The Californication of Chinese diets

中国饮食的加州化

Drum Tower

2026-06-23

31 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

As China's middle class gets richer, it's also getting choosier. Alongside pork and noodles the urban elite are now tucking into salmon, avocados and blueberries. The Chinese Communist Party, which is keen to promote healthier lifestyles and food security, sees an opportunity. But first, it must reckon with a food system that millions of its own citizens don't trust. Guests and hosts: Sarah Wu, co-host of “Drum Tower” Jeremy Page, co-host of “Drum Tower”   Topics: Chinese dietsFood securityChina's middle-class Transcripts of our podcasts are available via economist.com/podcasts. Listen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.
更多

单集文稿 ...

  • The Economist.

  • Step out onto almost any street in one of China's cities

  • and you'll likely spot a food delivery driver darting between the traffic.

  • Phones mounted to their handlebars,

  • insulated boxes strapped to their scooters as they rush to deliver meals to hungry customers.

  • In just a few decades, the country has gone from food rationing

  • to meals appearing within minutes of tapping a smartphone screen.

  • And Chinese waistlines are expanding at a similar rate.

  • More than half of its adults are now overweight.

  • But as China's middle class grows, its tastes are changing too.

  • Peek inside the bags of those delivery drivers and alongside the pork dumplings and beef noodle soups,

  • you might see blueberry boxes, salmon sushi, or an avocado kale salad.

  • China's urban middle class has a growing appetite for clean eating: healthier, simpler, and safer.

  • Trust, however, is in short supply in a country with little public oversight or accountability.

  • How does a Shanghai professional know that the sea bass on her plate is really wild-caught?

  • Or Beijing parents trust that the organic label on their child's milk

  • was warranted and not just printed?

  • I'm Sarah Wu, The Economist's China correspondent based in Beijing.

  • And I'm Jeremy Page, The Economist's chief China correspondent based in Taipei.

  • And this week we're exploring the Californication of China's middle-class diets