On January 10, ZHOU HEI YA (01458), the originator of the black duck flavor, and the Chinese fast-food brand Mi Cun Rice, officially announced a co-branding partnership, with the new collaborative product, the "Gudu Gudu Black Duck Pot," launching nationwide in Mi Cun Rice stores.
This collaboration not only represents an innovative fusion of leisure braised food and the fast-food dining occasion but also highlights ZHOU HEI YA's open approach, as the flavor pioneer, to promote the black duck flavor across diverse scenarios and empower collective industry development.
ZHOU HEI YA's founder, Board Chairman, and CEO, Zhou Fuyu, stated that as the originator of the black duck flavor, ZHOU HEI YA is always committed to refining and promoting the classic black duck taste and expressed gratitude for consumers' affection and support over the past thirty years.
This co-branding initiative is more than just a product-level partnership; it is an opening and sharing of flavor assets, aiming to encourage various industries to innovate and develop Chinese flavor culture based on the classic "black duck taste" while incorporating their own unique characteristics.
Mi Cun Rice's founder and Chairman, Zhou Qiang, stated that this collaboration with ZHOU HEI YA is the brand's first co-branding activity and a significant opportunity to explore innovative flavor integration.
This cooperation transcends both industry segments and geographical boundaries; we hope to leverage Mi Cun Rice's extensive store network and the unique style of stone pot tableware to help introduce the Black Duck Pot, a Wuhan specialty, to more regions, allowing more consumers to taste ZHOU HEI YA's authentic black duck flavor.
This powerful alliance unlocks a two-way convergence of flavor and occasion.
As a leading brand deeply rooted in the braised food industry for many years, ZHOU HEI YA has defined the black duck flavor category with its unique sweet-and-spicy taste since its establishment, becoming synonymous with the "black duck flavor" for many consumers through standardized processes and a commitment to quality.
Reportedly, the decision to partner with Mi Cun Rice was based on its strong presence in the Chinese fast-food sector and shared brand philosophy.
Established in 2014, Mi Cun Rice has built a scale advantage of over 1,800 stores based on the intangible cultural heritage technique of Korean stone pot bibimbap, deeply cultivating the mass catering market.
Its adherence to the philosophy of "providing customers with a safe and delicious good meal" and a strict ingredient traceability system highly align with ZHOU HEI YA's pursuit of high quality and standards.
The co-branded new product, the Gudu Gudu Black Duck Pot, is a result of the deep integration of both parties' strengths.
The product continues the classic black duck flavor formula, inherited and optimized by ZHOU HEI YA over thirty years, using selected whole duck legs with firm meat, low fat, high protein, that remain intact and tender, marinated through multiple braising processes to achieve a rich taste profile of "initial sweetness followed by spiciness, with a numbing sensation lingering after the heat."
It retains the classic memorable points of the black duck flavor while adapting to the diverse needs of the fast-food occasion, achieving a two-way convergence of flavor and scenario.
The originator's vision is to promote a prosperous ecosystem for the black duck flavor.
Observations indicate that in recent years, the black duck flavor has continued to break through boundaries with its unique taste appeal, extending from leisure braised snacks to categories like hot pots, street food, and fast food, becoming a popular flavor category in the catering market.
In this context, ZHOU HEI YA, as the originator of the black duck flavor, stated: "We not only adhere to our own product quality and flavor standards but are also willing to open up our accumulated experience in flavor R&D and supply chain management to provide the industry with a reference model for flavor innovation."
"We are pleased to see the black duck flavor being recognized and innovated upon by more industry partners and sincerely encourage practitioners across various sectors to excel in refining the black duck taste."
Meanwhile, Mi Cun Rice has continuously updated and iterated its products over the past year, committed to discovering more high-quality ingredients and creating more flavors to meet diverse customer taste preferences across multiple scenarios.
The collaboration between Mi Cun Rice and ZHOU HEI YA also aims to allow more consumers to experience the unique charm of the black duck flavor in different settings.
This co-branding campaign demonstrates ZHOU HEI YA's responsibility, commitment, openness, and win-win mindset as an originator, while also showcasing how Chinese fast-food brands like Mi Cun Rice are helping to bring more classic flavors into everyday consumption scenarios, allowing consumers to share in the joy of flavor.
This not only fosters progress towards a prosperous ecosystem for the black duck flavor but also contributes to the innovative development and flavor heritage of China's food industry.
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