Jing Jing Nutrifood: Bringing Research, Tradition and Food Together
When members of the Middlesex-London Food Policy Council were invited to visit Jing Jing Nutrifood Ltd, we expected to learn more about the business, its products and its work with ginseng.
What we experienced was much more personal.
Jing Jing Nutrifood Ltd. was founded by Dr. Ed Lui with a focus on bringing together science, nature and traditional knowledge. Its work has centred on American ginseng and the development of foods and beverages such as tea, coffee, kombucha, chocolate, soup and other value-added products. Today, Jing Jing also operates a manufacturing facility at The Grove at Western Fair District, along with a market and eatery at 85 York Street in downtown London. Sudeep Pathak, who is both a member of MLFPC and a Quality Assurance Technician with Jing Jing Nutrifood, also joined us for the visit. It was a nice example of the kinds of connections that exist within our local food system.
At the eatery, that work comes together through food. Jing Jing offers Asian and East-West fusion dishes, with an emphasis on natural ingredients, quality, seasonality and local sourcing where possible.
A warm welcome around the table
Dr. Ed Lui and the Jing Jing team welcomed us into the restaurant and invited us to sit together around Dr. Lui’s large round table. The table itself seemed to reflect the spirit of Jing Jing. It was a place for conversation, sharing food and learning from one another.
From the beginning, we felt genuinely cared for and welcomed.
Dr. Lui spoke with an energy and enthusiasm that was hard to miss. His conversation moved easily between his family history, traditional knowledge, his life’s work as a researcher, agriculture, food production and the challenge of turning research into something that can actually reach people.
A story rooted in family and research
For Dr. Lui, the history of Jing Jing begins with his family.
“It came from my grandfather’s product name,” he shared. “The original company is 100 years old… I want to pick up the same concept.”
That history is now woven together with decades of research. Dr. Lui is Professor Emeritus at Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry and has spent much of his career studying ginseng and natural health products.
But research, he explained, is only one part of the process.
“There’s often a gap between research and how you actually bring something to people.”
Closing that gap has required him to learn far beyond his original fields of pharmacy and pharmacology.
“That’s why I’ve always valued an interdisciplinary approach… I learned agriculture. I learned the business side, marketing, all the other stuff. I’m learning every day.”
That broad perspective came through again and again during our conversation. Dr. Lui spoke about the connections between growers, researchers, manufacturers, universities and government. He described Jing Jing as a “vertical value chain” that brings research, manufacturing, sales and distribution together.
Ginseng is central to much of this work. Jing Jing uses Ontario-grown ginseng and has explored ways of incorporating it into foods and beverages alongside other ingredients.
Making ginseng approachable through food
One of the challenges, Dr. Lui explained, is taste. Ginseng has a strong, earthy flavour.
“How do you make it have broader exposure to the population?” he asked.
For Jing Jing, part of that answer is food.
“Now you don’t have to [have] the earthy taste. That’s why it tastes good. It’s very important.”
We had the chance to experience that ourselves.
A meal prepared with care
The Jing Jing team had prepared a beautiful and generous meal for our visit.
The first dish we tried was a warm, rich soup. It was deeply comforting and set the tone for what followed. More dishes continued to arrive at the table, served by members of the Jing Jing team with warmth and care. There were steamed buns and dumplings, beautifully arranged shared plates, mushrooms and other dishes influenced by Chinese, Korean and other culinary traditions. Dr. Lui talked us through many of the foods, including a ginseng chicken dish inspired by a traditional Korean preparation.
The round table made the meal feel naturally communal. Dishes were placed in the centre and shared as the conversation continued. Nothing felt rushed.
What stayed with us was the amount of thought behind the meal.
The food was truly delicious, but it also felt nourishing in a broader sense. There was history in it, culture in it, and a sense that the people preparing and serving it cared deeply about quality and about what they were sharing with us.
Dr. Lui did not talk about Jing Jing from only one perspective. His stories brought together his grandfather, his research career, traditional food practices, agriculture and the practical work of developing foods that people will actually enjoy.
The meal made those connections easier to understand.
Learning, collaboration and community
Jing Jing’s Market and Eatery reflects that same mix of influences, offering Chinese and Asian dishes, fusion foods, and vegetarian and vegan options.
The Food Champion nomination also highlighted Jing Jing’s involvement in education, workshops and collaborations with academic and research institutions.
We left feeling grateful for the time the Jing Jing team had taken with us and for the care they put into welcoming us.
Visit Jing Jing
If you are curious about Jing Jing, one of the best ways to learn more is to experience the food for yourself.
Their Market and Eatery is located at 85 York Street in downtown London. The menu brings together Asian and East-West fusion dishes, with a strong focus on quality ingredients and thoughtful preparation.
We were fortunate to be welcomed around the table and to try such a wide variety of dishes. The food was truly delicious, and the experience gave us a much deeper understanding of the history, research, culture and care behind Jing Jing.
