Although we may not reside in a country where trees lose their leaves in a watercolour swirl of reds and yellows, we have the colourful traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival to bring colour and food worship into our eyes and bellies. Now that the festival is finished, Alicia Walker feasts upon some of the autumnal foods that’ll bring those Hong Kong harvest hues back into our lives and larders
Snake Soup
Hairy Crab
This renowned Cantonese elixir is known to warm up the body by increasing blood circulation, making it ideal for the months when the 852 becomes cool enough to adorn a jacket. Many different snakes are commonly used to make this delicacy, with python, cobra and banded kraits all being popular, among others, and then mixed up with ingredients such as orange peel, ginger and lemon leaves. If you feel like it’s all a bit too adventurous for your taste, you can relax - it tastes like chicken.
Also known as Chinese mitten crab on account of the little furry mitts that coverthe claws of this unique crusctacean. An expensive treat, the crabs are cherished for the gooey orange roe and are traditionally steamed and served with a warm plum wine. Also eaten medicinally for their yin (cooling) effect on the body, therefore they are often prepared with a heating food like ginger to balance things out. So get your mitts on a pair of these if you want to warm yourself up from the inside out.
Guava
Osmanthus
The notoriously hard-to-peel skin of this gargantuan round, gives way to a citrus fruit that is sweet and crisp and much like a grapefruit without all the messy juices. Best eaten raw but you’ll need to get your chainsaw out to get into these delicious bad boys.
As fun to eat as it is to say, this multitudinous fruit ranges from cherry-sized rounds to a larger, grapefruit size with a skin colour of red, green or white and a marrow that can be yellow, pink or white. The “Pearl Taiwan” guava is a common Hong Kong farm-grown version that has a brilliant green exterior and white flesh. Nutrient-rich, guava is often included on superfood lists and is great fresh, juiced or cooked into jellies and preserves.
These flowers are in full bloom this season so you’ll see plenty of cakes, wines, jellies and desserts are peppered with osmanthus this time of year. Thought to improve the digestive system and relieve coughs, it makes the transition between seasons all the sweeter and more fragrant with a helping of this floral addition.
facebook.com/foodiehk // october 2015
Pomelo
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