The regional industry cannot play its role properly if it does not rely on the raw materials available in the region. It is because the purpose of the development of regional industry is to meet the demand of the people in each region by its own efforts with the abundant raw materials in it.

The developing regional industry in the DPRK was given a high profile at the national foodstuff exhibition-2025 held at the Pyongyang Underground Store in March.

At the exhibition distinctive products made with locally available raw materials drew the attention of many visitors.

Especially popular were the products of the Jangjasan General Foodstuff Factory in Jagang Province.

The factory presented more than 1 200 pieces of natural health foods in 50-odd kinds. Among them teas, honeys and edible herbs were in great demand.

Typical teas were barrenwort tea, Crataegus pinnatifida fruit tea and cassias seed tea. Regular drinking of barrenwort tea helps people strengthen their bodies, invigorates them and retards ageing. Especially, it is effective against various diseases including amnesia, menopausal disorders, neurasthenia, sex hormone disorders and quadriplegia. Crataegus pinnatifida fruit teas help prevent heart diseases as they are good for the treatment of hypertension, hyperlipemia, senile arteriosclerosis and blood circulation disorders. Cassias seed teas help stabilize blood pressure, improves eyesight and are efficacious against constipation.

Wild honeys gathered from the virgin forests of Mt Oga in Jagang Province were also in demand as they were of high nutritive value with the rich content of various nutritive substances including glucose, fructose, enzymes, vitamins, minerals and antibiotics and highly efficacious for medical use.

Dried Lentinus edodes, dried agaric, dried earshaped mushroom, dried fern, dried aralia shoots and dried Codonopsis lanceolata were also popular among the elderly.

The booth of the Hamhung Condiments Factory was a crowd-puller, especially housewives.

“I am very proud of the products of my factory, which were very much popular among the visitors during the exhibition,” said Ri Song Ok from the factory. According to its manager, in recent years the factory has newly formed the group of technical personnel with a goal of developing basic foodstuffs and developed various kinds of basic foodstuffs with agricultural products produced at its own raw materials base.

The fermented soybean paste and various kinds of peppered bean paste added with garlic, spices and sesame recently developed by it are the favourite products of many people. Among them bean paste for vegetable- or laver-wrapped rice can be used as a side dish or seasoning for cooking various kinds of dishes like cold dishes.

The Sinpho Fishery Station and other processed marine products production units presented over 30 kinds of pickled dishes including pickled cod, pickled shellfish, salted pollack entrails, pickled flatfish and salted squid.

The Sinpho Canned Fish Factory exhibited various kinds of fish cakes and many canned fishes including canned mackerel, sardine and tuna to gain in massive popularity.

The Paekhaksan General Foodstuff Processing Factory presented Paekhwa liquor natural in colour with the delightful blend of fragrances and flavours of a hundred kinds of flowers. And the Sariwon Winery exhibited red wine that keeps the unique flavour and aroma of grapes.