Yummy Food in Hong Kong

Hong Kong (香港) is a special administrative region of the PR China.Located on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea,it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour. It is one of the world's leading financial centers. Besides, it is also a top international destination. Hong Kong is frequently described as a place where "East meets West", reflecting the culture's mix of the territory's Chinese roots with the culture brought to it during its time as a British colony. This is also reflected on its food culture. Many visitors came to Hong Kong just for the food: there are abundant yummy dishes and snacks!If you are visiting Hong Kong, be sure to try these:

1.Sweetheart/ Wife Cake (老婆饼)

A sweetheart cake or wife cake is a traditional Chinese pastry that with thin skin made from flour and inside with winter melon, almond paste, sesame and pork lard etc. There are also modern Wife Cake that with various inside like jam. Sweetheart cake is the literal translation of Low Paw Bang from Cantonese dialect. The sweetheart cake has a long history and there are different versions of stories behind the name.The origin of the cake is about about how a husband loves his wife and makes this cake to show his thankfulness and love. It is still popular among many in Hong Kong and Mainland China. The traditional British Eccles cake is similar in appearance and flavour to the sweetheart cake, though its filling is currants.




2.Barbecued pork bun (叉烧包, Pinyin: chā shāo bāo):

It is called cha siu baau in Cantonese and the buns are filled with barbecue-flavoured cha siu pork. "Cha siu" refers to the pork filling; the word "bau" simply means "bun." They are served as a type of snacks during afternoon tea time. There are two major kinds of cha siu bau: steamed and baked. Steamed cha siu bau has a white exterior, while its baked counterpart is browned and glazed. Although visually similar to other types of steamed bun, the dough of steamed cha siu bau is unique since it makes use of both yeast and baking powder as leavening. This unique mix of leavening gives the dough of cha siu bau the texture of a slightly dense, but fine soft bread.Encased in the center of the bun, there is tender, sweet, slow-roasted pork tenderloin called cha siu. The char siu is diced, and then mixed into a syrupy mixture of oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, roasted sesame seed oil, rice vinegar, shaoxing wine or dry sherry, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch.



3. Chinese Radish Cake (萝卜糕 luó bo gāo)

This is another traditional snack during afternoon tea time. It is usually cut into square-shaped slices and sometimes pan-fried before serving. It is made of shredded Chinese radish and plain rice flour. It can be steamed or fried: fried cake has a thin crunchy layer on the outside from frying, and soft on the inside. The steamed version is soft overall.The key ingredients are Chinese radish and rice flour, additional ingredients include ham, carrots, fried shrimp etc.




4. Wonton noodles (云吞面）

Wonton noodle is very popular in Hong Kong. Basically it is Wonton mixed with noodles, vegetables, serving in a hot soup. Wonton is similar to dumpling that has a wrap made from flour and inside such as shrimp, pork mince and vegetables. The noodles are usually smooth thin noodles. The Wonton is cooked first, and then placed in a bowl. The noodles are put in hot water for only 10 seconds,and then rinsed under cold water and place in the same bowl with wonton. The aim is to get rid of the "noodley" taste and make it al dente. Finally hot soup is scooped into the bowl.



5. Hong Kong-style milk tea （丝袜奶茶）

Hong Kong-style milk tea is a beverage originating from Hong Kong. It consists of black tea sweetened with evaporated milk, and is usually part of an afternoon meal in Hong Kong tea culture. Although originating from Hong Kong, it is also frequently found overseas in restaurants serving Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style western cuisine. Hong Kong-style milk tea originates from British colonial period. The British practice of afternoon tea, where black tea is served with milk and sugar, grew popular in Hong Kong. Milk tea is similar, except with evaporated or condensed milk instead of ordinary milk. The use of condensed milk instead of milk and sugar, gives the tea a richer feel.

To make the tea, water and tea are simmered for about 3-6 minutes. The tea is usually put in a sackcloth bag before the water is added to the pot to filter it out. The key feature of Hong Kong-style milk tea is that a sackcloth bag is used to filter the tea leaves. As a result of repeated use, the bag becomes brown color and together with the shape of the filter, it looks like a pantyhose, giving Hong Kong-style milk tea the nickname of "pantyhose" or "silk stocking" milk tea (丝袜奶茶). This nickname is used in Hong Kong but less so in mainland China and overseas communities.




6. Sweet and Sour Pork (咕嚕肉)

Since Hong Kong is close to Guangdong province,its food culture is greatly influenced by Cantonese cuisine. Sweet and Sour Pork is a very popular dish in Cantonese cuisine and it is also very popular in Chinese restaurants oversea. As demonstrated in its name, the dish tastes both sweet and sour. Its main ingredients include frying pork, sugar, rice vinegar, ketchup, and soysouce. Different kinds of vegetables and fruit can also be added such as peppers, carrots and pineapples. The unique part of this dish is the balance of sweet and sour.