The ability to know what a Nanjinger is having for breakfast is “the greatest source of power of the 21 century”, the CEO of review site Dianping has claimed.
Zhang Tao was in part referring to his site’s “Taste of Spring Festival Map 2016”, revealed on 1st February, that details the secret cravings of foodies and gourmands nationwide.
Dianping.com (“大众点评”), the largest review and group-buying service in the country gives an overview of consumer behaviour during the Chinese New Year based on its User Generated Content. The data is presented in a dynamic map form, and by clicking on it, a chart of the top eight dishes nationwide shall be created, by province or city in real time.
For instance, at 3.10 pm on 4th Febuary, the nation was hungry for a famous Uyghur dish called “大盘鸡” (big chicken plate), which has over 700,000 likes on the review site.
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This hearty dish from the far west Xinjiang region of China features big chunks of chicken and potatoes cooked in heavy sauce and garnished with colourful bell peppers, served on gigantic plates. It is best enjoyed with friends, as in line with the hospitable tradition of the Uyghur people.
However, we Nanjingers were craving for something a bit exotic and smelly. Top of Nanjing’s chart is the layered “榴莲千层” (durian cake). For those who tends to associate durian’s pungent aroma with that of dirty feet or roadkill, you are in for a surprise. This dessert is a mix of the traditional moist sponge cake in texture and the creamy taste of the spiky fruit. Every mouthful is delicate and deliciously satisfying. No wonder it has won the hearts of over 90,000 Nanjingers, especially those die-hard durian fans, who referred to this fantastic cake as simply “heavenly”.
Runner-up on the chart of Nanjing’s popular dishes was a famous street food, the Uyghur-style lamb skewers (羊肉串). Though it is a more common scene in the summertime if you walk along the streets of Nanjing after sunset and catch people sitting outside, drinking cold beer and eating skewers, this beautifully charred meat can also heat you up on a cold winter day when seasoned with cumin and chili powder. They are simply mouth-numbing and finger-licking good; its usual cheap price helped it to win citywide praise and spread their unique aroma into every back alley.
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Not surprisingly, everyone’s favourite steamed soup dumplings (小笼包) food and braised pork (红烧肉) were both in the top eight in both Nanjing’s and nationwide chart.
The Map also gives information on how much people spend per meal. The frugal Nanjinger spent ¥62.7, far less than the national average at ¥93 yuan, ranking 52nd in the country and 2nd in Jiangsu, after people in Wuxi, who on average spend over ¥70 yuan per meal. The most expensive dining cities are Hong Kong and Macao, both over ¥170 yuan; followed by Beijing on ¥99, Shanghai on ¥96 and Hainan on ¥91.
As a newly added function to the 2016 version of Dianping’s map, Chinese people’s favourite activities before and during the holiday is also displayed on map. For Nanjingers, shopping is the top on the chart. And since “mianzi” (face) is of course the most important thing during the holiday, many Nanjing ladies swarmed into salons to get their hair and nails done. In addition, relaxing activities such as spa and foot massage are also trendy before the New year celebration commences. The average Nanjinger spent ¥715.86 yuan on leisure activities, putting it in the top 30 cities nationwide.
“Our map is the product of the age of Big Data,” CEO Zhang Tao added. The explosion of big data and its dynamic nature opens up new advertising and sales channels as companies use such data to better comprehend consumer behaviour. Hopefully, Mr. Zhang and his cohorts know where to draw the line; finding out what Nanjingers are up to in their bathrooms could be a little too much.
