This report looks at the following areas:
- Frequency of home cooking and baking, and changes in habits
- Reasons for cooking/baking at home
- Western-style home cooking products
- Attitudes towards using pre-made dishes in home cooking
Home cooking in China is increasingly characterised by a focus on health, enjoyment and convenience. Healthier cooking methods such as steaming and boiling are gaining popularity, and younger consumers are driving demand for more diverse cooking experiences, creating strong growth potential for pre-made dishes and Western-style baking.
Flora Zhang, Director, Food & Drink Health & Wellness
Market Definitions
This Report examines changes in consumers’ cooking and baking habits. The cooking and baking habits explored in this Report include cooking and baking frequency, home baking products, cooking approaches and methods, and attitudes towards using pre-made dishes in home cooking.
Group definitions:
- Chinese cooking enthusiasts: cook Chinese dishes at home every day or almost every day
- Western cuisine enthusiasts: cook Western dishes at home more than once a week
- Baking hobbyists: do Western-style baking at home more than once a week
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Definition
- What you need to know
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Executive summary
- Market factors
- Demographics
- Key drivers
- Insights and opportunities
- Market factors
- Falling CPI and trading down further drive home cooking
- Graph 1: spending consumers intend to reduce, 2025
- Consumers are increasingly conscious of dietary nutrition, supported by steadily improving knowledge
- Graph 2: types of nutrition information consumers check, 2022 vs 2025
- Convenient access to fresh groceries, semi-prepared foods and pre-made dishes drives home cooking
- Graph 3: online channels for fresh grocery purchases, 2025
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Consumer insights
- Overview of consumers’ cooking and dining habits
- Insight into consumers’ cooking habits: Chinese food is eaten daily, Western food weekly
- Graph 4: frequency of cooking and baking, 2025
- Profiles of home cooking consumers: Chinese cooking enthusiasts, Western cuisine enthusiasts and baking hobbyists
- Graph 5: consumer segments, by cooking habits and age, 2025
- Graph 6: consumer segments, by cooking behaviour, 2025
- Planning daily meals remains a common pain point for consumers
- Graph 7: consumer cooking attitudes, by age, 2025
- Graph 8: consumer attitudes towards home cooking, 2025
- Younger consumers order takeaway more frequently, older consumers are ordering takeaway significantly more
- Graph 9: difference in the proportion of consumers ordering takeaway more than once a week, by age, 2024 vs 2025
- Graph 10: frequency of ordering takeaway, 2025
- Perceptions of convenient meals vary significantly across generations
- Graph 11: consumer attitudes towards ordering takeaway, by age, 2025
- Graph 12: consumer attitudes towards the use of pre-made dishes, by age, 2025
- Chinese-style home cooking trends: healthy eating becomes mainstream
- Younger consumers are cooking Chinese cuisine at a significantly higher frequency
- Graph 13: frequency of cooking Chinese food at home, by age, 2025
- Graph 14: change in the proportion of consumers cooking Chinese food at home daily, by age, 2024-25
- Steamed and boiled dishes are gaining popularity, while fried and preserved foods are becoming less favoured
- Graph 15: changes in cooking methods, 2025
- Consumers who cook Chinese food frequently tend to prefer steaming and boiling, reflecting a clear health-driven trend
- Graph 16: changes in cooking methods, by demographic, 2025
- Graph 17: changes in cooking methods, 2024 vs 2025
- 25-29s are interested in taste and diverse cooking methods, while 40-49s show the strongest focus on health
- Graph 18: changes in consumers’ cooking methods – used more, 2025
- Emerging healthy eating trend drives a comprehensive shift in lifestyles and consumption choices
- Graph 19: meaning of healthy diet, 2025
- High-income households show more sophisticated demand for healthy diets
- Graph 20: definition of a healthy diet, by monthly household income, 2025
- Graph 21: consumer attitudes towards health and taste, by monthly household income, 2025
- Trends in Western-style home cooking: varying demand driving menu diversification
