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Bakers feel heat in tough market
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IT’S not unusual to find lines of senior citizens outside the Zhen Laodafang Store on East Nanjing Road waiting to purchase pork mooncakes, a traditional Shanghai snack featuring a crispy, layered pastry peel and savory minced meat filling.
Established in 1842, Laodafang was indeed once the top pastry shop in Shanghai. But while they are still baking tasty pastries, and pork mooncakes are still popular local snacks, the store’s popularity has waned in the new century.
Among the younger generation, many have little attachment to this time honored brand. Youngsters also struggle to tell the difference between legitimate Laodafang stores and fakes. These days, many stores and brands put a stamp with five red Chinese characters “Laodafang Xianrou (fresh pork)” on their pork mooncakes. The availability of these knockoffs throughout the city are discrediting the old brand.
Older locals know where they can get the most authentic and genuine taste from their memory. There are four genuine stores around Shanghai which have inherited the original recipe in 1842.
On the other hand, Kaisiling, a Western bakery founded in 1928, is facing a dilemma about whether to retain its old recipes or launch new products.
It’s not a secret that Shanghainese have a sweet tooth. When it comes to desserts, there are many who love the chestnut cake from Kaisiling. Chestnuts are stir-fried, peeled, smashed and finally piped on a cake, the contrast of light brown chestnuts and fresh cream makes Kaisiling’s signature product pleasant to the eyes and the taste buds.
In the last century, Kaisiling was very much favored by Shanghainese, as well as a number of celebrities and literates. Eileen Chang, the renowned modern Chinese writer, even mentioned Kaisiling in her novella “Lust, Caution.”
Unlike in decades past, there are now many more brands for people to choose from. Competitors come from other provinces, or even other countries, like 85°C (Taiwan), Bread Talk (Singapore), and Paris Baguette (South Korea) have seized attention of the new Shanghainese with bright decorations and exquisite pastries, leaving Kaisiling with fewer advantages among young customers.
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