介绍:
With their diverse mix of affordable Western and Chinese fare such as tea, coffee, French toast, Cantonese-style noodles and rice all under one roof, Cha chaan tengs have long been a part of Hong Kong life.
They serve as a symbol of Hong Kong's unique history, and a record of the territory's post-war manufacturing boom. Factory workers had short breaks, and needed to eat cheap, and fast, away from home. They also had a bit of disposable income to spend on the novelty of “Western” foods, which became increasingly popular in this growing city. So local diners started offering Western-style foods that were re-interpreted by clever chefs to please a Cantonese palate and, more importantly, with reasonable prices to enable the trend to take off.
“Cha chaan teng in Hong Kong, to people growing together with the city, is a place where you can find an array of tastes—the pineapple bun, egg tart, milk tea, etc. The menu at a typical cha chaan teng is seemingly endless in scope. It serves a variety of food to suit most hankerings.”
The varied fare on offer has become some of the most popular of Hong Kong's food culture. Among them is the signature beverage-- Hong Kong-style milk tea.
With Cha chaan teng’s name literally translated as "tea restaurant", tea undoubtedly has an important role in these establishments. A light, weak tea is served to all customers as soon as they sit down. But the iconic drink is the milk tea.
The British habit of drinking black tea with milk and sugar influenced the emergence of the Hong Kong-style milk tea, which substituted hard-to-keep fresh milk with evaporated milk.
Another feature of Hong Kong milk tea is how it is made by filtering tea leaves through a cloth bag similar to women's pantyhose, earning it the nickname "silk stocking milk tea". Leung Tak-chau is a milk tea master and winner of the Hong Kong Milk Tea King competition with his own brew.
“The key feature of Hong Kong-style milk tea is to use a sackcloth bag to strain the tea brew to encourage smoothness. The tea and milk are strained through the cloth sieve some ten times to produce its incomparable velvet texture. This process is dubbed “pulling the milk tea”.
A good cup of milk tea should be strongly brewed and well balanced with creaminess that isn’t too rich, and sweetness that doesn’t overpower. It should be an ochre-colored, velvet-smooth, mellow yet fragrant concoction.
Milk tea enjoys nearly the same ubiquitous status in Hong Kong people’s lives as coffee holds in the West. A milk tea done well will distinguish a cha chaan teng from the crowd and garner legions of loyal customers.
Milk tea in cha chaan teng is also served with ice cubes, another variety enjoyed by local diners. Yet another interesting variation is the yuan yang -- a hot blend of coffee and milk tea. The name of the drink comes from the Chinese words “yuan” and “yang”, which mean the male and female Mandarin duck. According to legend, when the ducks meet, they mate for life. This has become a metaphor for the two foreign beverages joining together and resulting in a heavenly match.
And the perfect accessory to milk tea is surely the 'pineapple' bun, especially if you have it with butter.
In fact, the pineapple bun doesn’t go anywhere near the actual fruit. The baked pastry takes its name from its vague resemblance to a pineapple. In essence, it is a bun firm on the outside, soft on the inside and topped with crunchy, sugary pastry.
Other popular items on the cha chaan tengs' menu are egg tarts, Hong Kong-style French toast, instant noodles, barbecued meat, congee, and stir-fries, among others. The menu may seem to lack a singular definition; but all cha chaan tengs have a target to hit—to meet the need of the various transient populations and become part of their lives in the fast-moving city.
Hou Jie-hui runs an authentic cha chaan teng.
“Cha chaan tengs have become a dispensable part of Hong Kong life because they meet the local people’s demand for convenience and flexibility. Wherever you are in the city, there is usually a cha chaan teng within walking distance. Also, most stay open into the wee hours, while many operate around the clock. Their rich array of food varieties attracts a diverse crowd; so it is not unusual to see brickies sitting opposite businessmen, and school kids alongside pensioners.”
Hong Kong’s dining scene has since changed dramatically but the Hong Kong-style teahouses continue to serve their fusion creations to local diners. Today they still keep their modestly decorated interiors, and are instantly recognizable.
They have wall-mounted electric fans, booth-style tables and chairs that seat four or six people together, and menus visible below glass-covered tables. Instead of serving up fine cuisine, they remain at the heart of the city in terms of comfort food seasoned with memories, and nostalgia.
