Because of this, the Chinese people began to enjoy foods so much that recipes were carried on for generations. They can even be seen now in some of the most rural parts of China where people rely heavily on tradition, and the practices that were taught to them by their elders. This article will include the local delicacies, the tastes and some of the most sought-after dishes in the region covered here so you know what you’re getting into next time you visit China and are feeling a little more adventures. 

I am an exotic food lover and living in China was like a dream come true to me! With their street food meals to high end 20 course dinners, I experienced it all! And I’m so glad I did! The aromas, the flavors the preparation process were so unique that the food made me fall in love with the culture even more! Let’s take a look at the exotic foods of china you need to try:

Exotic Foods of China
#1 Foie Gras

Our first dish is not a dish native to China, but it is definitely something that the locals enjoy on special occasions. Originating in Europe, foie gras is a specialty food product made of the liver of a duck or goose, meaning that it may be a vegan’s worst nightmare, but it tastes amazing. According to French law, foie gras is defined as the liver of a duck or goose fattened by gavage, a type of food administration done forcibly through a tube leading through the throat to the stomach. In Spain and other countries, it is occasionally produced using natural feeding to make it more humane. 

Exotic Foods of China
# 2 Century Eggs

This egg is also known as the ‘preserved egg’. Alhough it may sound like a serious chore that passes from generation to generation, it does not actually take a whole century to make. The recipe concept came from a farmer who lived during the ancient times of China. He came across a few duck eggs that had been preserving in muddy water and decided to eat one. Apparently, he liked it so much he brought them home. He then decided to replicate the process to get the same flavor he got from the muddy water. This practice is followed to this day. With mire hygienic preparational methods. These days, the eggs are soaked in a large volume of strong black tea, lime, salt, and freshly burned wood ashes to achieve the same effect.

Exotic Foods of China #3 Fried Bee Pupa

Bee pupa, or pupae are what can be referred to baby bees. Pupa, are at the stage of the development process where they are only a tiny organism hidden under a capping. These are commonly prepared by cooking them until they are golden brown. Other common methods of preparing them are steamed bee pupa, stir-fried bee pupa, crispy and many more. While it may seem unusual to eat bees, many other insects are also eaten and enjoyed in China.

Silk Worms

These are eaten commonly throughout the region of China. By both the locals and the tourists that visit from time to time. According to avid eaters, these worms share the same flavor as chicken and beef and have a very chewy texture. These worms are eaten alongside vegetables, in fried rice and dipped in sauces that accentuate their flavor. 

Bird’s Nest Soup

The next delicacy on our list is actually made from a swiftlet’s nest. This swiftlet is found deep within dark caves. Their nests are made carefully with their own gummy saliva that are produced by glands under their tongues. This saliva acts like a glue, binding the twigs together and hardening when it is exposed to air. This soup is considered a delicacy and is eaten in every region in China. 

Beggars Chicken

Appearing to look like a potato, the beggar’s chicken can be derived from the tale of a beggar who lived in ancient times who had nothing on him but a knife, a fire and a hungry belly. He is said to have solved his hunger problem by slaughtering and gutting a chicken, smothering it in yellow mud and roasting it on the fire. This beggar’s chicken replicates this tale and therefore looks like a small, yellow potato tucked in itself. Beggar’s Chicken is typically served on a lotus leaf, a must-try if you’re heading to Hangzhou. 

Balut

Though this snack has its roots in the Philippines, because of the neighboring country and the geographical likeness, balut is now eaten in China as well. Balut is a partially developed egg that is very popular among the locals as it is eaten as a very popular street food. It is also said to be a major craving of some pregnant Asian women. 

Conclusion

The foods and dishes mentioned above prove that by staying true your roots and traditions, you maintain your uniqueness. The people of China know this and have made their mark on the world by having some of the most exotic dishes in the world. They may be exotic when you’re an outsider looking in, but for the Chinese people, these dishes represent tradition, and home. 

Interested to know more about China? Read about the most interesting facts of China you probably didn’t know.

If you are willing to go through the whole purchasing process by yourself, then you may like to know how you can identify a real manufacturing company in China. And once you find an appropriate manufacturer or supplier, you would definitely want to know if they are even a legit company to deal with without legal or logistic issues.

Why Would You Even Consider Hiring a Sourcing Agency at First Place?

