A Taste of Tradition: The Story of Union Food (Lian How) and Its Delicious Product Lines
Union International Food Company (Lian How Brand) has a diverse range of product lines that cater to the ever-evolving needs of consumers. With a commitment to quality and innovation, Lian How prides itself on offering a wide selection of food products that are not only delicious but also meet the highest standards of safety and nutrition. From savory snacks to nutritious beverages, Lian How's product lines span across various categories, ensuring that there is something for everyone. Whether you're looking for a tasty treat to indulge in or a wholesome meal to nourish your body, Lian How has you covered. With a focus on using the finest ingredients and employing state-of-the-art manufacturing processes, Lian How continues to be a trusted name in the food industry, providing exceptional products that delight taste buds and exceed expectations.
Pastes and Sauces
Gong San (Taiwan style): A line of products beloved by consumers ever since the humble beginning of Union Foods in Taiwan more than half a century ago. They were created by Mr. Y. B. Huang in 1965 to meet the craving for Sichuan style hot condiments of the air force servicemen retrieved to the island from Mainland. The hot bean sauce is a mixture of chili and bean pastes. To make Gong San Chili Sauce®, freshly picked chili peppers are cleaned, chopped, and salted for an 8-month fermentation in porcelain urns under the sun. Whereas, Gong San Bean Sauce® uses the cleaned, de-hulled and steamed beans for an even longer, 18-month in-urn fermentation. Every day, these urn-full masses are laboriously turned by workers to facilitate the natural process that generates the exquisite flavor and taste of the pastes. By blending the two pastes in specific ratios, various Gong San Hot Bean Sauces are formulated for regional consumer preferences. For the American market, a chili/bean paste ratio of 5/5 or 6/4 is applied; for the customers in China and Taiwan, 4/6; for an enhanced reddish color, 6/4; and, for a strongly flavorful product, 4/6. The resulting mixture is then allowed additional 8 months of storage in ambient temperature to achieve their full aromatic and flavor development prior to packing for retail or institutional sales. Gong San Fermented Broad Bean Paste® is similar to its soybean counterpart. Instead of using soybeans for raw material, it started with cooked and hand-peeled broad beans for the fermentation. Under the stringent HACCP program with FDA oversights, these paste products are categorized as naturally fermented shelf stable items that are safe for use as condiment or for cooking.
Sichuan Style: Fermented Broad Bean Paste is produced using pre-cooked broad beans through fermentation. It's richly flavorful and a must-have for preparing Sichuan cuisines like braised fish.
Sweet Flour Paste: Sweet Flour Paste is made by inoculating crumbled wheat flour dough with proprietary culture yeasts, followed by an initial fermentation in a closed chamber before placing in large porcelain urns for 18 months under the sun. Despite its name, this paste contains no added sugar. It's a crucial ingredient in popular Chinese stir-fried pork and chicken dice dishes, as well as the flavoring sauce for sliced roasted duck meat in thin pancakes.
Sesame Paste or Black Sesame Paste: These pastes are crafted by stone-grinding regular or black sesame seeds after carefully controlled roasting. This process imparts highly aromatic and nutritious properties to the products.
Uncle Chen® (Vietnamese Style): Uncle Chen® Chili Sauce is made from select tree-ripe red chaotian chili peppers, preserving their vibrant color, enticing aroma, and high heat value through a proprietary process. Uncle Chen® Vietnamese Chili Garlic Sauce uses fresh chili peppers and garlic for extra-hot or regular graded products. Uncle Chen® Extra Hot and Regular Chili Sauce are popular among vegetarians, and Uncle Chen® Sriracha Chili Sauce, originally a Thai specialty condiment, is now produced at our California plant. It combines hot, sweet, and tart flavors, making it a beloved condiment in the U.S.
Oils
Sesame Oils: Our high-grade sesame oils start with the cleaning of sesame seeds, followed by strict temperature-monitored roasting and proprietary stone grinding into paste. Boiling water is poured onto the paste, mixed, and gently shaken in iron bowls for hours to separate oil from pulp. The surfaced oil is collected in holding tanks before packing for shipment. This unique technology gives UIF's sesame oil products a superb aroma and taste. Meiwei Sesame Oil is popular among American and East Asian customers for its mild flavor. Stone-ground Sesame Oil appeals to those who prefer the product's traditional characteristics. Black Sesame Oil is recommended for women who have recently given birth and the elderly, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). For gourmet chefs and discerning eaters, the premium 100% Pure Sesame Oil is the choice. Chinese Sesame Oil is preferred by the majority of consumers.
