Coconuts from S-E Asia reap sweet gains in China

NANNING: As a coconut lover, Zhuang Yong uses a variety of ways to buy his imported Thai coconuts, including daily shopping at brick-and-mortar shops, online purchasing and exhibition sales.

“The taste of the coconuts is fresh and sweet,” said Zhuang, a resident of Nanning, capital of South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

In recent years, coconuts from South-East Asian countries have rapidly gained popularity in China and are widely used in foods and drinks, such as cakes, coffee and even hotpot.

Various coconut products have enriched the taste buds of Chinese consumers while offering new opportunities for companies.

In the cold storage section of a fruit wholesale market in Nanning, coconuts from Thailand are neatly lined up and will soon go to restaurants, beverage stands, supermarkets and consumers all over the country.

“In Thailand, after being picked, the coconuts are sorted and packaged by local factories and then shipped to China,” said Mo Jiaming, deputy manager of a trading company in Guangxi.

Mo added that they had visited Thailand many times and had already signed cooperation agreements with Thai factories to ensure the coconut supply.

Livestreaming on Chinese eCommerce platforms has become an important method for fruit merchants to expand their sales channels.

Online sales of coconuts from South-East Asia are booming.

“In the past, we needed to drill a hole in the coconut with a knife to drink fresh coconut water, which was laborious and dangerous. Now, with the easy-opening tool fixed on the coconut, drinking coconut water has become more convenient,” Mo said.

Besides drinking fresh coconut water, hotpot with chicken cooked in coconut water has become more popular among Chinese consumers.

“I usually have coconut chicken hotpot with my family and friends every month. In the months we don’t have it, I miss it,” said Lu Shuai, a Nanning resident, adding that the ingredients in the hotpot are very fresh.

Under the concept of consumption upgrading and healthy dining, coconut chicken hotpot perfectly meets the needs of consumers.

At the same time, a series of coconut products like coconut milk, coconut jelly and coconut ice cream also cater to consumers’ various needs. — China Daily/ANN