I was talking to a colleague at work the other day about our travels. When I told him I’m not a big fan of burn-your-tongue-off over the top spicy food, he raised his eyebrows in surprise and said “Oh, that’s strange because most Chinese food are spicy am I right?” This seems to be a recurring conversation so I think I’ll spell it out. China is a vast country. Hong Kong, being in the south and right next to the sea, celebrates its food (lots of seafood) with fresh flavours, and not a lot of spice. Also, after being a British colony for a century, we took on a lot of western influence and developed a unique type of food that cannot be found in mainland China. Here I introduce you to some of Hong Kong’s must-tries.
1. Dim Sum
Little dishes to be enjoyed with family and friends in restaurants, mainly in the morning or lunchtime, the phrase “let’s go yum cha (literally translate ‘drink tea’)” is also an invitation for a catch up amongst friends. Luk Yu Tea House is one of the oldest and well-known place for dim sum.
2. Pineapple buns
Unlike the name suggests, pineapple buns do not contain any pineapple. It gained its name with its sweet crinkled topping. They are served in all local cafes/bakeries and eaten at breakfast time or for afternoon tea. Sometimes it’s served with a think slap of butter, it’s not the healthiest bun but it’s definitely the tastiest.
3. Fish Balls
Now, stop your sniggering. Fish balls are the symbol of Hong Kong street food. Cheap and cheerful, slathered with curry sauce and served in skewers, it can be found on most street corners. It’s a paste of fish, seasoning and flour. It is then pounded until the bouncy texture is reached. You want to throw it on the floor and it bounces back like a ping pong ball. I know this is weird to foreign palettes, but the quality of a fish ball is measured on the bounciness of it. The best place to try fish balls is in Aberbeen.
So there you have it, my top 3 Hong Kong food items. I could go on but I think I’ll save the rest for a part II. If you’re heading Hong Kong way please give them a try, none of these are available in your local Chinese takeaway! 🙂
P.S. This post is inspired by giffgaff’s International Campaign, it’s about finding the best places to visit when you set off on an adventure. As a frequent traveller myself I’m forever searching for local’s tips when I go somewhere new. I think this is a really interesting campaign and I hope you find my information useful and don’t forget to check out other tips from the campaign!
