China’s Giant Egg Tart Craze Is Cooling—Shanghai Shops Say Sales Are Slowing

The giant egg tarts that drew queues in China are losing some of their appeal. Shanghai bakery staff say fewer people are buying them, while some shops elsewhere are preparing to stop selling them.

A pastry made for the camera

In September, bakeries in Henan and Anhui stretched the familiar pastry to 60 cm. Some Zhengzhou shops drew two-hour queues, and resale prices briefly climbed above RMB 50, according to Jiemian News.

Earlier craze: this queue photograph appeared in a September report. 

Shanghai shops are seeing fewer buyers

On October 9, staff at a Dusu Shijia shop in Minhang told Beijing News that demand had declined. At a Sunbeibei bakery in Songjiang, a worker said its 35 cm version had sold about five or six that day.

A Beijing bakery reported a sharper drop: from more than 500 a day at its peak to just over 100. A worker said the product might be withdrawn after remaining stock was used up.

Cooling down does not mean disappearing

Baoshifu’s Huaihai Middle Road shop told Jiemian on October 10 that it would keep selling the pastry, despite fewer buyers. Staff pointed to the growing number of shops offering it. Luxihe’s Jing’an Temple shop also reported lower demand.

The change is mostly in the shape: familiar egg tart ingredients, stretched into a long pastry with matching packaging for photos and sharing. Once the novelty fades, the food still has to bring customers back.

Source: 都市现场