So I now know that a company called Donghua Jinlong Chemical produces food-grade glycine, which, as the company reminds us in a TikTok marketing video, is “suitable as a flavor enhancer, sweetener, and nutritional supplement.” Not only that, but it’s “also used in pickles, sweet sauces, soy sauce, vinegar and fruit juices to improve the taste.” And, as an added bonus, it’s a “well-known brand in big factories.” If that doesn’t get you ready to buy some Donghua Golden Dragon Food Grade Glycine, I’m not sure what I can do for you.
OK, edge Not only has he become the spokesperson of Donghua Golden Dragon. If you’ve seen any confusing food-grade glycine promotions on TikTok lately, this is a harmless meme originating from a marketing video posted by an industrial manufacturer of food additives that would likely be seen on any other platform wandering silently in dusty obscurity. Here is its origin:
Thanks to TikTok’s ever-exploring recommendation algorithm, which occasionally throws curveballs to see if you’ll take a bite, innocent attempts to promote a manufacturer’s product have turned into Donghua jokes imagining the future of internet meme research:
Mock stand-up with a heckler who hates Tung Wah Golden Dragon:
Stitches fakes fake beef and provides surprising primer on companies involved in glycine production:
An AI voice clone of famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses the work of Donghua Jinlong:
Of course, there’s also a video explaining the meme: