A life of luxury, totally made in China

China not only consumes, it also produces some of the swankiest goods around

As China's wealth grows, so does the Chinese hunger for luxury.

LV bags breed on shopping streets all around the country. Other Western luxury brands race to conquer the hearts and wallets of Chinese consumers. 

But there's no need to go for international luxury goods. China has its own luxury brands and products.

Eat: Oceanus abalone and Black Pearl caviar

No Chinese banquet can be called luxurious without abalone. One of the “great sea tastes” in China’s culinary tradition, abalone is said to have proven aphrodisiac effects -- something of the Eastern equivlent of oysters.

A local champion is Oceanus, which harvests full-sized abalone on the coasts of Fujian Province. Abalone retail price peak at RMB 2,000 (US$310) per jin (500 grams).

More cross-cultural is Black Pearl caviar. Obtained from sturgeons splashing in the limpid waters of the Yangtze River in Hubei province, Black Pearl Caviar is slowly replacing pork jerky as a preferred snack in trendy KTV parlors.

It reportedly goes splendidly with cognac, but the autarkic can eat it with a flute of Changyu (张裕) sparkling wine reserve. A 30-gram tin costs around RMB 900 (US$140).

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Oceanus abalone, Tongchuang Lu Shanghai Fish Market, No. 5, 187 Tongchuan Lu, near Caoyang Lu 铜川路187号5号商铺, 近曹杨路,  +86 21 3225 0701, open 24 hours, www.oceanus.com.sg

Black Pearl caviar, Hilton Hotel penthouse bar, No. 250 Huashan Lu, near Yan'an Xi Lu 华山路250号, 近延安西路, +86 21 6248 0000, 6 p.m.-2 a.m., www.blackpearlcaviar.com

Drink: Wuliangye and Maotai

To many, China evokes images of cheap booze, packaged in plastic tanks or ready-to-down sealed cups.

The country is, nonetheless, home to some of the world’s priciest liquor.

Wuliangye (五粮液) is produced with a secret five-grain recipe hailing back to the Song Dynasty. Bottles range from RMB 300 (US$47) to RMB 1,300.

The more profligate, however, will be interested in so-called "special editions," costing up to RMB 280,00 (US$43,750).

Equally exorbitant is Maotai (茅台), a spirit so popular among upper cadre types that the saying goes, “No Maotai, no government approval.”

Prices have quadrupled in the past five years to US$200 a bottle, yet older brews can be auctioned for up to RMB 1.46 million (US$228,000).

Foreigners may find the taste similar to inexpensive cousin Erguotou (二锅头). However, a discerning palate is precisely what distinguishes those more attuned to the luxurious things in life.

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Wuliangye and Moutai, Shanghai First Food Store, 720 Nanjing Dong Lu, near Guizhou Lu, 南京东路720号, 近贵州路, +86 21 6322 2777, 9.30 a.m.-10 p.m., www.wuliangye.com.cn, www.moutaichina.com