At SIAL Shanghai, a major international food and beverage exhibition launched on May 18. Mario Garcia, a cheese supplier from Spain, 【小题1】 (surround) by visitors inquiring about his products. Some of them surprised him with their knowledge about cheese 【小题2】 his country. “As many Chinese have made trips to Spain, they have a better understanding of my country’s cuisine, including 【小题3】 (we) cheese,” he says.

Garcia’s company specializes in producing cheese of different ages and flavors, and 【小题4】 (do) business in China for about seven years. He says, participation in 【小题5】 (event) like SIAL can help him better reach potential customers and help them understand different cheeses and ways of enjoying them — 【小题6】 (particular) those with strong flavors unusual in Chinese cuisine.

“Our importers here have been hosting cheese tastings and offering 【小题7】 (variety) recipes for our Chinese customers to learn how to use cheese, not just with bread and wine, but also how to cook with it,” he says. Over the years, Garcia has found that Chinese customers have developed a fondness for European products, 【小题8】 benefits his business.

“They will learn about it and appreciate it once they find 【小题9】 new or strong flavor,” he says, adding that he is optimistic about the future of his business in China.

At the event, the Swedish Trade and Invest Council also displayed the country’s distinctive products, 【小题10】 (range) from ice cream to plant-based drinks, wine and fruit jams.

Luosifen(螺蛳粉) became the most popular Chinese New Year’s snack this year on Tmall and Taobao, as Chinese people prepare for 【小题1】 stay-at-home holiday due to the COVID-19 pandemic(流行病).

On the traditional Laba Festival, which 【小题2】 (fall) on January 20 this year, Tmall and Taobao started a one-month-long “2021 Online Chinese New Year’s Goods Festival” 【小题3】(help) people across the country easily buy some seasonal specials.

【小题4】(tradition), dried fruits, sweets, and pastries are must-buy “three-piece set” snacks for the Chinese New Year. 【小题5】 this year, Luosifen took their place. According to Tmall and Taobao, on the first day of the online festival 【小题6】 sold Luosifen 15 times more than last year, with the number of buyers 【小题7】(grow) nine times year on year. The 【小题8】(large) group of buyers was the post-90s.

Self-heating hot pots were only second to Luosifen on the most popular goods list by Tmall and Taobao. On Wednesday, nearly 200,000 buyers placed orders 【小题9】these pots, compared to less than 20,000 last year.

People celebrate the Spring Festival by buying New Year’s goods, getting together and sending greetings, 【小题10】 may raise the risk of spreading the coronavirus. So the online Chinese New Year’s Goods Festival helps people spend a happy Spring Festival at home.

There is nothing quite so French as a baguette—a long, thin stick of bread that’s found in every French bakery in the world. 【小题1】 this traditional food isn’t just a snack; the baguette is an important part of French culture.

According to one legend, the baguette 【小题2】 (create) in Austria by a baker who introduced the steam oven to France in 1839. This baking method made it possible to bake bread with a crispy crust (酥皮) and light center.

Baguettes grew in 【小题3】 (popular) in France throughout the 19th century. Early baguettes were much larger than those of today. 【小题4】 (measure) around two meters long, these baguettes were carried by delivery women, who piled them like firewood on their backs. When 【小题5】 (serve), these huge baguettes were commonly laid along the dinner table, as they were too long to fit the table’s width!

While the bread dates back to the 1800s, the term baguette wasn’t regularly used until the 1920s, 【小题6】 a new law prevented bakers from working before 4:00 a. m. Following the law’s introduction, bakers started making bread with a long, thin shape so that it would bake 【小题7】 (fast) and be ready in time for breakfast. Baguette began to be used to refer to this fast-baking bread.

Baguette eating comes with 【小题8】 (it) own set of customs. For example, it’s considered unlucky to place a baguette upside down on a table. And baguettes are usually broken apart by hand during meals, not sliced 【小题9】 a knife. However you enjoy them, just remember that you’re not just eating bread, you’re eating 【小题10】 symbol of France!