《就係香港冬季號》:: The Food Then & Now, and Our Memories

Other than home town Singapore, I'm most comfortable in Hong Kong, Bangkok, London and Seattle. I could easily live in these cities, get around, sort of administrative matters of bills and credit cards and such, don't have wide social circle, be selective about social gatherings, and never feel alone. However, post-pandemic, post-Brexit and with the Chinese National Security Law firmly in place under a new Chief Executive in Hong Kong, I don't know what I feel about them now. 

Although starkly different, these four cities feel similar in terms of easily getting foods and spices I love, at ease with the languages spoken, humor used, concerts, music and theater plays available to enrich the mind. Having an organic network of like-minded friends in each city make them feel comfortable. Like home. And that's enough. How safe I feel, depends on how alert I am when walking its streets. This is why I'm so insistent on self-defense skills and constantly training. I can never ward off a knife in a sudden attack or a random shooting (never a stray bullet), but I can try.

Caved and bought BeingHongKong's Winter issue. Finally. This is the Food Issue. I was totally charmed by the summary of this issue. I really missed the food in Hong Kong, and I wouldn't be traveling there any time soon. I didn't want to buy the journals previous issues or do a year's subscription because of the astronomical postage. The journal is HKD120, and the postage is HKD200. WIN LOR. I'd just have to read this issue, think about the foods mentioned, the emotions they inspire, and think about the gritty city I like hanging out in. At least this is one journal that won't get shut down so soon.

《就係香港冬季號》

本期簡介： 當生命迎來無法預測的轉變和聚散，卻總會有一些味道，能夠連結起不同時空的你我他，讓彼此分享對一個地方及一些人事的記憶和情感。這個年末，就讓我們在紙本上一起回味曾經或仍然讓你心繫的香港味道。本期更隨書附送手工凸版印刷港式經典小吃明信片。

The journal arrived safely and crisp last Christmas. I took a long and leisurely flip through it. I read and re-read the short essays and lingered over the photos and illustrations. It was lovingly put together, deftly illustrated, printed on different weights of paper, and firmly bound. And to read those words in Cantonese. Good writing. Wow. This is such a beautiful hard copy of a journal. Kudos to the team.

The journal, or rather each issue takes us through the specific themes. They use chapter dividers of REtaste, REvisit, REnew, REfresh, REspect, REdraw, REminiscence, REcreate to fill their content and align them to the journal's intent. I feel a tinge of sadness about Hong Kong. The essence of the people has changed, sorely tested over the political events over the past four years. The fabric of society has changed. 

#REtaste// 道地滋味25式 叉燒飯/餐蛋麵/魚肉燒賣/咖喱魚蛋/腸粉/煎釀三寶/砵仔糕/雞蛋仔/車仔麵/奶茶/菠蘿油/厚蛋治/紅豆冰/魚蛋粉/點心/燒味/煲仔飯⋯⋯25款來自街頭或茶記的經典食品，將香港高度混雜的多元文化呈現出來，哪些是你最愛？

Claypot rice with preserved sausages, pork chop rice, and cart noodles (煲仔飯、豬扒飯、車仔麵) are my favorite foods in Hong Kong. It's very hard to find a good version elsewhere. There're decent-enough versions, but rarely do they provide the flavors I'm looking for. I miss the foods and the vibes of Hong Kong. Don't know if I'll get that again.

#REvisit// 港式飲食，空間實踐 茶室/茶樓/酒樓/燒味店/涼茶舖/糖水舖/冰室/大牌檔/冬菇亭/熟食中心/茶餐廳，還有「掃街」⋯⋯每種飲食空間都連結著城市的歷史、發展和變遷。我們邀來六位本地及海外插畫家，包括Po Hung、Patpatkate、Miss Quai、Onion Peterman、 Pearl Law和Sasha Lind，演繹各種不同類型的飲食空間，再現城市的生命力。

The ubiquitous bowl of super smooth soya beancurd (豆腐花)
found at all tiny food stores across Hong Kong. 

There's a chapter on salted fish, from Page 110 to 112. Mmmmm. I always buy salted fish whole, and never in pieces since I wouldn't be able to discern where it came from. But now if I do that, it feels, extravagant because I wouldn't be able to finish it before it turns bad. I only want a little bit each time and it can't quite keep, even in the chiller. 

This chapter featured product designer Kay Chan 陳韻淇 (also of KaCaMa Design Lab). She made a salted fish sauce for use in home cooking and in restaurants too. The firm partnered HK Brewcraft in 2018 to produce a 'Salted Fish Flavored Mead' — 將鹹魚煲湯後熬製成蜜糖，再釀製成蜜酒，味道甜中有淡淡的海鹽味，命名「魚香蜜酒」. In the same year, the firm also partnered BeCandle to do a salted fish scent.  

但現時，除了在茶餐廳或泰國餐館會點鹹魚炒飯、鹹魚蒸肉餅、鹹魚炒菜等菜式之外，一般家庭已甚少買鹹魚做餸。除了因鹹魚業式微，也跟社會轉變有關。Kay 猜想，家庭人數變少也有影響：「賣鹹魚通常是原條賣，老人家從來不會買切開了的鹹魚，因為來路不明，但原條鹹魚要不是一大班人，很難吃得完。」

久而久之，鹹魚成了「回憶中的味道」。

There're many interviews with people of all walks of life. I loved all the words! The illustrations are so beautiful. Their photos, stories and memories of food are already nostalgic. I don't know how much of Hong Kong's way of cooking and old flavors would be preserved in this new political era.

It's just like a bowl of soya beancurd (豆腐花). I don't eat that now because I can't find those olden flavors anymore. The stores now sell them like soy pudding and the texture is all weird; they're more custard-like and gelatinous. They're totally unlike that smooth wobbly wondrous thing I remember from my childhood. I can make it though. It's just a shit-ton of work, and man, if you have ever been made to boil copious amounts of soybeans to produce soybean milk, you will know that boiling soybeans really stink. Phewwww!