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The practice of serving chewy instant noodles with other ingredients, such as fried chicken steak and chopped scallion seems to have originated in Hong Kong in the 1970s. It’s a fast, convenient and tasty meal that is strongly associated with the city.
Authentic Lou Ding. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com
If you don’t like to be limited by a menu, cart noodles are the best choice for you as you can mix and match the ingredients. This started as a street hawker meal in the 1950s. The ability to choose the number and types of ingredients offered an inexpensive meal.
You can choose your own ingredients to put in your noodle. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com
The most common types of noodles in Hong Kong are made from rice or eggs and flour. They are prepared in a staggeringly huge amount of ways, but stir-frying them is one of the most popular cooking methods. Stir-fried noodles with beef is one of the most common renditions of noodles in this style.
Stir-fried beef noodles. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com
Traditionally, bite-sized wontons (a kind of Chinese dumpling) are served in an aromatic stock with noodles that are springy to the bite. Ideally, the wontons will be filled 70 per cent with shrimp and 30 per cent with pork.
You can enjoy the famous wonton noodle on your tour. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com
Rice noodles are often served in soup with beef balls or fish balls. Cantonese meat and fish balls differ from their Western counterparts in texture. Instead of mincing, the meat is pounded until it is pulverised, giving them a smooth texture.
Authentic fish ball rice noodle. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com
From Chaozhou in Guangdong province, Chiu Chow people have brought their distinct dialect and cuisine to Hong Kong. The difference can be seen in their fresh-seafood renditions of congee, such as the baby oyster congee. Chiu Chow congee is made tender and fragrant by covering it and letting it stand for about half an hour after it is cooked.
A bowl of Chiu Chow congee with baby oyster. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com
Did you know?
According to folklore, the Chiu Chow method of covering congee when cooking was discovered accidently by a Chiu Chow fishing family, who usually kept a pot of congee on their boat when at sea. The family in question was robbed by pirates but the fisherman’s wife had the presence of mind to hide their freshly made pot of congee under some blankets so that they would have food to sustain them for the voyage home. The pirates missed the congee and, when they had left, the family discovered the pleasant effect that covering the pot had on the rice grains.
Congee, or rice porridge, is found all over China. However, it is unlikely that anyone puts more effort into congee than the Cantonese. Raw ingredients are put in continuously boiling rice porridge until they become soft and their flavours are infused in the entire mixture.
A bowl of congee with its typical side ingredients. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com
Hong Kong has taken durian — an import from Southeast Asia — and worked it into a myriad of combinations, including durian ice-cream, durian sorbet and durian slush drinks.
Enjoy a bowl of durian creations. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com
Mostly made using agar, fresh mangoes, evaporated milk and sugar, mango pudding is a mainstay of Hong Kong dessert menus. A fusion of Southeast Asian and local styles, mango pudding is served cold and has a light and creamy texture.
One of local favourite desserts. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com
This is a popular winter treat. The ingredients are placed in a bowl which is then immersed in water in a larger container and stewed for several hours. The result is a warming and wholesome dessert. Many believe it helps nourish the skin.
Local sweet winter delight. Photo credit: discoverhongkong.com
