Chinese brands becoming household names in Australia

Lao Gan Ma's hot chilli sauce on shelf, Nov 19, 2015. [Photo/IC]

Chinese food

Chinese food is one of the greatest exports to come out of China.

In Australia's two largest supermarkets, Woolworths and Coles, an aisle dedicated to Asian groceries can be found in nearly every store.

Products from China popular with shoppers include Pearl River Bridge's range of soy sauces and Lao Gan Ma's Hot Chilli Oil.

Notable Australian-Chinese chef Elizabeth Chong told Xinhua that Chinese food was appealing to Australians because it had an earthiness or a sensuality about it that just suited the Australian palate.

"It's hard for me to imagine that it has never been here in a way," Chong said.

"In the early days, Chinese food blew the Australians away with its flavors. Australians had been raised on stodgy British food, which is pretty much flour based. It was just food more or less to fill the stomach."

When it came to popular Chinese staples in Australian kitchens there were a number of standout items.

"I think woks and chopsticks have become a part of the Australian kitchen," Chong said.

"Certainly soy sauce and maybe oyster sauce would be the staples."

Chong, who has run a cooking school for 55 years, noted the humble stir-fry as the dish her students most wanted to learn.

"They think that if they have a wok they just have to put everything in and move it around but that's not the answer," Chong said.