Five Foods to Try in Hong Kong
If your next business adventure takes you to Hong Kong, here are some local dishes you may want to check out.
Hong Kong is well known for its variety of mouth-watering dishes. You can find foods from around the world here, but mostly Chinese and Cantonese dishes. Much of the food has been influenced by the Western fare, such as bread, beef, pork steak and potatoes. But the true flavor of the city is Chinese. Listed are a few of the dishes you will definitely want to try when visiting Hong Kong.
Dim Sum:
Dim Sum means “point of the heart”. This comes from the tradition of sharing this dish with others. Dim Sum is actually small bite-sized portions of food that is placed in baskets or small dishes for everyone to share. This is an important ceremony that is held at the table, and is almost always accompanied by Yum Cha, which means to “drink tea”. Some families start this meal as early as five in the morning. It is a morning dish, and is not served after 3:00 in the afternoon. Dim sum can be pot stickers, shrimp dumplings, BBQ pork buns, veggie dumplings, and many other varieties.
Wife Cake:
Also called a sweetheart cake, this Chinese pastry has many legends about where it came from. The flaky crust of this cake is made of winter melon, almond paste and sesame and is flavored with Chinese spices. The filling is basically made of sugar and flour. You can find wife cakes at basically any regular food eatery.
Seafood:
The seafood in Hong Kong is possibly the best you’ve ever had. You know they are fresh since there are tanks of live fish everywhere. Not to mention live scallops, crabs, oysters and clams. You can choose your dish and get it cooked to perfection. Cantonese chefs are masters at preparing fresh, live seafood. The waterfront dining eateries are abundant, so you can choose the location that suits you for your fabulous seafood meal.
Char Siu:
Also known as a crispy fried meat, or barbecued pork, this is a very popular item in Hong Kong. The meat is usually pork belly, pork loin or pork butt. Other meats can be used, but pork is the normal. Char Siu literally means “fork burn/roast”. This is what is done with the meat after it is placed on skewers. The meat is seasoned with many different flavors, and cooked in an oven or over a fire to bring out the taste. If you visit Hong Kong you will see these meats usually hanging in the windows of the restaurants and shops to entice you to purchase them to take home and cook yourself.
French Toast:
If you love breakfast, and you love French toast, you have got to try Hong Kong’s version. This is French toast like you’ve never tasted before. First the bread is spread with peanut butter. Then the slices are soaked in the egg batter and fried in butter. So maybe it isn’t the healthiest thing you will eat, but it will definitely be the most delicious.