CHANGING TASTES: Italian cheese is part of the foreign food invasion into China (LIU YING)

Pushing her shopping cart, Sheng Xuehong's eyes focused on the imported food shelves at her local Wal-Mart store on January 29 in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province.

With just days to go before Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival which fell on February 3, the holiday season was characterized by families gathering together to eat traditional local dishes. However, the 73 year-old grandmother was in search of Pepperidge Farm Chocolate Crispy Cookies for her grandson, who had studied in the United States and has since grown accustomed to the original American product.

Sheng's lengthy shopping list now differs from previous years. Whilst it still includes traditional items that are essential to the dishes prepared during the Spring Festival holiday, it now features a variety of imported goods. Dairy products from New Zealand, cookies from Denmark and wine from Australia are high on her agenda.

Globalization has opened up many new doors for Chinese consumers. A prime example is the number of supermarkets across the country following the growing trend of stocking imported food and drink products. Traditional Chinese brands now sit alongside items from overseas, creating a whole new experience for shoppers.

 As well as it being a busy time for Sheng, this holiday period has seen a surge in business for Huang Ying, an owner of an imported food store in Shandong Province. "Nuts, chocolates, and wine are among the top sellers," said Huang.

Compared to domestic products, the price of imported products is much more expensive. But the high price has not stopped the enthusiasm of Chinese consumers, as Huang has seen his Spring Festival sales double since last year.

"With high quality, exotic flavors, and colorful packaging, overseas food products are attracting more Chinese people, with or without Spring Festival," the owner added.