For many, finding the required product, choosing the right supplier, and getting through the supplier verification process is sometimes a tedious and a difficult job. You may want to get rid of this tiring effort.

Or, you may not have much time to spare before you would want your store be filled with the desired products.

Or, you may even don’t have much confidence in your skills or findings regarding your specific supplier.

Whether you are a novice importer, or have been importing from China for quite some time, you will find these questions at some point in your business. These issues are very much experienced by novice and seasoned importers alike. Naturally, you would want to ensure the safety of your investment.

In such cases, it sounds appropriate to transfer the burden of end to end sourcing and delivery on the hired shoulders of a sourcing agency. This arrangement will allow you to turn your focus away from dealing with the sellers all by yourself. In doing so, you can spend more time and energies on the selling part of your business and handling local business issues.

Many people are already looking for someone local for help

Most companies or small business owners rely on someone local in China to assist them in sourcing and closing a deal. Throughout my 16 or so years of stay in China, many of my friends have approached me for assisting them in dealing with their supplier. Many people contact me for the same purpose through social media or through references, just because I am here.

If you are dealing with a company for the first time, you would want to make sure they are operating legally. Off course, you would want to save your skin… and money, and do not want to be fooled by some company thousands of miles away.

The local agencies or sourcing companies in China can help you in doing these tasks for you. Off course they charge for their services, but that is an expense sometimes worth making.

How a Local Agency or a Product Sourcing Company Is Helpful for You?

As they say, there is no substitute for experience—and this benefit alone could be worth spending the money.

Think about the following reasons for hiring a product sourcing company.

Sourcing companies know their local market like the back of their hand.

Using their knowledge, they can potentially propose a much better plan for your business for you to use.

A sourcing agency typically have close ties with the local suppliers.

They may have worked with several suppliers and manufacturers in the past. Therefore, they can get a better deal most of the times because of their relationship with them.

They speak the local language.

The largest barrier in dealing with Chinese companies for most foreigners is the inability to speak the local language. When you hire a sourcing agency, the language will not become a barrier in dealing with the suppliers and performing negotiations. You do not want miscommunication in getting through your requirements. The sourcing agency can easily verify supplier’s documents that are typically in the local language.

They probably have heard every question multiple times that you have to ask.

Given their experience with other clients, they are almost always ready to satisfy your requirements and provide appropriate support.

They know the current dynamics of the market that you would probably not know if you are new.

For example, what regions are known for what kind of products, how suppliers can fool overseas buyers, and so on. This is an invaluable knowledge that can save your business from a setback.

They may have other clients who are looking for the same product as you.

If that is the case, then they can place a bigger order, and can get further discount from the supplier.

They know the best methods to negotiate with the companies and manufacturers in China.

They know the practices and customs of the local market. After finding the right manufacturer and knowing the right price, they use the right negotiation techniques to help you get the lower price without compromising on any of your requirements.

They save a lot of your time.

They have the right knowledge and specialized skills in procurement, and therefore can be more efficient in securing a deal.

Sourcing companies usually have a network of agents all over the country.

They can utilize their network and connections to serve your needs.

What Services Do They Usually Provide?

As a matter of fact, a product sourcing agency can provide many different services based on customers’ needs. You can an agency for the whole sourcing process, or only for the selected part of the job.

Consider these agencies as your one stop shop for your business in China.

They generally provide the following services.

Sourcing a product for your business

If you are looking to import products, but have no idea where to start. Or, you do not want to spend your time in researching and verifying the appropriate supplier. You can seek help of a sourcing agency in that case. The sourcing agency would provide you the end to end services, from finding the appropriate supplier, to shipping your products to your destination.

Helping in selecting the appropriate supplier for your products

You can hire a sourcing agency only to find an appropriate supplier for your business. You may want to take it over from there and further deal with the company by yourself.

Auditing factory, vetting and verification of supplier

You may have already found an appropriate supplier for your business, but you are not sure if they work legally in China and can really provide proper services. In such a case, you can hire the services of an agency to perform factory audits and verify the supplier’s credentials.

Evaluating product samples before issuing purchase order

You have already selected a supplier and are satisfied with them. Whether you want to avoid hefty overseas shipping charges on samples for some reason, or having time constraints, you can hire the agency to evaluate the samples for you and provide you a report.

