February 16, 2013
The seventh day of Chinese New Year, which is considered everyone’s birthday, fell on February 16. A group of Slow Food Hong Kong members went to Ping Shan to take part in a Pun Choi feast.
Dining on Pun Choi, which literally translates to “basin food”, is a long-standing tradition in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Various ingredients are layered in a huge basin, and everyone around the table can dive in for their favourite food. Turnip provides the foundation, followed by pork knuckles, mushrooms and fishballs on top. And nestled between bean curd sheets are dried oysters, dried scallops, pork belly and more pork. We also enjoyed a slow-cooked duck soup and traditional chicken in ginger and glutinous wine. We feasted at the Tang Ancestral Hall which, despite being a 600+ year old structure, looked festive with auspicious new year decorations. The atmosphere was livened up by firecrackers and a lion dance.
Everyone from Slow Food agreed that this was an amazing experience. Indeed it was amazing as it was the first time any of us had participated in a traditional Pun Choi feast, even those of us who are Hong Kong-born and bred and the expatriates who’ve lived in Hong Kong for over 20 years. It was well worth the trip to Tin Shui Wai to celebrate this Chinese New Year tradition.
by Ida Chow