Tourists buy matcha products at a store in Jiangkou county, Tongren, Southwest China's Guizhou province, on May 29. SHEN YIKAI/FOR CHINA DAILY
GUIYANG — The unlikely success of an instant noodle formula is adding a more diversified flavor to the current matcha boom in Southwest China's mountainous Guizhou province — the latest product to do so.
In May, a sweet potato instant noodle product from Sinan county in Tongren became a consumer hit after adding a matcha flavor to its traditional sour-and-spicy formula. Made mainly from local sweet potatoes and blended with matcha powder produced in Tongren, the product kept its familiar spicy-sour taste, while using matcha's fresh aroma to cut through greasiness.
Noodle consumers responded quickly, the product drawing more than 200,000 orders in its first month, generating over 6 million yuan ($884,200) in sales. During a trial sale at a matcha store in Tongren over the May Day holiday, 100 boxes sold out in one day.
For Guizhou, the noodles are more than a viral product. The product shows how matcha, a finely ground green tea rooted in China's traditional tea culture, is being turned into a broader business spanning packaged food, retail shelves and tourism spending.
