What's cooking? Viral ad shows how Pakistan is bonding with China over Biryani

Repeated snubs by the US are pushing Pakistan towards China. And it doesn't stop at the proposed $46 billion China Pakistan Economic Cooridor ( CPEC)—a network of roads, railways, and pipelines that gives China access to the Gwadar port; Pakistan is also forging cultural ties with China.

An ad for biryani mix by Pakistani company Shaan Foods that shows a Chinese expat wife bonding with local women in Lahore over biryani has gone viral on the internet. It has got 3.9 million views after it was posted on the Facebook page of Shan Foods on April 23.

#KhaanaWithParosi shows an expat Chinese man in Lahore telling her wife to mix with the neighbours. She says it is difficult as they don't even eat the same food. Then an idea flashes in her mind. She buys Shan Food's biryani mix, cooks the iconic dish, knocks at the neighbour's door and offers her biryani. The Punjabi women welcome her and soon she is as thick with them as another family member.




A large number of Chinese expats live in Pakistan due to China's increasing role in building infrastructure in Pakistan.
Though anger is rising in Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir over both Pakistan and China exploiting their resources in a reckless manner for selfish economic gain, the Pakistanis look at the Chinese as friends.

According to a Pew Research Center survey, 82% of Pakistanis had a favourable view of China.