Instant noodles have been a staple for many Chinese traveling to countries with unfamiliar cuisine. (Photo : Getty Images)
When it comes to food on the go many Chinese tourists still prefer instant noodles, if a recent survey is to be believed.
According to a joint report published on Sept. 28 by Alibaba's Alitrip and Internet finance platform Wacai, up to 31.29 percent of Chinese travelers have packed instant noodles in their luggage when going on trips overseas, while 58.24 percent have purchased instant noodles after reaching their outbound destinations.
Contrary to expectations, the choice is not about the price: the top reason tourists are seeking out instant noodles is because they are not accustomed to local food, the report said.
The survey noted that a huge portion of Chinese tourists are not used to Western cuisine, and instant noodles have a coveted "familiar taste", adding that many travelers also pack foods such as "laoganma" chilli sauce, ham, beef jerky, mustard, and spiced eggs to eat alongside the noodles. The second choice for the trend is convenience, followed by the cheap price tag coming in third.
Interestingly, the report also showed that the local preference for instant noodles is correlated to age, but has nothing to do with income, with older tourists more likely to be dependent on instant noodles than their younger counterparts.
66.14 percent of tourists born in the 1970s were also reported to have packed instant noodles in their luggage, whereas the number drops to 53.82 percent for those born in the 1980s, and 50.96 percent for those born at the turn of the century.
Younger people are able to adapt better to new environments and are more interested to trying local cuisines, according to China Daily.
Aside from being popular with travellers, the report also noted that the love for instant noodles is shared by Chinese from different income brackets.
About 43 percent of people who earn more than 20,000 yuan per month still rely on instant noodles, which is not significantly different from those earning a monthly income of less than 5,000 yuan, the report said.