Following up on orders

After you have placed the order, the agency can help you keeping an eye on the schedule. They can keep following up on orders as and when you require them.

Testing and inspecting your products before shipping

You can hire a sourcing agency to test and inspect the produced goods to make sure they are according to your requirements. They usually perform product inspection according to industry standards.

Handling shipping and logistics

The product sourcing agencies usually have relationships with several different freight forwarders. They coordinate with your supplier and freight forwarder, and utilize their contacts to send your shipment using the best way.

Providing other value adding services

Many sourcing agencies provide additional services; such as, private labeling, customizing the product or its label or its packaging, and so on. They also provide drop shipping and fulfillment services directly from Mainland China.

What Would They Usually Charge You for Their Service?

The sourcing agencies have different payment and compensation methods to charge for their services:

Price-based flat rate for buyer

This service fee is typically the percentage of the price of the goods purchased. The agency negotiates the price with the supplier on your behalf, and typically charge you between 1 and 10% of the total price. This method is completely open and transparent to you, and keep you involved in every aspect of the purchase process.

Price markup

The agencies with this method act as independent trading companies. They source the product for you, and provide you a price by adding their own commission on top of the product price. In this case, you would typically not know the actual price and source of the product. However, they make sure that all your requirements are met. They negotiate with the supplier and make all the arrangements according to your needs. That is, they take the complete responsibility of purchasing and exporting the product to your destination as per your requirements.

Purchase commission from supplier

This is the commission in percentage that the agency charges from the manufacturer or supplier. They usually team up with the supplier and act as their selling agent.

Commission from both buyer and supplier

The agencies with this method take commission from both parties. This method allows them to keep the commission low for both supplier and the buyer. For example, if they charge only the buyer or the supplier, they would charge 8% commission of the total amount. But if they charge both parties for their services, they would charge 4% each to earn that same 8% commission.

Charges for miscellaneous services

The agencies would charge a different services charges for other services that they offer. Such as, supplier verification, testing and inspection, and so on. These charges may or may not be based on the value of the product.

So Which Sourcing Agency Should You Partner with?

Are you more concerned about the source of the product? Or, quality and price of the product is more of your issue?

Consider the different services and methods mentioned above. Think about the services you need to hire, and the method that would suit you for the business. And based on that, find a sourcing agency that works with that mode.

A particular point of concern is that that a sourcing agency that charges commission from the supplier may have a biased interest towards the supplier. If an agency is charging a low fee for their services, there is no guarantee that they would not charge the supplier as well. When they do so, they may not work in the best interest of the buyers.

For example, when looking for suppliers, the agency successfully finds a supplier with the perfect match, who fulfills all the requirements. However, the supplier does not agree to the commission terms of the agency. In that case, the agency would let go that supplier in favor of the one who would pay them more commission.

This means, the sourcing agency that you hired to serve your interest, may compromise on some requirements when purchasing. They go ahead with the less qualified supplier. Why? Because that supplier pays them good commission.

That is why an independent agency that serve your interests and fulfill your requirements would always be a better choice. They charge relatively higher commission, but that commission would be much lower than what you would spend on traveling to China and doing the whole process by yourself. And traveling to China in the times of pandemic is not so convenient.

Conclusion

There are times when you need some “boots on the ground” to help you with your business with Chinese companies. You can hire a sourcing agency for that purpose, to help you with the complete purchasing process, or a part of the job. They provide plenty of options and services for you to choose from.

In other words, whatever you would like to do by yourself, if you were in China, they would do all that for you. At the times when you are not being able to travel to China, this indeed is a great help that you may wish you have.

Entrepreneurship in China brings fruits only with proper homework

Entrepreneurship is not just starting a new company or a business. It is a mechanism of recognizing opportunities, taking on new challenges, generating resources, and creating value for your customers. Whenever you take on a new challenge, you have to face a possibility of failure—and entrepreneurship is not different. Entrepreneurship is a name of taking a chance, where your chances of success heavily depend on how good your homework is. Being an expat entrepreneur in China adds new dimensions to this challenge.

COVID-19 is coming under better control in China. According to the accounting firm PwC, investments by private equity and venture capital firms in China’s technology industry are expected to grow strongly this year.

