Relax with Ma’s stories over tea and snacks with us.

Numa cofounder, Jane, shares her thoughts on doing business with her daughter and as a first-generation immigrant. Tune in for stories and snippets of wisdom - these stories have been minimally edited in order to keep her authentic voice.

In honor of Mother’s day, my mom has recounted the personal backstory of our candies, which have been rooted in our family for many generations. Read on to learn more about us! - Joyce (Nu)

——————————

Mother's Day is coming, happy Mother’s Day for all mothers!

Our product’s recipe was from my grandmother. My mother pass it to me and I pass it to Joyce - this candy recipe carries four generation’s stories.

I never saw my grandmother, she passed away at a very young age, it was one of my childhood regrets that I didn’t have grandparents, but I can feel my grandmother from the candies that my mother made for me because these candies were my mother’s childhood candies, my grandmother made for her as well. 

"The candies meant my mother did some great things which made my grandmother very happy.”

I can imagine how difficult it was for my grandmother to send my mother to school at that period of time, so my grandmother was very strict to my mother. My mother told me  that she only felt warmth from grandmother when she made these candies for my mother. The candies meant my mother did some great things which made my grandmother very happy.  

My mother was one of a few women who graduated from college during her period of time. She married my father, my father respects my mother, I guess my mother fulfilled her mother's wish. Because my mother benefited from the education she always told me that I need to study hard, I had to go to college, so I can have a good life.

I was born in Shanghai before China opened the door to the world, so China was still poor at that time. Getting into college would change people's lives, it means a good job, good income and these will bring you a good husband, otherwise you will go to a factory or don’t have a job. 

“I remember I was so nervous when I took the college admission exam, I was sent to the hospital…”

But getting into college was not an easy thing at all, only 1 out of 100 had a chance to get in, so the competition was extremely high and you only had a short time. I remember I was so nervous when I took the college admission exam, I was sent to the hospital by my parents in the morning to get a cool down shortly before taking the exams. 

God blessed me, I got into a college, and  like my mother’s wish, after college I got an excellent job, and married a nice man. I remember my mother spent a whole day making these candies, she was so happy that I got into a college, so sent all the candies to her friends, neighbors etc. so these candies weren’t only good taste but also represented a mother's love.

“…these candies weren’t only good taste but also represented a mother's love.”

When I married, my husband was sent to the USA for his PHD degree by his college because he was a top student. My daughter Joyce was born in the USA and I also made these candies for her. 

Joyce has immune system problems, the all-natural food helps her recover, she loves these candies so much that she wanted to introduce these candies to others, so we decided to open a business, we made our company name “Numa”, it means daughter and mother in Chinese. 

“These Numa candies carried four generations of stories…”

These Numa candies carry four generations of stories, my grandmother to my mother, my mother to me, I to my daughter, in future will be my daughter to her daughter, through these candies, it carried each generation stories and different dramas from each generation.  

My grandmother wanted to my mother can go to school and marries someone who can respect her, my mother wished me to go to the best college and get a best life. I wish my daughter have a happy life, and can have capabilities to give back. 

- From Jane (Ma)