A middle-aged British man who became an unlikely sensation on Chinese social media and added a new item to the Chinese vocabulary for his lunch sandwiches passed away on Wednesday, his family said.
According to an update on his family’s social media accounts, the man known by the single name Keith, but known as the “Dry Old Uncle” among his over 1 million followers, died from bone cancer.
The account announces Keith’s passing on Wednesday.
Keith rose to fame through videos posted by his wife, a native of northeast China. These videos featured him cutting whole-wheat bread as he made avocado toast or a tomato sandwich and garnered millions of likes across platforms.
These meals became known as “dry lunch” or 干巴 in Chinese and Keith himself as the “dry old uncle.” The videos have become a source of both amusement and disbelief for Chinese viewers.
“One bite of this after work, and I’ll be scarred for life” was one comment, which was liked 127,000 times.
The videos led to a wave of memes, celebrating his seemingly tasteless diet with phrases including “Eat the dry old bread, spread the dry old butter, and become the dry old uncle.”
The trend is spreading offline as well. In Chinese supermarkets such as Hema, “dry shopping areas” now offer items including bread and baguettes for people to create their own “dry lunches” at home. Cafes are also using the phrase to market their European-style breads and sandwiches.
The Chinese phrase “干巴” is used to describe Western-style sandwiches, particularly in the eyes of Chinese people who find them dry, tasteless, and too simple to be a full meal. This contrasts with the typical Chinese meal that includes a variety of dishes like rice, vegetables, meat, and soup.
However, “干巴” also carries a positive implication of being healthy, with fewer sauces and lower calories. As a result, these simpler meals have gained popularity, especially among those who are dieting or seeking lighter food options.
On August 27, the account updated to announce that Keith had not been feeling well and had gone to a hospital in the United Kingdom for a medical check-up. It revealed that he had been diagnosed with bone cancer.
From 2022, Keith’s wife began documenting their daily family life and sharing it online, saying she wanted to show netizens “the different food cultures abroad and the most authentic experience of an international marriage.” The account was named “Chinese-British Couple (British Dry Old Uncle and Auntie from China’s northeast).”
Many netizens were saddened by the news of “dry old uncle’s” passing, with comments including “It feels like losing an old friend,” and “May he rest in peace” flooding the family’s Douyin account.