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In Hong Kong, there has always been a unique blend of Chinese and Western cultures that is widely recognized. To cater to the diverse linguistic landscape, translations are often directly rendered into English, with the menu translations in cha chaan tengs being the most authentic examples of "Chinglish."
Egg tart
It is a type of Western pastry filled with egg custard. Unlike pies, which have the filling sealed within the pastry, tarts are Western pastries with exposed fillings. The egg tart originated in the UK, where during the Middle Ages, people used milk, sugar, and eggs to make a food similar to egg tarts. Egg tarts are an authentic representation of Hong Kong cuisine. Unlike British egg tarts, Hong Kong-style egg tarts have a custard-like filling with a larger portion, and the tart crust should be thin, coming in flaky or pastry crust variations.
【Recipe】Place the pastry crust into a bowl-shaped tart mold, pour in the egg custard mixture made from sugar, milk, and eggs, then bake in an oven. The baking time varies depending on the oven's intensity and desired level of crispiness, here are some guidelines:
· Bake at 230°C for about 15 minutes.
· Bake at 220°C for about 13-14 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes.
· Bake at 200°C for about 10-15 minutes until the edges of the tart crust turn golden, then reduce the temperature to around 180°C and bake for 10 minutes.
· Preheat the oven to 200°C for about 20 minutes, then place the preheated tart on the lower rack of the oven at 200°C and bake for 15 minutes.
Char-Siu
Originating from Hong Kong and Guangdong, it is a traditional ingredient commonly used in Cantonese cuisine in Guangdong Province, Macau, and other regions. Traditional char siu is made by roasting pork on a fork over a fire. The pork surface is coated with a red char siu sauce, giving the finished char siu a brick-red color. Char siu can be served as a main dish and paired with white rice to create char siu rice. Slightly burnt, crispy, and with a honey glaze, that's the Hong Kong style.
Two things that Hong Kong people are most familiar with regarding char siu:
Parents in Hong Kong often scold their children by saying, "It's better to have char siu than to have given birth to you!"
And in Stephen Chow's movie "God of Cookery," the protagonist prepares a dish called "Pissing Beef Balls" during the final cooking competition, winning the championship with this dish.
Baked Pork Chop Rice
Known as "baked pork chop rice," it is a Western-style rice dish and a quintessential meal in Hong Kong-style Western cuisine. Baked pork chop rice is one of the earliest baked rice dishes to appear in Hong Kong-style fast-food restaurants. According to old menu information provided by Dior Cheng in 1984, a serving of baked pork chop rice at "Cafe de Coral" was priced at HK$8.50 in February 1984.
Hong Kong, a culinary paradise where Eastern and Western cultures converge, showcases this cultural fusion through dishes like baked pork chop rice. It combines Chinese ingredients and cooking methods with Western baking techniques. The dish features pan-fried pork chops placed on egg fried rice, topped with ingredients like tomatoes and cheese, then baked. The most common variation is the "Fresh Tomato Baked Pork Chop Rice," prepared with tomatoes and tomato paste. Some versions may also include pineapple and cheese.
Beef chow fun
This dish is a Cantonese cuisine staple and an integral part of Hong Kong's culinary culture, made by stir-frying bean sprouts, rice noodles, beef, and other ingredients. Almost every Cantonese restaurant and tea cafe in Hong Kong includes Stir-fried Beef Ho Fun on their menu.
【Recipe】The main ingredients are flat rice noodles (ho fun) and tender beef. First, stir-fry the beef until halfway cooked, then set it aside. Next, stir-fry with oil, spring onions, and bean sprouts, then set them aside to prevent the water from the bean sprouts affecting the stir-fry. Return the partially cooked beef to the wok, add the rice noodles and stir-fry quickly. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, the previously stir-fried bean sprouts, and finally, Chinese chives. Stir until well combined and serve.
Stir-fried Beef Ho Fun is a common yet challenging dish that tests the chef's stir-frying skills. It requires high heat and quick cooking. Care must be taken not to break the noodles during the process. Controlling the amount of oil is crucial to prevent it from becoming greasy. It should be flavorful, non-sticky, dry yet not oily.
Other common Hong Kong-style dishes include Stir-fry Black Pepper Beef with Spaghetti and Sautéed Minced Beef with Raw Egg Over Rice, which are also provided with English translations.
