Zhejiang Fengzai Food Company, based in Quzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, recently shipped 780 boxes of its streamed sponge cakes, with sugar-sweet osmanthus and corn flavors, to Australia.

This marks the first time Quzhou's traditional streamed sponge cakes have entered the international market.

The streamed sponge cakes are a famous snack in the Jiangnan region — the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Quzhou's Longyou streamed sponge cakes are particularly renowned.

Fengzai Food, established in July 2006, specializes in frozen dough products, including exquisite snacks and local specialty products. According to the company's technical director, Zhou Lizhong, its products were previously supplied to high-end hotels and restaurants in China. However, after international clients sampled the products earlier this year, a five-year export agreement was secured.

Workers check the quality of streamed sponge cakes at Zhejiang Fengzai Food Company. [Photo/Tide News]

"Quzhou Customs provided guidance on key factors such as food quality, packaging, labeling, and import-export procedures," Zhou said.

Over the course of three months, the company invested over 800,000 yuan ($111,147) in equipment upgrades and specialized packaging design for streamed sponge cakes, ensuring timely delivery of its first international order.

Quzhou has seen a rise in exports of local specialty products, including brown sugar buns and noodles. In the first four months of this year, the city's food exports reached 260 million yuan, a 12.2 percent increase year-on-year.