Tofu puffs, Beans and Black Fungus Stir-fry – Vegetarian Dish

One of my favourite stalls at the wet markets in Hong Kong is the one selling soybean sprouts and other soy bean products such as bean curd, vegetarianchicken, gluten etc. Bean curd puffs or dauh-bôk 豆卜in Cantonese are those small yellow cubes.  Cantonese people love bean curd and you can find various forms of bean curds incorporated in their local dishes.

 

Top right angle:deep fried tofu (bean curd)

 

Yam Bean with Pork

Yam bean is also called Jicama (Mexican name) or sâ-got 沙葛 in Cantonese. It can be found all year round at the wet markets around Hong Kong.

Peel the skin of the tubers, slice and cook them like potatoes.  The texture is crisp and the taste lightly sweet.  Martha Dalheen explained in her book that the raw root can be dipped in guacamole or served with lime wedges and chili pepper-salt dip.

I usually cook the rhizomes with pork.

 

Grassroots Pantry

I would like to write a few words on a sweet and cosy restaurant, a place completely different than the dai pai dong I described in my previous post.

I visited Grassroots Pantry (GP) about two months ago but suddenly realised I had not yet recorded my experience there. GP is the 3^rd place I discovered via Table for Two - Hong Kong. I already wrote about my visit to Teakha (茶 - 家) and Light (both introduced by TFT last August.)

Hong Kong's Dried Food

It’s definitely feeling like autumn now.  The air is crisp early in the morning and late in the evening and the weather is hot during the day but dry. It’s the perfect weather for hiking and drying food.  

Last weekend when hiking I saw many different types of foods left drying in the sun. As you know Cantonese use a lot of dried produce in their cuisine: fruits, vegetables, plants, seaweeds, fish, nuts, pulses, etc. and of course fish and seafood. The common method for drying food here doesn’t require any dehydration equipment. It is not surprising to see food drying in the sun on the crowded pavements of busy districts, for example in Sheung Wan which is famous for its numerous shops selling dried seafood products.

Light Radiant Food, black bean burger and more

After walking for 15 minutes in the scorching heat and amid the traffic noise I found an oasis of peace, a cool place, called Light. Why did I choose to visit this place?

I know it is a bit late for writing this post but I really want to record this news as it is very meaningful for me.

Chicken with Bitter Melon & The Gwâa (瓜) Family

Summer is the season of melon/gourd/squash or “gwâa” (瓜),in Cantonese.  I have taken a photo of most of the "gwâas" we can find in Hong Kong and you can view them on my Local Vegetables Page.

Those who are reading my post and live in Hong Kong should rejoice about the forthcoming opening of Island East Markets.  I am sure they (we) will find lots of locally grown gwâas there!  

Here is below a list of the most popular types of melon that you can find at Hong Kong markets right now. As you will notice each one of them has the Chinese character - 瓜 – gwâa - at the end of its name.

Chinese Vegetables

When I recall how I got to know about the different vegetables Hong Kong has to offer “A popular Guide to Chinese Vegetables” by Martha Dahlen, came immediately to my mind. Martha’s book helped me a lot and I highly recommend it to any newcomer in Hong Kong.