See The Best Of Hong Kong Cuisine

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

The tourist who came to Hong Kong is left with the impression that the food is everywhere and is eaten all day. If you walk the streets of the city, you will find yourself in a charming maze of shops, snack bars, family restaurants and miniature markets. The food offered on the streets by chefs with only one wok is mostly from Canton Province, with a generous dose of Sichuan influence.

The new territories

Probably the most authentic Hong Kong cuisine is the one you find not in the city itself, but in the territories of the continent, which the British government rents from China to feed the growing population. A short train ride takes you to a bizarre village, strange to the eyes of a European, planted on a concrete foundation and surrounded by fine wire mesh, but there you can taste the real Hong Kong food in the company of Chinese families enjoying the ritual of eating..

Dim sum

This is a typical local dish prepared in a traditional way. The typical way of cooking in this part of the Far East can be achieved only with a simple cutting board, which also serves to knead dough, and with a few bamboo baskets for steaming.

Products

Located on the south coast of China, Hong Kong naturally embraces the ideas of Canton Province, but is not immune to the influences of other Chinese regions. Rice is the main food, and fresh seafood, fruits and vegetables must be on the menu.

Dried products

Dried foods are popular in Hong Kong and are used primarily for flavoring. Dried mushrooms are most often used. Some, such as black mushrooms, have a unique aroma, while others are added for thickening in some meat dishes. Fresh seafood is abundant along the coast, but dried is added for flavor in soups, fried and baked dishes, as well as in fillings. Dried shrimp are especially popular and are found everywhere.

Fruits and vegetables

South China has rich agricultural areas, so Hong Kong eats a lot of tropical fruits and vegetables. Leafy vegetables are especially preferred. There are some types of mustard seeds that are served in soups and fried dishes and are sometimes marinated. Chinese cauliflower is used fried or simply blanched.

Tropical fruits - oranges, bananas, peaches, pineapples, mangoes and lychees - give a refreshing note to the typical Hong Kong desserts.

Soy cheese

Made from soybeans, it is a great food for Hong Kong residents. The beans are ground, mixed with a little water and boiled briefly, and then the mixture is allowed to harden. Soy cheese is made in several varieties, dried or fermented. It is offered mainly on pies. Use it grated or cut into pieces as an addition to soups, fried, baked or stewed dishes.

Techniques and tips

Cooking techniques, with the exception of large hotels where cooking is European, are mostly Chinese. The wok is the main tool and can be used to cook in several ways. It was invented about 200 years ago and is the most useful and multifunctional cooking appliance in Chinese and Thai cuisine. Its rounded shape allows several cooking methods.

Wolves are made of iron or carbon steel, with one or two handles. They come in different sizes, but the deep one is the most comfortable. Avoid thin-walled, because in them the food burns.

Tigani Walk

Because they are not protected from rust, it is important that they are always well lubricated. The new wok is first washed with protective grease. Grease with oil and heat for 10 minutes. Wipe with plenty of paper towels until completely clean. After use, wash only with water. Dry it well and keep it smeared with a thin layer of oil.

Steaming is another popular cooking method because food retains its aroma, especially if it is completely fresh. Bamboo pots can stack on top of each other in a wok, depending on how many dishes you want to cook at once. Pour water or broth into the wok, put the food in the cooking pot and cover with a knitted lid.

Frying in a lot of oil is also done in a wok, but only if the dish is stable enough. The best result is obtained with oil heated to 180 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer, put a cube of bread in the oil - it should brown in 60 seconds.

Fast frying is the most popular method because it requires little time and a lot of fat and allows the food to remain crispy and fragrant. The wok is the most suitable appliance for this purpose because it is deep, holds more products and allows vigorous stirring and even cooking.

Crispy vegetables

Food for steaming, quick frying or frying in a lot of oil is generally cut into small and equal pieces, so that all products are prepared at the same time. Therefore, vegetables remain crispy and green, with maximum vitamin content, seafood is tender, and pieces of chicken or beef remain juicy.

Speed and experience

The most remarkable thing about professional Chinese or Hong Kong chefs is the speed with which food is prepared. They stand in front of a row of burning gas stoves, each with a giant wok, with faucets on the wall behind them to wash the woks without leaving their jobs. There are also drainage channels.

Behind them are lined cutting boards (in the old kitchens stumps were used for this purpose, in the new ones - tables), on which other chefs cut the products with huge Chinese choppers. They are used to cut fresh onions, cabbage and carrots, to debone chickens and to chop meat.

Sometimes they cut with two choppers at the same time, and with incredible speed. This method is very good for cutting thin strips of meat and for chopping. The noise in the kitchens is indescribable, the waiters shout, the gas flames crack, the fat bursts, the choppers hit the boards, the cold water boils, meeting the hot metal.