By SIN Wing Yu (Ramona)
On May 11, I joined the tour ‘Behind the Scenes at Hong Kong heritage sauce makers Pat Chun (八珍)’ organized by Slow Food Hong Kong. As a Year 2 Hotel Management student at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, this visit was inspiring and fun. We get to know the brand history, products, and their practices over generations.
Our journey began with the fermentation of vinegar, showing us what rice wine, rice vinegar, and aged sorghum vinegar in the process look like. We also get to taste various types of vinegar, such as the lighter and milder rice vinegar and the deep, mellow richness of aged sorghum vinegar. We also witnessed the making of bean paste and soy sauce.
Of all the products we sampled, my favorite is their soy sauce supreme. From the tour, I learned that they use two portions of raw ingredients to produce one portion of soy sauce, and they only bottle the first press. The double-concentration method, with the very first liquid that flows from the fermentation mash, makes the soy sauce rich in aroma and flavor.
From the tour, we also see how Pat Chun (八珍) respects its heritage while embracing innovation, products such as Pat Chun (八珍) Sweet Vinegar Sauce Gelato, and a locally designed postcard of the Pat Chun (八珍) store. The collaboration shows the reimagination of their legacy for the new generation.
Fermentation requires patience, constant care, and the balance of temperature, time, and human attention, just like hospitality. Both share a soul and create something that nourishes people far beyond the surface. In both fields, consistency matters more than occasional brilliance, which is an important lesson that I learned.
I extend my deepest gratitude to Slow Food Hong Kong for organizing the tour, letting us know the stories behind Pat Chun’s (八珍) product line.