The wild Yunnan mushroom "Jian Shou Qing" went viral over summer. Despite its toxicity when undercooked, it's become a social media sensation and a trendy ingredient/flavour where the thrill and novelty, rather than taste, drive its popularity.

Douyin provides a platform for ordinary people to build small businesses. By creating unconventional and slightly whacky livestreams and videos, they've captivated young audiences and driven significant sales, despite their simple, rough-around-the-edges style.

Snacks are getting supersized and catching attention on social media for their social appeal. With giant snacks, brands also enjoy greater exposure as well.

‘Crazy ID Badges’ among post-00s white collars have become a trending topic on Xiaohongshu. Many FMCG brands have jumped on it to winning favour from the young consumers.

Chinese youth have embraced Jellycats, stones, even mango seeds as another kind of ‘pets.‘ These alternatives provide emotional value without the time-consuming and attentive pet-caring routines.

Chinese fresh food O2O platform Dingdong Maicai has become a cyber ‘flower, bird and fish market’ in addition to offering regular fresh food to expand business scope and attract young customers. You can find many ‘whacky‘ things there…

China’s wacky coffee brews such as beef ball or preserved egg coffee no longer seem enough, with coffee shops taking things one step further…