Chinese delicacies captivate American consumers at Asian Food Expo

LOS ANGELES -- Inside a bustling exhibition hall of Fairplex in Pomona city, Southern California, the dazzling array of Chinese food products captivated lots of American visitors.

The seventh Authentic Asian Food Expo was held over the weekend at Pomona, drawing hundreds of food brands from China and other Asian countries.

About 200 Chinese brands joined the expo with more than 2,000 food products. Well-known Chinese brands, including Mengniu Dairy, Under the Hawthorn Tree, Wang Lao Ji Herbal Tea and Hsu Fu Chi, took center stage at the expo.

Surrounded by vibrant display of Chinese delicacies, expo visitors could not resist the temptation -- reaching for samples, savoring new flavors, and marveling at the variety before them.

Zhao Guangcai, chairman of Hong Guo International Trading Inc, the overseas operation platform of Under the Hawthorn Tree, told Xinhua that through participating in the expo, the company hopes to build a strong brand presence and popularity in overseas markets, especially the US market, to promote the expansion of Chinese food brands into global markets.

The company's hawthorn juice and pulp drink, which contains 60 percent juice from optimized fresh hawthorn, attracted lots of expo visitors.

"As a unique Chinese beverage brand, Under the Hawthorn Tree is not only targeting the Chinese community in America, but also striving to expand its presence in the US mainstream market this year," Zhao said. "Our goal is to enter major retail chains, including Costco."

A visitor last-named Davila, told Xinhua that he is very fond of Chinese snacks and cuisines, which are not only fresh, tasty and healthy, but also have reasonable price.

"Asian cuisine is becoming more and more popular with (American) mainstream consumers. People like to try something new and different, and experience more world flavors," Joel Gruber, president of Caliber, Costco's broker, told Xinhua.

Chinese food is a major focus of Costco, he noted, adding that picking the right items and the right brand is extremely important. He expected to reach out to more Chinese brands through the expo.

The expo is also a lively cultural event celebrating Spring Festival with gourmet, performances and fun activities.

Chinese food brands have gained strong foothold in the North American market in recent years, Wang Gang, organizer of the expo, and chairman of OCM Group USA, Inc, told Xinhua.

The expo, now in its seventh consecutive year, has witnessed the evolution of Chinese food products from serving mainly Chinese communities to reaching a broader Asian consumer base, and now even mainstream American customers, Wang noted.

"With the deepening globalization of Chinese brands, top-tier Chinese food products are capable of competing with international food giants, and have strong presence at global stage," Wang told Xinhua.

Established in 2015, OCM Group USA, Inc is a fast-growing Chinese food and beverage distributor in the United States, with a mission to promote high-quality Chinese products in the American catering market.