Bilingual signs attract customers to Vancouver's Chinatown grocers
There’s the bulbous kohlrabi, gnarly bitter melons, and various leafy greens such as gai lan, tong ho, and yau choi.
But Lau’s customers are changing. New condos have brought a younger, non-Asian population into the historic neighbourhood. Trendy restaurants and larger supermarket chains have also sprouted nearby, resulting in increased competition.
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“It’s a bit of a struggle,” said Lau, who owns Chinatown Supermarket on Keefer Street. “There’s a lot of construction around town and it’s not as convenient as before, and parking is limited.”
To make his business viable, it’s important to appeal to all residents, both new and old. “Every single customer helps,” he said.
That’s one of the reasons Lau has embraced The Choi Project, a new initiative by the non-profit Hua Foundation to make B.C.-grown Chinese veggies more accessible to buyers, including non-Chinese consumers and second- and third-generation Chinese-Canadians who may not be familiar with their culinary heritage.
“The idea is to bring real and healthy local food back to our dinner tables,” said executive director Claudia Li.
Li said she would buy the organic spring mix at Whole Foods, yet have no idea where to get sustainable versions of the Chinese vegetables she grew up eating: “We want to find solutions to help bridge this gap.”
The project also hopes to fill the gap between longtime Chinatown businesses and new residents.
“There’s many people moving in who don’t speak Cantonese or Chinese ... and it can be a little intimidating if you don’t speak the language or understand the culture,” said Li.
The Choi Project, which launched in June, features a free brochure listing Chinese vegetables in English and Chinese, and shows when they are in season. Choi means vegetable in the Cantonese dialect.
The project also partnered with Lau’s store in a pilot project to add bilingual signs on some of the produce. The signs indicate whether the items are in season, grown in B.C., and pesticide-free.
Source: www.theprovince.com