Hong Kong

the appetizer:

Hong Kong, though once controlled by the British, remains quintessentially Chinese, though its role as a port and trade center reflects a mix of cooking styles from a wide range of Chinese regional cuisines.

Hong Kong

At midnight, June 30, 1997, Hong Kong reverted to Chinese rule—but don't look for many changes in its already wide range of cultures and foods.

This busy world port has become home to merchants, fishermen, professionals and craftsmen from all provinces of China. You can find more than just Cantonese cuisine—sample the specialties of regional settlers like the Hakka and Chiu Chow, as well as those from Shanghai, Beijing and the Sichuan. Chinese dim sum, or tea snacks, are frequently the most popular of all meals, and the experience of dining in a bustling dim sum restaurant is not one easily forgotten.

In this section, you will learn about the foods, but even more importantly, how to eat them and how to behave as an honored guest—which no doubt you would be if ever lucky enough to dine in a Hong Kong home. After all, with cuisines like this, you should always hope to be a good enough guest as to be invited back. As a Chinese proverb says: Food is heaven—especially when it's Chinese!

Many of the background materials for Hong Kong and China were provided by the Hong Kong Tourist Association.