Tong Iek Pak Fa Fui – Dried Fruit and Sauces
Let me start with a legendary story…
The Queen Mother from heaven’s flat peach that claimed as “Flower bloomed three thousand years and fruitful for another three thousand years”. Heaven on Earth that inherit its making to the brand Pak Fa Fui, owned a history of more than hundred and ten years, in which entire Macau’s history, has its best reputational fruit item ever, now namely Tong Iek Sauces Pak Fa Fui dried fruit Garden.
Many people (especially the younger generations) nowadays may not know this old brand. Noticing their packages printed with Queen Mother of Heaven matchboxes and the strong Muscle Guy Ginger packagings, most Macanese must have been noticing this brand’s iconic souvenir from a century-old local brand.
Tong Iek Pak Fa Fui, originated from Cantonese fruit and soy sauce snacks company, hold its century-old product displays. Back hundred years ago since then, Guangdong Xin-Hui’s Pak Fa Fui preserved fruit were quite famous that time; By 1903, Xin-Hui’s shareholders saw the competitive advantage of Macau’s export regulations, they have moved their business to Macau set up Tong Iek Pak Fa Fui preserved fruit factories; By utilising Macau’s connection between the Asian and European countries, with the advantage of waterway transportation and free trade declarations that encourage new production line and retailing businesses implementations.
Back in the old days
In the early old business days, the first Pak Fa Fui factory was located at 108 Rua da Ribeira do Patane, owned an area of 7-8 acres factory along the bay. Until the 50s, production scale itself became more and more prosperous. During peak times, there were as many as thirty factories in operations. From the Guangxi waterway to Macau, more than ten shipments shipped fresh fruits and other raw materials over; in which most end-products were exported after to Southeast Asian countries.
In the 1990s, due to progressive rental costs increase in Macau, the factory have decided to move back Xin-Hui Guangdong again, in consideration of leveraging other high operatioal costs. The retail store shifted back to Rua de Entre-Campos, Macau, located in one of the secluded and narrow old streets of alleyway.
At present, their sales branch is located at Fai Chi Kei, appealing in an non-luxurious renovated store – currently promoting traditional dried fruit and sauce items. Having their fourth generation inheriting the business right now, they also ran into a partnership proprietorship with several Xin-Hui shareholders.
Tong Iek Signboard
When I entered the store in the morning and looked up, I saw a golden plated signboard with the inscription “Tong Ye” by the Qing Dynasty Juren, an imperial literal candidate at higher degree. “Tongyi” means “beneficial to all”, “Pak Fa Fui” also mean “The top hundred dried fruit and floral dealer”. Varieties in Pak Fa Fui such as – the Queen Mother Dried Flat Peach, Refreshing Ginger, Dried Mango and Sweet Vinegar; among which, are the four top selling products; A must-buy product for locals and tourists, regarded as the greatest honor, for its long history.
The image of the Ancient Queen Mother and the Muscle Guy matchbox printouts has deepened the hearts of most locals. With the growth of younger local generations, the packaging looks a bit old-fashioned somehow; Pak Fa Fui has no intention getting the packaging re-branded. Instead, they would like to keep the design that age in decades.
“The Queen Mother Dried Peach” – Top selling item
Back in time, the market branding and its packaging succeeded in positioning till now. “Three thousand years of flowering, three thousand years of fruit.” The Queen Mother slogan means longevity, healthy food, worth tasting;
Your home mother wasn’t a human being
She’s the Queen Mother from Eternal Heavens descended to Earth
Four sons were all fruit thieves
Stealing flat peach as filial affection to their motherhoods
The flat peach fruit made from the northern apricots; which it turned black after drying. Caught sticky, air tight in the transparent paper wrap; moisture and black. When a kid, I always given a crazy thought in mind – a fly or kind of dirty stuff wrapped inside. I gotta check with my seniors before I dared to put it in my mouth. Claimed that dried peach will turn black after its’ all naturally pickled and dried. Such dried fruit solely helped invigorating the spleen and stomach, corely removing internal heat. Recommended as the top dried fruit priority preventing seasickness. In the 80s and 90s, it is a must-buy tourist’s souveniors.