- The penetration of Western-style home cooking has increased, driven primarily by 25-39s
- Graph 22: percentage point differences in consumers cooking Western food at home, by age, 2025 vs 2024
- Graph 23: frequency of cooking Western-style food at home, 2025
- Pasta and sandwiches are the most popular Western dishes for home cooking
- Graph 24: types of Western dishes cooked at home, 2025
- Growing diversity in home-cooked Western cuisine across all age groups
- Graph 25: types of Western dishes cooked at home, by age, 2025
- Western cuisine enthusiasts show more diverse cooking preferences
- Graph 26: types of Western dishes cooked at home, 2025
- Emotions and values drive Western-style home cooking
- Graph 27: reasons for cooking Western food at home, 2025
- From taste to safety: age-based insights into Western-style home cooking
- Children’s preferences are an important reason consumers aged 30-39 choose Western-style home cooking
- Graph 28: reasons for cooking western food at home, 2025
- Chinese cooking enthusiasts and Western cuisine enthusiasts show distinct motivations for Western cooking
- Graph 29: reasons for cooking Western food at home, by demographic, 2025
- High acceptance among Western cuisine enthusiasts indicates opportunities for pre-made food brands
- Graph 30: consumer attitudes towards pre-made dishes, 2025
- Western-style home baking trends: health and family responsibility are central
- 30-39s and 40-49s are the core groups for Western-style home baking
- Graph 31: difference in the proportion of consumers who bake Western-style goods at home more than once a week, by age, 2025 vs 2024
- Graph 32: proportion of consumers doing Western-style baking at home, by age, 2025
- Explore the diverse consumer potential of Western cuisine enthusiasts
- Family-driven home baking: a multifaceted representation of health, safety and emotional value
- Graph 33: reasons for Western-style home baking, 2025
- Home baking supports family health and strengthens household harmony
- Graph 34: reasons for Western-style home baking, by age, 2025
- Social motivation is the core driver for frequent home bakers
- Graph 35: reasons for Western-style home baking, by group, 2025
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Insights and opportunities
- Tap into the health trend in Chinese-style home cooking
- New trends in healthy eating: balancing wellness at home with out-of-home indulgence
- Graph 36: changes in cooking habits – used more, 2024-25
- 30-39s and 40-49s are most concerned about healthy cooking methods
- Graph 37: selection criteria for Chinese-style fast food restaurants – select options, by age, 2025
- Graph 38: changes in consumers’ cooking methods – used more, 2025
- From steamed to boiled: the new driver of the seasoning market
- Graph 39: sales of seasonings with ‘boiled dish’ in the product title, ecommerce platforms, 2023-24
- Seasonings for boiled dishes have strong growth potential
- Focus on the indulgent aspect of Western-style home cooking
- Kitchen revolution among 25-29s: from interest to action
- Graph 40: changes in consumers’ cooking methods – used more, 2025
- Graph 41: consumers’ attitudes towards home cooking, 2025
- The indulgence of Western cuisine aligns with younger consumers’ demand to fulfil emotional and social needs
- Graph 42: reasons for cooking Western food at home, by age, 2025
- Create fun, easy-to-make Western dishes to spark kitchen creativity
- Leverage the social connection value of Western-style home baking
- Global consumer resonance: the emotional and social significance of cooking and baking
- Emotional and social value are key drivers for Western-style home cooking and baking
- Graph 43: reasons for cooking Western food at home, 2025
- Graph 44: reasons for Western-style home baking, 2025
- Make baking easier: market opportunities for festive ready-to-bake products
- Female consumers aged 30-39 have stronger social and emotional demand
- Graph 45: reasons for doing Western-style home baking, by age and gender, 2025
- Family values in baking: a perfect blend of emotional connection and healthy living
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APPENDIX – MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST, RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND ABBREVIATIONS
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
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