In northern China, where the weather is bitterly cold, people will gather to have some hot dumplings and hot drinks to stay warm, besides visiting their ancestor's tombs.

Less than 100 days from the opening of the first China International Import Expo, a special inspection was conducted yesterday by the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration to ensure food supply security during the upcoming expo.

Today, 4 billion jars of Lao Gan Ma, packaged with a picture of a rather grumpy-looking Tao Huabi, are sold per year across 80 countries, one of which is the US. To most mainland Chinese, Lao Gan Ma is a household name and a widely used condiment—yet its humble beginnings in China fail to explain its rising popularity in America.