Web goes nuts over Xinjiang cake store

A Uyghur college student is making a mint along with two Han Chinese classmates selling traditional Xinjiang nut cakes online thanks to a little push from a recent food documentary.

The store has reportedly raked in 100,000 yuan ($16,038) a day on taobao.com, China's largest online shopping platform, ever since the tasty snack was featured on the hit culinary series A Bite of China in early May, the news portal sina.com reported on Friday.

While the densely-layered cakes are renowned for their rich flavor, the street vendors who hawk them enjoy a less than savory reputation.

Dubbed the "cakes with sky-high prices" among Han Chinese, sellers of the sweet treat are known to bully customers into buying large chunks for exorbitant amounts.

Adili Maimaititure, the 23-year-old proprietor and student at Changsha University of Science and Technology, said he opened the store in order to help renew people's appreciation for the traditional food.

Along with classmates Jiang Jinya and Jiang Chunyang, the students attribute the success of their booming nut cake business to authentic taste, good quality and above all - fair prices.

Net Users praised the students for their entrepreneurial spirit, while some noted how the business demonstrates ethnic unity.