HONG KONG -- Noodles are out and beverages are back in China, according to the latest results from a cluster of consumer brands that show how tastes have shifted as the coronavirus pandemic has ebbed.
One of the few clear winners during the pandemic has been instant noodles. As millions of people stayed at home under lockdown orders, they devoured bowls of fast-food noodles in greater numbers. But as the outbreak was brought under control and ordinary consumption patterns gradually returned, the urgent demand for the convenient food staple has faded.
