Targeting Chinese millennials with seafood snacks is proving a lucrative business for a major Chinese processor and importer.
Previously known as an export-processor, Dalian Donglin Foodstuffs had a major booth recently to showcase its “Le Yu” line of packaged squid snacks at the key annual “candies and liquors” trade fair in Chengdu, a large southwesterly city. The flavored, preserved snacks are sold in 18-gram sachets for CNY 18.50 (USD 2.69, EUR 2.52), with some flavors selling at CNY 18.90 (USD 2.74, EUR 2.57).
With Chinese imports and catches of squid increasing, Donglin appears to have found a handy way of adding value to the species by targeting the youth market – a company slogan says the “nutritious” snacks can be eaten “at work or at play.”
Donglin has drawn on Spanish inspiration for another line of squid-style snacks. It’s ‘Ka la Ma’ (also spelt in English as “calamary”) range is clearly inspired by the “calamares” tapas snacks made of squid that are beloved by Madrid bar goers. The product sells at a similar price in shops and online.