In 2018, the total venture capital surpassed $70 billion, only a stunning 4% of these start-ups successfully reached the D-Round and only 2% went public. More staggeringly, none of these start-ups were founded or co-founded by a foreign entrepreneur.

This article discusses the low-level, but high-impact challenges that most non-native new business owners are likely to face in China.

Proficiency with Local Language

The first and foremost requirement for doing any business in China is overcoming the language barrier between you and everyone you are going to meet and work here. There is no running away from this fact. The main language of communication in China is naturally Mandarin Chinese. English does not work here. You will constantly find yourself itching to be able to communicate with the people around you. The young generation nowadays have much better understanding of English than it was a decade ago. Even then, you will still need the Chinese language to get through your day, any day.

Language barrier keeps you away from the pleasure and satisfaction of success. At times, it gets quite frustrating when you are wanting to communicate with your staff, with someone at the bank, or with a clerk behind the desk at some government office.

If you are stepping into a technology business, then you have high chances of finding the staff that could communicate with you enough using English. However, if your area of business is anything else, such as hospitality (restaurant/eatery/cafe), manufacturing, trading and so on, then your 98% of communication will require at least some level of proficiency in Chinese language. Therefore, gaining language proficiency for the entrepreneurs in China is very important.

Use translation applications for small and quick tasks

There are several translation applications available to translate pictures. These applications can save you from reading Chinese, but talking would still remain a handicap. To translate text and pictures, you can install the online “Baidu Translate” application on your mobile phone. In offline dictionaries, the phone applications named “Pleco Chinese Dictionary” and “Hanping Chinese Dictionary” are among the best.

Documentation, Legal Work, Bureaucratic Hurdles

Getting your business registered and obtaining a business license requires quite a bit of deliberation. It may not require mentioning that you must complete all the legal requirements and procedures before you entertain your first client. Starting operations without completing all the requirements may have some sort of consequences. These consequences may range from simple warning to deportation from the country, depending on the level of violation.

To register your business, you may have to visit several different government offices. You will also need to make frequent visits to some of these or other offices for routine business operations. In many cases, you will need to fill many forms (read: too many). You will also need to follow notices, and talk to the staff to get the things done. The good part of it is that, most of the staff in these offices will help you by going out of their way. In fact, in my personal experience, most of the staff here in these offices are quite welcoming and helping. If you are that lucky, the staff would guide you in your next steps as well, which will make things much easier for you.

Financing

If you are looking to raise finances from inside China, then it can turn out to be quite a challenge. Most entrepreneurs in China are either not eligible to secure loans from banks. Generally speaking, it is easier for a local investor to trust their fellow citizen than to a foreigner. I believe this phenomenon is not unique to China, but lack of understanding of each other’s culture is principally the cause. Some Chinese universities do offer financing programs and incubation centers for young entrepreneurs in China. So if you are a fresh graduate budding out of a Chinese university, you would definitely want to get a shot at your luck.

Hiring Staff

First thing first: It is illegal to hire employees for entrepreneurs in China for a non-registered entity. Make sure you have already completed your company registration process before you hire your first employee.

Hiring and staffing has a cost in China. If you are starting with little funds, it can be challenging to hire employees for your business. Still, it is worthwhile to hire staff through a Professional Employment Organization (PEO) or an employment agency.

Hiring through PEO or an employment agency makes it so much easier and quicker for you to find the required local talent. These agencies usually charge a portion of the hired staff’s salary. Even so, this cost is really worth it in a longer term.

You may also want to attempt hiring the staff directly by yourself. Job vacancies in China are usually propagated through social media applications, HR applications and HR websites. However, these HR applications and websites require an 18-digit Chinese ID card number, and the scan of your business license. Only then they allow you to post an ad on their platform. Moreover, the Chinese ID card number must be of the same person whose name is written on the business license. This regulation makes it impractical for a foreigner to use these hiring resources. Let’s hope these websites and applications will soon allow registration with foreigner’s passport as well. Until that does not happen, I would resort to employment agencies for hiring my staff any time.

Keep into account the mandatory benefits and compensations

In China, employees usually expect certain benefits from the company. Most companies offer year-end bonuses or 13-month salary in a calendar year. In addition, these companies also offer health, housing and other benefits. You must register for the employees Social Security Program with the government. China’s Social Security Program consists of the following 5 mandatory insurance schemes:

• Pension fund
• Medical insurance 
• Industrial injury insurance
• Unemployment insurance
• Maternity insurance
• Housing fund

Different cities and provinces have different policies of employee payroll, taxation, and mandatory benefits and compensations. Moreover, these policies keep on changing. Therefore, you must keep abreast of the latest policies throughout the year.

