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Soy sauce, sesame paste tahini or powdered smoked sweet pepper today you can hardly be surprised: in a few years these and many similar products have become, if not every day, really popular. However, culinary discoveries never end, so if you decide to dive deep into any of the world’s cuisines, you won’t find a common ingredient in mass stores; you will have to look elsewhere, usually in specialized electronic stores.
All the heroes of this article, the founders of three exotic goods stores, created such a business by accident: they were interested in high-quality, exclusive and still niche ingredients in Lithuania, it is true that they are all on the way. to e. the stores are different. It seems that each of them finds a buyer: those who want to recreate dishes tasted in restaurants or travel at home, as well as foreigners living in Lithuania and restless seekers of innovations and taste challenges. Another obvious fact: During the pandemic, the demand for exotics did not really decline and often only grew.
E-commerce intensified during the year of the pandemic
Various Asian Pop Culture Attributes and Food Products – This would describe the concept of the “Kuroneko” store. Pranciškus Varkala, the founder of this business, which currently has two physical outlets, says that the second one, in Kaunas, just opened between the two quarantines, has been operating in Vilnius for several years. However, a good decade ago, the Kuronek story began with trading in various themed events dedicated to Asian culture, and then an electronic store was launched. Kuroneko.lt, the physical stores were a kind of third stage.
Store Stock Photo / Gama Kuroneko
During the pandemic, the circle changed in a certain way: the e-shop became very relevant again, especially since the products are delivered throughout Lithuania. “We started with e-commerce, then a physical store appeared and it was as if their competition continued. We did not work during the first quarantine, so there was an even greater conversion: commerce in the electronic store became very active. However, now it seems that customers are also returning to physical stores “, describes P. Varkala the increase. It is true that, from the conversation, it is not difficult to understand that the owner of the company can appreciate even more the marketing method in I live, and the reason is simple: it is an opportunity to tell a person live about each product: starting with the story, various interesting things, of course, using them.
From chamomile and sweet to challenging nose
Rice, Asian noodles, sauces, condiments, ramen, and an incredible array of sweets – Kuroneko’s range really needs a guide. On the other hand, says P. Varkala, 5 years ago the customers were people who fell in love with Asia, and now the circle is much wider, the fans have stayed, but people who simply like dishes from Asian countries. who want to restore them. , strange and unexpected snacks, also buy, fanatic sweets
Shelves “Kuroneko”: food products from Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam. Some come directly from those countries, others through intermediaries in Europe, because sometimes it is easier. The owners choose the products for their store by testing them and deciding whether the store needs them or not.
According to P.Varkala, the most popular food product of “Kuronek” is ramen, he is proud to be able to offer the widest variety of this soup in the Baltic countries, as well as popular Japanese sweets for first-time mothers. perhaps strange, but increasingly loved by Lithuanians. “We were the first to bring the original Pocki sticks, we have many products with their own interesting history, for example boxed candies, which have been made since WWII,” says the store’s founder.
Store file photo / Kuroneko may offer delicacies with controversial duru fruit
We have products with hard fruits recognized by the king of fruits. It is, as I have said here, a subtly unpleasant smell …
Asked about the most exotic and strange products for a long time, it is about canned silkworm larvae. “We wanted something new,” he smiles with a smile. And right here we are filling the presentation of the range of strangeness: “We have products with hard fruit, which is recognized as the queen of fruit. As has been said here, it has a subtly unpleasant smell… We can offer the dry ones, as well as the mothers with their filling, a drink for their taste, we expect ice cream – and laughs he adds. “And that smell is really very, very peculiar, something sweetly rotten.” They all smell different, but it’s hard to forget. “
When asked for a recommendation on what to recommend to try first from the store’s assortment, he still doesn’t mention this fruit or silkworm larvae, but goes back to chamomile again. According to P.Varkala, the “Mystery Ramen Box” can become a very intriguing purchase, the exact composition of which you do not even know, but when you open the package, you are always surprised by many interesting tasting ramen.
The restaurants were complemented by an electronic store.
Giedrius Vasiliauskas from Kaunas and his Thai wife Tadsanee Eamchom have founded 2 Thai cuisine restaurants “Thai House” in Kaunas. Just over a year ago, a small family business was complemented by a small physical and electronic store ThaiHouse.ltwhere you can buy various products from Thailand.
