Food things you should know

Each type of dessert has a unique therapeutic effect, so you should choose the right dessert according to your personal constitution and the season. For example, you should eat bean paste to cool down in spring and summer, and a bowl of almond paste to keep warm in autumn and winter. The dessert culture is extensive and profound. After coming to Hong Kong, it has been continuously improved and innovated to become a unique Hong Kong-style dessert.

Written by Yan Yonglong

As a professional gourmet, I search for food day and night, especially in Hong Kong, where the nightlife is colorful. I can't miss the famous Hong Kong-style desserts in Asia! In the streets and alleys of Hong Kong, it is not difficult to see Hong Kong-style dessert shops, commonly known as "dessert shops". Many Hong Kong people will go to dessert shops after dinner at night to enjoy a variety of delicious desserts. Tourists from all over the world also flock to them. Faced with a variety of Hong Kong-style desserts, it is dazzling. Are there too many styles that make you unable to choose? Let "Food Power" take you into the colorful world of desserts and count the 8 classic flavors of Hong Kong-style desserts!

Sugar soup has a long history and was popular in Lingnan due to the hot and humid climate.

Sugar water originated in the Lingnan region, which has a rich and diverse food culture. In northern China, it is called "sweet soup". Sugar water has a long history and has developed different forms in different regions of China. According to legend, the royal family in ancient China would eat some sugar water after a banquet to help digestion. In the Qing Dynasty, the beauties in the harem also had the habit of consuming sugar water. At that time, "sour plum soup" was popular in the palace and was deeply loved by Emperor Qianlong. This traditional sweet soup has been passed down.

Tangshui is a sweet soup that uses a variety of ingredients, resulting in a wide variety of varieties. It is quite popular in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau and other places. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that sugar has the effect of removing dampness. The climate in Guangdong is hot and humid, and the Pearl River Delta region used to be rich in sugarcane and had sufficient sugar resources. Guangdong residents made tangshui, which not only nourishes the body but also satisfies the appetite.

During the Republic of China era, the development of desserts became more prosperous, especially in the prosperous Guangzhou. From the initial dessert stalls to the dessert shops that later flourished, the contemporary operators continuously introduced new dessert styles, gradually expanding the flavor map of desserts. Hong Kong's food culture is inherited from Guangdong, and with the frequent exchanges between the two places, dessert shops have gradually taken root in Hong Kong and become an important part of Hong Kong's catering system.

The therapeutic effect of food depends on the type of dessert. The basic dessert shop must have "two sands and three pastes"

Each type of dessert has a unique therapeutic effect, so you should choose the right dessert according to your personal constitution and the season. For example, you should eat green bean paste to cool down in spring and summer, and a bowl of almond paste to keep warm in autumn and winter. The dessert culture is extensive and profound. After coming to Hong Kong, it has been continuously improved and innovated, and has become the unique Hong Kong-style dessert. If you want to understand Hong Kong-style dessert, you must first recognize the basic styles, which are collectively known as "two sands and three pastes", namely green bean paste, red bean paste, sesame paste, almond paste and walnut paste.

Red bean paste is a basic Hong Kong-style dessert. In addition to dessert shops, some restaurants (Cantonese restaurants) will provide red bean paste as an after-meal dessert at the end of the banquet.

The production methods of green bean paste and red bean paste are roughly the same. Both soak the beans first, and then add sugar to season after boiling. The former may add fresh milk to enhance the flavor and help relieve heat and thirst, while the latter can add some dried tangerine peel to remove edema and replenish iron. As for the "three pastes", the basic production principle is to grind nuts into powder, add water and sieve to make the taste smoother. Some people will add a small amount of grains to enhance the sense of fullness, and finally rinse with warm or hot water. Whether it is sesame paste, almond paste or walnut paste, it is also suitable for consumption in winter to warm the body. "Two pastes and three pastes" are the basic desserts that almost every Hong Kong dessert shop must have. Due to the simple method, many Hong Kong families will also make them themselves.

Sweet potato and bean curd are both classic desserts. A Hong Kong business pioneered Yangzhi sago.

There are two other sweet soups that are not included in the "two sands and three pastes", but are also classic Hong Kong-style desserts. They are the sweet potato dessert and bean curd dessert that Hong Kong people are familiar with. Since sweet potatoes were introduced to China in the Ming Dynasty, they have been one of the most common crops in South China. They are easy to grow and are deeply loved by the grassroots people. When making sweet potato desserts, sugar is added, and the sweetness is very strong. In the past, sweet potatoes from South China were used, but now some businesses choose purple sweet potatoes imported from Japan, so the sweet potato dessert can be purple or a mixture of purple and yellow, not just limited to the traditional yellow; in addition to the core ingredient bean curd (tofu skin), bean curd desserts also have several condiments. Ginkgo, coix seed and eggs can be added during the cooking process, which not only adds deliciousness but also improves nutritional value.

Sweet potato dessert is one of the most common Hong Kong desserts. It is not only a basic dessert in Hong Kong dessert shops, but also made by ordinary Hong Kong families.

If we talk about the most Hong Kong-style dessert, it should be Yangzhi Ganlu, which was born in the 1980s. It is said to be created by Hong Kong Li Wan Restaurant (Cantonese restaurant). The ingredients include pomelo, mango, sago, fresh cream and sugar water. It tastes full of fruity aroma and is extremely sweet and smooth. Yangzhi Ganlu is not only a popular dessert for Hong Kong people, but some ice cream merchants have even launched Yangzhi Ganlu flavored popsicles, and mooncakes with Yangzhi Ganlu fillings are also sold in Hong Kong.

Desserts run through Hong Kong dessert shops of all ages, reflecting local lifestyle and culture

Hong Kong-style desserts may be a must-try delicacy for foreign tourists, but for Hong Kong people, it is a life culture that runs through the old, middle-aged and young generations. When middle-aged people have a feast with a few close friends, they can't help but run to a dessert shop to have a bowl of desserts to extend the rare time together even if they are very full; young men and women in love still want to have more after dinner, so desserts can put a sweet end to a wonderful date. All these are manifestations of dessert culture in the lives of Hong Kong people, as if there is an invisible magic that subtly connects everyone in this busy city.

Review Editor: Lin Yuting