A Gathering of Snack Masters! Taizhou Snack Association Established

Joining Forces, Building Momentum

Taizhou’s beloved snacks—fresh and savory, sweet and delightful, soft and chewy—now have a home of their own!

To enhance communication, resource sharing, and high-quality development within Taizhou’s snack industry, the Taizhou Snack Association was officially established on the afternoon of October 30 under the leadership of the Taizhou Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Taizhou snacks boast a long history, a rich variety, and delicious flavors. From rice-based specialties like Qian Gao (stuffed rice cakes), Fang Gao (steamed square cakes), Meihua Gao (plum blossom rice cakes), and Fanshu Qing Gao (sweet potato rice cakes) to noodle dishes such as rice noodles, hand-stretched noodles, Mai Xia (wheat “shrimp” dough), mung bean noodles, and hand-pounded fish noodles; and from baked and fried treats like wheat pancakes, Pào Xiā (fried shrimp fritters), Shibing Tong (stuffed pancake rolls), Mai Gu Tou (pan-fried wheat cakes), and seaweed biscuits—these local delights not only carry the culinary memories of Taizhou people but have also earned numerous honors, including “China’s Gold Medal Tourism Snacks” and “Zhejiang’s Top Ten Specialty Rural Snacks.” They fully demonstrate the unique status and wide influence of Taizhou snacks in the culinary world. According to incomplete statistics, the city is home to over 35,000 snack catering businesses, employing more than 90,000 people and offering over 200 types of local specialty snacks.

In recent years, Taizhou has placed great emphasis on the integrated development of culture and tourism, promoting all-for-one tourism through the fusion of cultural resources, scenic spots, and local foods. Last year, Taizhou set forth its goal and pathway to become a “World Gourmet Capital.” To further consolidate resources in the snack industry, leverage support from government departments and various sectors of society, and guide the sector toward excellence, strength, and scale, the Taizhou Supply and Marketing Cooperative conducted extensive research, held multiple thematic meetings, and gathered feedback from industry players. With support from civil affairs, social work, commerce, culture and tourism, market regulation, and other departments, the Taizhou Snack Association was established. Its aims include strengthening communication and resource sharing within the snack industry, uncovering the cultural and historical stories behind local snacks, promoting standardization, industrialization, and branding of Taizhou snacks, and facilitating high-quality development of the sector. This effort will also support Taizhou’s bid to become a “World Gourmet Capital” and help make the snack industry a key force in revitalizing rural areas and achieving common prosperity.

During the meeting, the “Decision to Approve the Establishment of the Taizhou Snack Association” was announced, the association’s charter and membership fee management measures were reviewed and approved, and the council, supervisory board, president, vice presidents, and secretary-general were elected. In addition, the Snack Association entered into a strategic partnership with Taizhou Bank, which will serve as the association’s partner for comprehensive financial services, leveraging its resources to provide allround, customized, and wide-ranging financial support. A total of 73 enterprises, institutions, and snack industry market entities became the association’s first members.

Huang Shunyong, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy Director of the Taizhou Supply and Marketing Cooperative, was elected as the first president of the Taizhou Snack Association. “The Snack Association can better integrate support from government departments and all sectors of society for the snack industry, forming a unified force,” Huang stated. “We will prioritize strengthening the skills training of snack practitioners and promoting the innovative development of Taizhou snacks. Additionally, we will quickly organize snack-themed markets and exhibitions to boost the integration of culture and tourism, urban and rural development, and stimulate consumption.”

Renowned writer Wang Han, Tang Ronglan, a lecturer at Taizhou University’s Business School, and Zhuang Hongyan, a lawyer at Xin Taizhou Law Firm, were appointed as association advisors. Wang Han expressed that Taizhou sets the “gold standard” in the snack world, and expanding and strengthening the snack industry will further enhance the appeal of Taizhou’s culinary offerings.

As the guiding and supervising unit behind the association’s establishment, the Taizhou Supply and Marketing Cooperative stated that the Snack Association should become three types of “gatherings”: a “Gathering of Masters,” a “Research Hub,” and a “Driving Force.” It will bring together snack practitioners whose offerings are distinctly Taizhou, unique within the province and the country, and highly popular among food lovers. The association will outline tasks and plans covering standardization, skills training, industrial development, support for industry leaders, exhibitions and sales, brand building, and storytelling. It will also work to expand the reach of Taizhou snack culture, promote the growth of leading snack enterprises, improve snack-making skills, and train more skilled Taizhou snack artisans. At the same time, the association will advance the“Three Transformations”of Taizhou snacks: standardization, industrialization, and branding. Member units are encouraged to collaborate with integrity, unity, and perseverance to jointly drive the growth of Taizhou snacks, expand the industry, and strengthen its excellence—ultimately enriching local communities through this vibrant sector.

A representative from the Provincial Supply and Marketing Cooperative attended the founding meeting and emphasized that as global culinary exchanges become increasingly frequent, regions everywhere are actively building their own distinctive food brands. The establishment of the Taizhou Snack Association marks a significant milestone in the development of Taizhou’s snack industry and will undoubtedly accelerate the city’s journey toward becoming a“World City of Gastronomy.” It is hoped that the association will strengthen industry self-regulation, standardize market practices, explore cultural depth, enhance brand value, foster technological innovation, improve product quality, and expand market channels to drive industrial progress.

The establishment of the Taizhou Snack Association has been met with an enthusiastic response from industry players. Xu Ziyong, head of vice-president unit Xianxiang Snacks (Xianju) Co., Ltd., believes the association will help member units support one another, particularly in advancing branding, industrialization, and standardization, enabling resource sharing and reducing redundant investments. Chen Peiniao, General Manager of vice-president unit Zhejiang Taizhou Kanglinniao Food Co., Ltd., added, “Currently, our snacks may mostly be known within Taizhou. Through platforms like the Taizhou Snack Association, we hope to promote our products across the country and even around the world.”

A City of Mountains and Seas, A Land of Freshness and Sweetness

Let’s cheer on Taizhou snacks together!

Translator：Jiayang Lin