Erik Ovcharenko / 15min photo / Tadsanee Eamchom and Giedrius Vasiliauskas
According to G.Vasiliauskas, the store’s assortment consists of his wife, because she knows best which products will be in demand and interesting, and the husband has to take care of logistics and prices. Like the previous interlocutor, the presenter of the Thai House said that some products travel directly from Thailand, while others are ordered through intermediaries in Europe.
Visitors to restaurants often ask how to make one or another dish that they tasted with us at home.
Who are the buyers of Thai products? According to G.Vasiliauskas, in the first place are the Thais who live in Lithuania, as well as the Lithuanians who like the cuisine of this country. “Visitors to our restaurants often ask how to make one or another dish that they tasted with us at home. We advise, and at the same time we can offer the ingredients that you will need ”, illustrates the interlocutor the intertwining of the business parts.
Stock Photo Store / ThaiHouse items are also available on physical shelves
Attracted by memorable and easy-to-prepare dishes
He says that in recent years, Thai cuisine has been gaining more and more sympathy from Lithuanians, and this does not surprise him: “This country knows how to present itself very well through food. And it pleasantly surprises with unusual tastes, and the dishes are really easy to prepare, which is what attracts me ”, he concludes.
Stock photo buyers of aged eggs are also popping up in Lithuania
According to him, the period of the pandemic obviously taught Lithuanians to be bolder to buy products online, both everyday and exotic. In his view, it is realistic for this trend to take hold and continue. And what are the most popular Thai House products? According to G.Vasiliauskas, these are snacks, cheap sweets. And the most interesting, exclusive? “We have very original sauces from Thailand, we also sell the so-called ‘eggs of the century’, of course, this is not a massive product, but they also get buyers,” reveals the residents of Kaunas.
Dive into a whole new niche
The exotic products offered by the two previous speakers can also be seen and touched in physical stores, and here is the one that started a good six months ago. Manojaponija.lt so far, it is only available in virtual space. Its founder, Dovilė Ivanauskienė from Vilnius, is a professional landscape architect, who came to Japan for the first time a few years ago and was so fascinated by the concepts of moderation, restraint and out of the way of this culture that she felt
“After my second trip to Japan, I decided to do it through food. In a way, it was an adventurous move because my relationship with gastronomy was amateur, after all I was working and I was still working in another field, so it was curious and scary, but as I say now, I went and bank“Says the interlocutor.
Store file photo / Dovilė Ivanauskienė in Japan
The store opened last October and now has a wide range of exclusive products. For D.Ivanauskienė, the quality and authenticity of the products is very important, that is why whenever possible, we look for suppliers in Japan, although some also come through intermediaries.
Focuses on family needs
“I knew from the beginning that I was immersing myself in a niche market, that there were strong competitors. But now I would say that we are still on a successful path, perhaps we have a sixth feeling: we feel what the consumer needs, says a woman fascinated by Japanese culture. – We are proud of products such as powdered wort, which we only have in the Baltic countries. When people taste ours shiitake mushrooms, then comment that they are different from the others. We also have exceptional Japanese rice, the price of which may seem insane to some, but once tasted, there’s no question why you’re paying for it. When you feel quality, you immediately raise the banner of quality, and so does your self-education. “
Store Stock Photo Lunch at a family restaurant in Japan.
D.Ivanauskienė does not hide the fact that the year of the pandemic was a good opportunity to start such a business, because the longing for trips to exotic products really stimulates interest.
The woman says that in shaping the range of the store, which she appreciates together with other family members, she focuses primarily on the needs of the family, the products that the Japanese consume on a daily basis, rather than entertainment or popular culture. . Plus, he says, many Japanese foods can make great gifts because they’re nutritious and healthy.
Store Stock Photo / AssortmentManojaponija.lt – exclusive shiitake mushrooms
In this activity, it is very good to feel the importance of education, the dissemination of information about unknown products.
Of course, the interlocutor in Lithuania still faces the stereotype that Japan is mainly sushi, and although the ingredients needed to prepare this dish can be found in the store, it is important that she demonstrates a wider range of dishes and ingredients. “Perhaps by buying ingredients for sushi, a person will discover something new,” he says. – In this activity, it is very good to feel the importance of education, the dissemination of information about unknown products. This is also one of our missions ”. Asked if he was thinking about the prospect of a physical store where this educational mission could be carried out more broadly, the interlocutor replied that it would appear at some point in the future, because “we are still growing. “
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