Sales and Marketing

Chinese buyers are mostly influenced by social approval and recommendations. They have faced many problems with the quality of local products. Due to these problems, those who afford, would prefer a branded product over a non-branded one. In China, branding is everything.A brand name that is well-known indicates the endorsement of its quality, and therefore, its credibility. 

However, quality and reliability are not the only reasons for Chinese buyers to choose a well-known brand item. Generally, Chinese people desire to be seen as exquisite, elegant and higher in status. They choose product based on product’s social acceptance, rather than its personal appeal. Therefore, only those name brand items that carry an exponential amount of value with their name are mostly embraced here. 

Chinese buyers almost entirely rely on recommendations and product reviews. In a report by Forbes, more than 300 million Chinese people report on only moving forward with a purchase after getting consent from their peers on social media.

Focus more on marketing around your brand name and its quality

This buying culture that revolves around brand, social approval and recommendations makes it a challenge for a new start-up to break into the market with new products. When marketing an item in China, you will need to focus more on marketing around the name brand and the quality of that name. Social media marketing in China is of paramount importance to build your brand reputation and awareness among locals. You would definitely want to stay active on local social media applications or hire a staff or a marketing agency to do that on your behalf.

Understanding Local Culture and Etiquette 

Chinese culture differs tremendously in some aspects from other parts of the world. New entrepreneurs in China are usually unaware of most of the local culture and etiquette. Hoping to run a business without the proper understanding of the local culture could be catastrophic for your business. This topic warrants a separate article of its own, but a brief mentioning of local culture and general etiquette would suffice here.

Guanxi (关系) plays a great role in Chinese culture

Guanxi (关系) is your relationship between you and others, and the favors owed between you and them. It is essential to form friendships and alliances with your staff, clients, suppliers and other business owners to get the things done. The Chinese usually make use of gifts, dinners, sports and other social activities to maintain their relationship networks. On the other hand, causing the loss of face can be dangerous in China, as it strains relationships. If you are already good at making relationships, then it is good for your business. Otherwise, you would need to develop this skill in order to bring success to your business.

Meeting culture in China is also a bit different, as it is based on Guanxi

When meeting new people, the Chinese would want to get to know them more as a person, rather than getting down to business immediately. In other parts of the world, business is usually discussed first, and dinners or other social activities follow. However, it is the opposite in China. It is common to gather around a dinner table to eat and drink for hours, before finally talking about business. Sometimes, Chinese people do not even discuss the business in the first couple of meetings. They usually discuss business after developing some sort of comfort with the counterparts.

Communication gap between low and high ranked staff

When working with other companies, you may feel frustrated over a communication gap among their staff. The low ranked staff in China are supposed to maintain a “power distance” from the high ranked staff, and usually do not mingle or talk freely with each other. Also, the Chinese companies usually do not discuss the course of action with their low ranked staff. Here, orders are not debatable, and are expected to be carried out on an “as is” basis. 

Conclusion

If you are an expat in China and aspiring to be a business owner, then learning the Chinese language should be your first step towards greatness.

To become a successful entrepreneur, you must keep more focus on working on your business, and not working in your business.

If you are a young entrepreneur, you would want to find a mentor in business. A good mentor would be the one who understands China, its culture, and Chinese business at large. As an alternative, it may be a good idea to start with a job that matches your business goals. This job can provide you the enough opportunity to learn whatever you will need to become a successful business owner.

If you are already an experienced business owner, and want to break into the Chinese market, then you may want to consider partnering with a local Chinese company. It would also be a good idea to engage with a local lawyer, hiring agency and a financial management agency. These agencies would help you in keeping all your practices always in-line with the current regulations. 

Many entrepreneurs in China are unaware of the intellectual property (IP) legal landscape and why their IP loss happens. We did a summary analysis of the 6 more common mistakes most companies and entrepreneurs in China make. Losing intellectual property would usually result in losing chances of potential growth for entrepreneurs in China.

If you are able to overcome the challenges discussed in this article, then doing business in China could be quite rewarding.