Hong Kong is an important trading center in Asia. It was a former British colony for a century and was handed back to the People’s Republic of China as a special administrative region. Most of the residents of the island colony trace their ancestry to the Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City formerly known as Canton. The influence of Guangdong province is very visible in the dialect spoken in Hong Kong. It is also reflected in the culture and cuisine in the former British crown colony. As a result, most Hong Kong recipes are actually Cantonese recipes perfected and adapted by chefs. Most of the chefs are either trained or natives of Guangdong Province, China.

Most of the Chinese immigrants to the western world also trace their roots back to the Guangdong region. Upon reaching foreign shores, they also brought with them their cuisine. So most people in the west will be familiar with Hong Kong recipes as they share the same culinary foundations.

Hong Kong recipes play particular attention to freshness of ingredients to attain the maximum umami flavor or the fifth flavor defined by the Japanese as a sweet and salty taste. Because of its proximity to the sea and its importance as a trading port, seafood is also an important ingredient in most Hong Kong recipes. Another representation is the play of textures. A soft tender texture is usually contrasted with crunchy ingredients to enhance the dining experience. Hong Kong recipes also pay more attention to quality rather than quality. The ideal is to achieve a balance between taste and presentation as a reflection of the affluence of one of the greatest trading centers in the world.

Upon visiting the country, there are some food and dishes which are quintessential to a trip to the former crown colony. A few of these culinary dishes are as follows.

Roasted Barbecued Pork is probably one of the most popular Chinese dishes known in the world. It is often served as part of an appetizer course in a birthday, weddings and other important occasions. It is also served as a rice topping eaten as an everyday packed lunch. Barbequed pork can also be found as a filling to various pastries and snacks. Many local chefs have practiced the art of roasting pork into this gooey sweet and savory pork dish. It almost tastes like candy with a hint of burnt caramel.

Dim sum also defines Hong Kong cuisine. Dim sum meaning little hearts in Cantonese is actually a collection of small bites, either savory or sweet, usually eaten during tea time but has expanded to being eaten all through the day. Dim sum dishes can be steamed, fried, sautéed, boiled, baked and roasted. Small tea houses serving these little delights used to abound all through the island but the rising costs of rent and property prices drove these small joints to close shops. Now, dim sum is usually served in large restaurants and hotels.