After two years of research, ‘Khao Mok’is ready to woo Kunming natives.

China’s food tastes in the past decade have shifted away from products perceived to be unhealthy and embraced those that are nutritious and have a trusted provenance. As the nation’s middle class adopts a diet that focuses on quality, style and health, demand for sugar and salty flavourings like monosodium glutamate has slumped.