Its prep formulas were kept up with their ancient recipes; the high-quality northern apricots from Mongolia, Gansu and Tianjin belong commonly used items; Washed and boiled, all added with sugar with secret spices, all piled in a ceramic huge jar to sun. Back early centuries, natural sunlight used in most times. After which, use of equipment and machinery drying highly recommended, helped in stabilising its quality of dried peach, aligned with production levels. Packing and boxing manually operated in full; thus the texture in some occasions were a bit wet.
Traditional way eating
There are many ways to eat them. You can roll the glass paper into a lolly pop candy shape and take a bite on the tip; slowly oozing out the black cold juice bit by bit. You can eat more gracefully without fear of staining your hands till finished.
The Muscle Guy – Vitality Ginger
As for the muscle guy products is composes of ginger, licorice, tangerine peel and lemon, marinate till complete; A little spicy, but very appetising and refreshing; its look were natural light yellow in color. It flavored in ginger and lemon scent. All products do not have any artificial coloring, ensuring to keep its original taste and made eaters healthy.
Other nostalgic famous dried fruit
You can see one after another, transparent glass buckets covered in stainless steel lids filled with “salty, sour and wet items”. Just everything made from plum, winter ginger, salted kumquat, tangerine peel, citrus lemon, oil citrus, etc. anything you crave for are always available.
Highlights: Soy sauce products
The kinds of sauces all fresh and originally made, such as white vinegar, black vinegar, sweet vinegar, etc. They all poured directly from the sauce tank stored in the shop. Pak Fa Fui’s soy sauce also produced the same way as the traditional secret recipe recites. Soybeans all cooked and mixed with flour. After 4-5 days fermentations, they all soaked in brine, and finally exposed to the sun. Only this way can preserve its original, freshest tastes.
Tong Iek’s diced vinegar is one of the most famous item for new mum. It was a tradition cooking ginger vinegar after giving birth, where nine out of ten pregnant women would look for them prior their new birth deliveries. The second best selling item is their first blend soy sauce, which taste so delicious putting on top of steamed fish. Also considering their plum sauce for chinese barbeque dishes; also their steamed pork ribs mixed with their soy sauce paste has a salty fragrant taste.
Other items in the kitchen closet
Many shops and restaurants still use Tong Iek products; For example, local time-honored restaurants and Lisboa Hotel outlets, well known Luen Kee noodle stalls, Chinese bakery stores, etc.; They have used their lye and soy sauce in decades; Say like too their plum sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black and white vinegar products are not just provider’s favorites, but also used by many local households during cooking. Other subsidiary ingredients include sweet and seafood sauce used in morning rice rolls, sesame sauce, pickled baby onions, pickled vegetables; Mostly all moisture, salt and sour items available, and its quality has its best original flavor.
A century-old brand quality assurance
At present, Pak Fa Fui wholesale supplies owns majority of their businesses. They also sold in different batches to various small and huge souvenir shops and agents in Macau. Some even exported to Southeast Asia, the United States, Canada and other foreign places.
Brands with a century-old history surely had their arduous times. The most memorable moment was the SARS virus attacks in 2003. There was a common saying that white vinegar can sterilised all germs. The selling value of white vinegar in supermarkets that time across entire Macau has suddenly soared. Pak Fa Fui insisted not to increase the price to tide over the difficulties with the locals. Later after recovery that followed, they have acquired good reputation from customers for many years, which till now is the main highlight of the brand.
Alternatively before the handover to China, the law and order were so bad that time, most locals were in huge panic and fear. The number of tourists have dropped dramatically; and yet, most locals did not go out, which led to a sharp decline in their core local businesses. Till now, the current epidemic has also caused the economy looping in a difficult time. It is also the most toughest time for a century-old shop like Pak Fa Fui Tong Iek. They showed persistence believing that tough times will always come and go, insisted to choose premium materials, providing the best products to customers at reasonable prices.
As a local, you should also spend some time patronising with them, promoting their high-quality products and blast out high.
