China’s luxury food exports — caviar, foie gras and more — shake up global gourmet market

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Chinese luxury food products such as caviar, foie gras and truffles are rapidly gaining ground in global gourmet markets, challenging long‑established producers and reshaping competitive dynamics. According to Bloomberg data, China now accounts for roughly 44% of global caviar exports, far outpacing traditional leaders like Italy. This surge reflects significant growth since 2019, with exports more than doubling over this period.

The premium Chinese caviar brand Kaluga Queen, produced in Zhejiang Province, operates the world’s largest sturgeon farming operation and uses artificial intelligence to manage breeding conditions, enhancing productivity and lowering costs. This has allowed Chinese caviar to be priced around 30% cheaper than competitors, making it increasingly popular in high‑end restaurants and innovative culinary uses ranging from ice cream to mooncakes.

Beyond caviar, China is expanding production of other high‑value food items. Foie gras output in provinces like Shandong and Anhui now represents about 30% of global production, while exports of truffles have jumped by around 60% year‑on‑year, despite once being dismissed as low‑value. These shifts suggest a broader strategy by Chinese producers and policymakers to move up the food value chain and shed the “factory of the world” image by emphasizing premium, high‑value agricultural exports.

Industry experts note that price competitiveness—coupled with rising capacity and quality improvements—is the key driver of this trend. As Chinese luxury foods become more widely accepted in international fine dining and culinary circles, the traditional dominance of European producers faces a new test. Observers predict China could continue to influence the structure of the global gourmet food landscape, just as it has in sectors like automotive manufacturing.