latiao's trajectory from local delicacy to global craze, presenting both competitive challenges and export opportunities for Hong Kong's food trading sector .
The explosive overseas growth of latiao demonstrates how Chinese street food can leverage viral social media trends to break into international markets traditionally dominated by Western snack brands. As platforms like TikTok continue shrinking cultural distances, other Chinese regional snacks may follow latiao's trajectory from local delicacy to global craze, presenting both competitive challenges and export opportunities for Hong Kong's food trading sector .