I found this to be fun when I spotted them in a local store. Not because of what it is; because of how the Chinese was mistranslated.
Female raisins?
The Chinese actually reads "Green Fragrance Concubine Raisins", which may seem to make even less sense, but does mean something sensible in Chinese culture.
It refers to the Chinese 'beauty', 楊貴妃 (yáng guì fēi), literally "Highest Ranking Imperial Consort". Born in the year 719, she was No. 1 consort to the Tang dynasty Emperor Xuanzong (685-762).
Many dishes are said to be her favourites, although there are so many that she must have been huge. In fact, she was described as 'large' or 'rotund', but standards of 'beauty' have changed.
Here is one 14th century depiction (public domain image) of her being helped onto a horse by a team of attendants.
Why the raisin company have mistranslated the Chinese remains a mystery although I'm not doubting that she was female. Perhaps they thought 'concubine' was too risqué for us sensitive foreigners.
P.S. Many years ago, I was taken to what was described to me as "Chairman Mao's favourite DVD store!"
