Top 10: What street food is most representative of Hong Kong?
- Our readers share their favourite local snacks that best embody the city, from egg waffles to siu mai
- This week’s question: Where is the best place to hike in Hong Kong?
Stuffed three treasures are a popular snack that you can easily find in small stalls throughout the city. Photo: ShutterstockThis week’s question: Where is the best place to hike in Hong Kong?
To take part, drop us a line via this form or email us at [email protected] by 11.59pm on March 8. Tell us your name, age and school.
Here are our students’ favourite local snacks ...
Mirko Kwok Ching, 14, King Ling College: Put chai ko, commonly known as red bean pudding cakes. They became very popular during the 1980s when hawkers with pushcarts sold them on the streets. They are easy to make and do not require many ingredients. They are made with rice flour and brown sugar and have a caramel-like flavour. Some variations feature white sugar, which provides a mild sweetness.
With the popularity of spicy curry fish balls and crispy egg waffles often overshadowing put chai ko, the soft and creamy cakes are underrated among both residents and tourists. Maybe it’s time to give this delicious snack a chance to shine.
Chow Wing-lam, 15, STFA Leung Kau Kui College: Egg tarts are a popular pastry sold in Hong Kong’s bakeries and cafes. They were inspired by English and Portuguese custard tarts and are beloved by locals for their flaky crust and sweet, eggy filling. The making of egg tarts has been included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong. The pastry symbolises the culture of Hong Kong, which is a mix of Chinese and Western influences.
Tac Cheng Cheung-fung, 17, Yan Oi Tong Tin Ka Ping Secondary School: Egg waffles, the well-known Hong Kong street snack. Some locals would consider them a staple food from their childhood. Whenever a toasty aroma fills the air, you know that egg waffles are ready to be served. The delicious waffle is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, much like Hongkongers, who are tough and hardworking but could also be timid. That is what makes us special.
Matthew Kwok Kwan-Kit, 15, Carmel Bunnan Tong Memorial Secondary School: Fried stuffed three treasures is a classic Hong Kong street food. The “treasures” used for the snack, filled with fish paste, include capsicum, aubergine, bean curd puff, tofu and smoked sausages. These bite-sized munchies are a welcome addition to the abundance of fried street food in the city. In addition, they are cheap and delicious.
Hong Kong’s favourite street foods and the stories behind their strange names
Iona Lei Yui, 15, St Mary’s Canossian College: Fish balls have been a popular dish in southern China since the Qing dynasty. Fried fish balls were first popularised by street hawkers, who sold them from wooden trolleys. When I was small, my dad and I would eat fish balls on the street. Even during the pandemic, we could see couples or families relaxing while eating the snack.
Hailey Chiu Wing-ching, 13, Pope Paul VI College: Siu mai, which is a type of dumpling that is commonly found in dim sum and sold by street food vendors or at snack stalls. It is made from a combination of pork and shrimp. All you need to do is prepare the filling, stuff it into dumpling wrappers and steam it. It is then doused in soy sauce. If you like spicy food, you could pile on some chilli sauce, too!
Beryl Charlotte Chan, 12, Po Leung Kuk Tang Yuk Tien College: Roasted sweet potato and chestnuts are some of my favourite snacks during winter. There are only a few street vendors left in Hong Kong who still sell these delicious treats. They give off a distinct aroma, with the vendors surrounded by a cloud of smoke.
Chan Hiu-yan, 13, Ho Yu College and Primary School (Sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen): Hong Kong-style milk tea. It is a product of the city’s colonial past. During British rule, English tea was used in most hotels or high-end Western restaurants. After the Second World War, the English tea “trend” eventually filtered down to traditional street food stalls. While the British would use fresh milk, Hongkongers use condensed milk or evaporated milk, giving Hong Kong milk tea a rich, hearty flavour.
Cheung Chun-wai, 14, Catholic Ming Yuen Secondary School: “Two-dish-rice” meal boxes are a uniquely Hong Kong dining model. The HK$25-HK$40 box usually contains a generous portion of rice along with two Cantonese dishes of your choosing. It caters to people from all walks of life and gives low-income families a good choice for lunch.
Tam Hau-yin, 13, Ho Yu College and Primary School (Sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen): Cheong fun, or steamed rice noodle rolls. These snacks come brimming with various fillings and a variety of sauces. Apart from snack stalls, they can be found in eateries as well as yum cha restaurants. They’re my favourite food!