Spicy Oils: Chili oil is exceptionally spicy due to its high capsaicin content, commonly used in dishes like mapo tofu. Blending Chili Oil with Sesame Oil tempers its pungency and introduces an eloquent aroma, making Hot Sesame Oil a popular kitchen item for families and restaurants.
Seasonings & Spices
All raw materials for our seasonings and spices are stored at low temperatures before chopping, grinding, grading, sanitizing, and packaging to ensure the highest possible product safety and quality. These ingredients not only add flavor but can also suppress fishy odors, enhance appetites, and preserve food when used correctly in products or for cooking.
Mustard: Mature mustard seeds are ground into Mustard Flour, which can be mixed with water to create mustard paste or wasabi. Japanese Wasabi Powder is made from the roots rather than seeds.
Peppers: Whole peppercorns can be used in cooking or freshly ground for seasoning. Ground White Peppers and Black Peppers are ground into varying sieve sizes. White Pepper is made from soaked, de-hulled, and dried seeds, while Black Pepper retains its hull (and thus has a darker color). Black Pepper Powder can be pre-mixed with salt into Salted Pepper Shake for convenient home use, often sprinkled on chicken before frying.
Herbs and Spices: We offer a wide range of herbs, spices, and seasoning blends for home and restaurant use. Curry Powder, for instance, contains up to 20 different spices, including turmeric, cardamom, clove, fennel, cinnamon, pepper, chili, mint, and mustard. Ground Cumin masks raw fishy notes while enhancing meatiness. Meat Tenderizer contains natural papain, which breaks down tough meat muscles. Turmeric Powder is a natural colorant with antioxidant properties, found in curry and local specialties like Indonesian fried rice.
Chilies: Chilies are essential for differentiating cuisines worldwide. Chili products can be added to dishes for a stimulating "heat." Chinese Sichuan and Hunan cuisines, as well as Mexican and Thai foods, are known for this enticing quality. The potency of chili products is determined by their "heat value," so use caution when applying them in cooking or consuming them. Drying fresh chili peppers and crushing them into various-sized pieces results in long shelf life and convenience for cooking or hot-pot applications. For strongly pungent chili, our Cayenne Powder is favored by Sichuan chefs.
Dried Foods
Dried Mushrooms and Fungi: A diverse range of dried, edible fungi commonly found in Chinese groceries is carried by UIF. Dried mushrooms have a long shelf life and can be rehydrated in water or cut into various forms for cooking methods like stir-frying, steaming, braising, or stuffing to add nutrients, dietary fiber, and flavor to dishes. Flower Mushrooms are similar to shiitake but lighter in color with a slightly different flavor. Dried Lily Flowers, although categorized as a mushroom in grocery stores, are highly treasured as a health food ingredient besides their flavor-enhancing properties. Bamboo Fungus, grown in bamboo forests, becomes spongy and somewhat crunchy after rehydration, soaking up broth or gravy in dishes, making it particularly popular in soups or stews. Several types of wood ears are used in Chinese cuisine. Black Fungus is black and soft in texture, while another variety has a grayish underside pileus (cap) with a firm and crunchy texture. The latter also serves as an herbal Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) ingredient. White Fungus is commonly cooked with rock candy for dessert at home or in banquets.
Onions: Dried onions come in powder, granulated, or shredded forms for different applications. We also offer specialized Fried Onions for Taiwanese cuisines.
Garlics: Various forms of dried garlic products are available, including powder, granules, flakes, dices, and minced pieces.
Teas: Our Organic Green Tea is produced from tea bushes grown at certified organic plantations in Fujian, China, exclusively for UIF. Black tea, a favorite among Westerners, is fermented, resulting in a reddish brewed drink. We also carry Oolong Tea, Organic Jasmine Tea (with fragments of dried jasmine flower for fragrance), as well as Organic Green Tea Bags, Organic Black Tea Bags, Organic Oolong Tea Bags, and Organic Jasmine Tea Bags.
Seafood: Dried jellyfish is a delicacy for more adventurous eaters, available in two common types made from the tentacles or the body of the jellyfish. Rehydrated jellyfish tentacles are prized for their chewy, crunchy characteristics in cold dishes served with condiments. Dried Seaweeds and Dried Seaweed Strips are regularly included in the Asian diet. Soaked Dried Seaweeds are sometimes knotted and cooked in soups or stews with meat, while rehydrated Dried Seaweed Strips can be boiled, cooled, and used in cold dishes, or stir-fried with vegetables, meats, or noodles.