At a workshop of Jinxi County Purong Essences MFG. Co., Ltd. in east China's Jiangxi Province, natural raw materials are being extracted from plants to make concentrated flavors which will be exported to overseas markets.

Such substances with flavors and fragrances are widely used in the food-processing industry to add an appetizing aroma to food items.

"Prices of natural flavors are relatively high, but they are popular in overseas markets such as Pakistan where flavors are an important part of the daily diet," said Pu Wenge, the company's deputy manager, adding that every year Pakistani traders order 8 to 10 tonnes of goods, with a market value of about 250,000 U.S. dollars, from the company.

"These goods are then redistributed in Pakistan and are further used to make local products," Pu said. He noted that about 95 percent of the flavors produced by the company are exported to Southeast Asia, Europe and other markets, with an annual sales value of about 120 million yuan (about 17.9 million U.S. dollars).

The cooperation between the company and Pakistani traders spans nearly 20 years. An in-depth analysis of the local food preferences was carried out and a customized portfolio of products was prepared at an early stage, which is the reason behind this long-standing business association, Pu explained.

"Flavors to Pakistani are just like tea to Chinese. It's embedded in their daily life," Pu said, adding that he had visited Pakistan to understand the taste and preferences of the locals.

Today, Jinxi County is known for its burgeoning flavors industry and has 80 enterprises in this sector. Some of the companies supply raw materials to global fragrance giants.

In 2021, the industrial cluster of flavors and fragrances in Jinxi County raked in a main business income of 10.3 billion yuan, up 9.5 percent year on year.

Among them, the sales of natural flavors reached 6.95 billion yuan, accounting for about a quarter of the national market. The county now produces over 200 varieties of products such as linalool, camphor powder, eucalyptus oil, blue eucalyptus oil and terpineol. The output of natural linalool and natural camphor powder has occupied nearly 80 percent of the global market for more than 10 consecutive years.

"In the past two years, our trade volume with Pakistan has gradually expanded, and the variety of flavors we supply is also increasing," Pu said, adding that he is very optimistic about the Pakistani market and plans to expand the business scope to meet the demand.

Many leading industry players have moved their production bases to China, benefiting from the expertise of professionals in the industry and cost-efficient operation.

"We've established long-term partnership with several world-renowned spice companies and our output value is expected to surpass 400 million yuan this year," said Liu Zenggui with Apple Flavor and Fragrance Group Co., Ltd.