ONE of China’s longest established food brands in Tianjin Municipality has adopted an English name, “Go Believe,” which sounds like its famous Chinese brand name Goubuli.

Tianjin Goubuli Group Corp., a 150-year-old stuffed-bun producer, has started putting up signs with the English name up at its outlets.

“The English name sounds similar with the Chinese name, and it is positive and meaningful by highlighting the honesty of the company,” Zhang Yansen, chairman of the group’s board.

“We hope it can be better understood and trusted by foreign guests,” he added.

The name Goubuli literally means “a dog wouldn’t care for it.”

Many Internet users, however, criticized the English name.

“The phrase ‘go believe’ is grammatically wrong. And It’s hard to connect the superficial name with the century-old famous name,” an anonymous Internet user said. “I think the name fails to communicate the real culture of the cuisine. Considering the similar pronunciation, ‘Go bullish’ is much better.”

The Goubuli brand first appeared in 1858 and there are various explanations for the name. The most popular one has it that a poor village boy nicknamed “Gouzai (puppy)” went to Tianjin and began apprenticing at a food shop at 14. Years later he started his own business of steamed stuffed buns.

Each bun has 15 wrinkles and looks like a chrysanthemum. Soft and delicious, the bun soon attracted numerous customers.

Gouzai became very busy at the shop and had no time to speak with customers, who complained “Gouzai sells buns but does not speak to people.” The saying was then shortened to Goubuli, which means “Gouzai does not speak to people.”(Xinhua)