Did you know vegetarian meat started in China?
Eating meat is an ingrained part of Chinese food culture, so much so, it is considered a sign of prosperity. This is not hard to understand if you know modern Chinese history, as in the 1960s the annual consumption of meat was less than 5 kg per person, in comparison to the number in the US which was around 118 kg.
Despite the increase and prosperity associated with meat, there is still a large presence of vegetarian options; China is the origin of seitan (a meat alternative), which can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). At that time, monks brought in a fashion of eating food made from tofu and embedded a vegetarian alternative within Chinese culture that has lasted even today.
Vegetarian diets are regaining popularity in China, and the market has started to unleash its power in vegan meat.
This trend extended to non-religious people too, who saw it as a way to get rid of bad karma, a belief somehow coincides with today’s climate advocacy: change today to save the future. In modern times, vegetarian diets are regaining popularity in China, and the market has started to unleash its power in vegan meat.
The latest figures show that China has 50 million vegetarians, and the number is still growing. In Beijing alone, over 300 restaurants now offer vegetarian meat, a huge market estimated at over 740 billion RMB ($115.6 billion) last year. Such a big cake has attracted those who want to take the first bite in it, with Nestlé being one of them that has spotted the rapid potential within this industry in China.
Read More at https://daoinsights.com/works/will-nestles-vegetarian-meat-win-the-heart-of-meat-lovers-in-china/
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