Yan Yan’s innovations in snacks are all fruits of the Chuas’ dedication and love for eating and cooking

TO this day, Lito Chua still serves as agent and bodegero of his growing food business.

As cliché as it sounds, hard work makes the dream work.

Since 2003, food manufacturer Yan Yan International Philippines Inc. has been redefining and incorporating authentic Filipino flavors into a variety of local snacks.

Lito Chua, president of Yan Yan International Philippines Inc., has an astute understanding of the Filipino cuisine. This is why from Lumpia Shanghai, Cheep Chips, Koolers and Quench Juice drinks, King Corn, Karoke, Melles Butter Cheese Loaf breads — Yan Yan has been a staple hit in many Filipino households.

“I love Filipino food,” Lito said. “(When we started the company) I went to a lot of restaurants, diners and even the carinderias to understand what the Filipino loved. My wife and I also love to cook. We have always known that food will be an important part of the Filipino’s grocery list. We really tried to understand what the Filipino liked eating, and we continue to do so, up to today.”

They, too, are in with the salted egg craze.

Yan Yan’s innovations in snacks are all fruits of the Chuas’ dedication and love for eating and cooking. All products go through Lito and Melissa first for a taste review.

“Since 1997, nothing has changed,” the enterprising Lito shared. From five in the morning, the couple starts working at home, stocking and preparing all boxes of their products to export to the stores. Lito would travel from store to store to distribute the products. He has been the agent and bodegero when it comes to stocks, while Melissa has been in charge of the financial side of the business from the beginning.

“You never stop learning but continue to improve your products,” he continues. “That applies to your research and development, your packaging, your pricing. You always meet the customer where he is, and do your best to give him what he needs and wants.”

Asked to define the secret to Yan Yan’s continuous success, Lito shared that there is no secret. “We are not successful yet; we’re just at the beginning. Sipag lang (just hard work), th ere’s nothing more,” he said.

From the start, he and Melissa have been working hard to establish their business. He said all of their sacrifices are for the future of their children.

This chocolate bar is named after their son.

Yan Yan claims to have been the first to introduce corn chips with salted egg flavor in the country, with the launch of Wackie Corn Chips in 2017.

“I have traveled to a lot of cities before and once, while I was in the middle of finding the (right flavor for) corn chips, I just realized how salted egg and corn chips are best together,” Lito shared.

Besides their salted egg flavor, Wackie Corn Chips comes in cheese, wasabi, hot chili, turkey and BBQ variants. To ensure richness in taste, all ingredients are organic and go through state-of-the-art machines.

“For our salted egg flavor, we use real salted eggs,” the Yan Yan boss said. “We invest in the quality of our products. We go out of the way to source the best ingredients, find the best technology that processes the food and ensure that they are safe, healthy and fun to eat.”

Another Yan Yan favorite is Harry’s Chocolates, which is named after their youngest son. These bars come in three flavors: dark chocolate, milk chocolate and milk chocolate with rice crispies.

You can find Wackie Corn Chips and Harry Chocolate Bars at 7 Eleven, Mini Stop, Alfa Mart, All Day, Puregold, SM Supermarket, SM Snack Exchange, SM Hypermarket, South Supermarket, Isetann, Landmark, Super 8, SRS, Cash and Carry, Unitop, Unimart, Hi Top and Budget King. Yan Yan has also been exporting Wackie Corn Chips and Harry Chocolate Bars to other countries.

You can find them on Facebook harrychocolate ph; WackieCornChips; YanYan Food Company and on their website www.yanyaninternational.com.