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How ‘Chinamaxxing’ helped this survival food take a bite out of the global snack market

The country’s largest latiao producer saw 117 million yuan (US$17 million) in overseas sales last year, up by nearly 50 per cent from 2024.

Published: 2:12pm, 18 Aug 2026

Latiao, or “spicy strips”, originated in China in 1998 as an emergency staple food. Today with some help from social media, it has become a snack food at the centre of a 60 billion yuan (US$8.9 billion) industry. Known for its unique, chewy texture and addictive flavour, the popular treat has generated a huge appetite among fans overseas.

How ‘Chinamaxxing’ helped this survival food take a bite out of the global snack market

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The country’s largest latiao producer saw 117 million yuan (US$17 million) in overseas sales last year, up by nearly 50 per cent from 2024.

The country’s largest latiao producer saw 117 million yuan (US$17 million) in overseas sales last year, up by nearly 50 per cent from 2024.