China consumes 17% of California's pistachio crop Shaun Weston 15 Aug 2013

© Mariia Kravtsova I EamArt

According to the US Department of Commerce, consumers in Hong Kong and China are eating and drinking their way through US$2bn worth of Californian fine wines, health & organic foods and fresh produce annually.

As growth in the Hong Kong market continues, consumers in China are in the midst of a surge in demand for raw and manufactured produce from the sunshine state.

At the helm of California's surging exports is Jeff Williamson, director, California State Trade and Export Promotion (STEP), who said: ''Hong Kong and China are two very important markets for California and the growth has been phenomenal. With food and beverage exports hitting US$2.5bn, far from waning, the appetite for Californian produce by consumers is increasing, especially in China where growth is surging faster than ever before."

One area that continues to do very well is the Californian nut industry and the nut that the Chinese refer to as 'The Happy Nut' (pistachio).

Chinese consumers are turning more and more towards Californian pistachios for their natural produce and unbleached shells. In fact, China consumes 17% of California's pistachio crop.

There will be an estimated 1.78 billion snack-eating families globally in 2018 and the pistachio is an integral part of Chinese snacking culture. This year, the Californian pistachio crop will be 500 million pounds and by 2018 this is forecast to double.

http://www.foodbev.com/news/china-consumes-17-of-californias-pistach#.UhgtjdKsjTq