CHINESE NEW YEAR

INTERVIEW WITH KEVIN LYU, GENERAL MANAGER MEC3 CHINA

China is preparing to celebrate its New Year! Also known as the ‘Spring Festival, it will take place on the 3rd of February inaugurating the year of the Tiger, the animal that symbolizes strength, courage, and impulsiveness.

To find out more about its traditions and to understand what role gelato may have on the festive tables, we have consulted Kevin Lyu, General Manager MEC3 China.

In a few days China will celebrate its New Year: what are the traditions that distinguish it?

The Chinese New Year, known also as the Spring Festival, has a very antique history and for us Chinese it’s the most important event of the year. It’s the moment in which we say goodbye to the past to welcome the future, where we get together with our families and close friends to read Spring poems as a greeting to the new year.

Amongst the many customs is the traditional new year’s dinner, during which relatives and close friends get together at the table to celebrate the festivity and to exchange messages of good wishes. The traditions related to the Chinese New Year are many and they all contribute to making it interesting and fun.

What role does gelato play on this incredibly special occasion?

Gelato has not yet become part of the menu for New Year but, personally, I hope that one day it will become a dessert to be enjoyed with relatives and friends also on this occasion. As it is our custom to celebrate this holiday by sharing the best moments of life avoiding unhappy memories, I believe that gelato, with its sweetness, could become the perfect dessert for this occasion:  the best food to fully savour the sweetest time of the year.

What do you suggest the gelato makers propose in their showcases to tempt their customers?

First, I suggest that the gelato makers attach the spring poems to their showcase to give it a special touch, and next to prepare a ‘Spring Festival’ themed menu, with gelato recipes dedicated to this important occasion. I would choose flavours like hazelnut and pistachio, pleasant and energizing, especially when combined with typical Chinese flavours such as black sesame. Lastly, I would recommend preparing pleasant packaging for take-away, so that the customers can take the gelato home to celebrate with their families.

What are your expectations in terms of business for the year of the tiger?

The year 2021 was another difficult year due to the pandemic caused by Covid-19 and business has had to face this challenging moment too. According to the Chinese lunar calendar we are about to enter the year of the Tiger, a symbol of strength and courage. Consequently, my desire is that the pandemic will end and that our business can grow significantly, thanks to the work of all our teams and a better international economic context.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our friends, customers, and colleagues a happy new year, lots of family happiness and prosperity!

Happy year of the Tiger!