Innovation pays off for old, honored brands

The cakes are being marketed due to a collaboration between Beijing Youli, a platform that gathers and promotes historical brands in the city, and Bon Cake, a pastry brand that targets younger consumers.

Chen, who bought the cakes out of curiosity, said: "These traditional food brands have been around since I was a child. Now, I can sample them in the new form of cake."

She said her first taste of Peking duck-flavored cake was a little weird and something she had never experienced before.

"It was a bit salty initially, but then a light sweetness emerged and predominated. It packed a punch, and I couldn't resist taking a second and third bite," she added.

Chen said she was also attracted by cake featuring sugarcoated haws on a stick and black sesame.

The launch of the distinctive cakes is part of efforts by the local authorities to revitalize time-honored brands in Beijing.

Shang Xiping, president of major domestic retailer Wangfujing Group, which founded the Beijing Youli platform last year with the Beijing Tourism Group, said: "These brands are the city's business card. They carry its history and people's memories, as well as cultural heritage that can be passed on in a fast-changing world."

However, many such brands have not responded well to new retail methods and have failed to win the recognition they have gained from members of the older generation.