When people think about their favourite food from Hong Kong, things like char siu baos (roasted pork bun) and bubble tea are at the top of many lists. But what about the food that people have a love-hate relationship with? Here is a list of divisive local dishes and snacks that would be considered the acquired tastes of Hong Kong. Try them and you might just end up lovin ’em or hatin ’em.
Sweet “Swiss” Chicken Wings (瑞士雞翼)
If you’re looking for some savoury, crispy chicken wings to satiate your cravings, then ‘Swiss Wings’ are not for you. Bummer! Swiss Wings are actually chicken wings that have been doused in a sweet glaze made of sugar, Chinese wine, soy sauce and spices. Despite it’s name, this dish originates from Hong Kong. Legend has it that this unusual name was a result of a misunderstanding. The story goes that a Western tourist tasted the dish and commented on how sweet it tasted. His server, whose English wasn’t perfect, mistook him as saying “Swiss”. From then on, everyone began to refer to this sugared poultry dish as: ‘Swiss Wings’.
Crispy Fish Skin (炸魚皮)
That’s right, of all the parts of the fish to single out and fry up, we chose the skin. No matter the type, the fish is first cleaned thoroughly and de-scaled before being dipped into a light batter and deep fried. The final product is thin, textured, crunchy and irresistible. Similar to potato chips, fried fish skin can be found in a variety of flavours (so far I’ve seen garlic, tomato and original) and snacked on straight out the bag. Another delicious way to enjoy the fish skin is to use it as a topping for a hot bowl of noodles.
Turtle Jelly (龜苓膏)
Commonly sold as dessert, this gelatinous pudding is a medicinal Chinese food item made out of herbs and the powdered essence of a turtle shell. Known as ‘gui ling go’ in Cantonese, turtle jelly is believed to benefit the skin and internal health. However, turtle-derived ingredients aren’t particularly cheap, which means that most commercially available ‘turtle’ jellies actually consist of just a herbal mixture. Time for Franklin to breathe a sigh of relief! It’s flavour isn’t very strong and might be considered bitter by some people, so sweeteners such as honey or syrup are usually added.
Herbal Tea (涼茶)
Served warm or at room temperature, Chinese herbal tea is known for it’s bitter-sweet taste and medicinal qualities. Many people find the black or dark brown colour and bitter taste to be quite off putting, but it’s hard to deny the soothing aftertaste. Though different herbs lend to different flavours, they are all believed to have cooling properties that relieve heat and humidity in the body. This is where it’s Chinese moniker ‘leung cha’ – which literally translates to cool tea – comes from.
Which one of the featured items do you think are bomb and which ones make you want to hurl? Whether or not everybody enjoys these dishes, one thing’s for sure – in Hong Kong, there’s something for everyone.