Hakka clan cuisine

At the recent Chinese New Year Street Party, the cuisine of the Hakka dialect community got more than star attraction. It was not just about its unique taste but also at which restaurant it is served.

Pork belly stew

Nope, nowhere. There is no one Hakka restaurant in George Town though you may yearn to eat it. Having said this, it is informa­tive to share the delicious choice dishes that the Hakka community can cook up.

Salted vinegar veggie, photo courtesy of voneats.com

HAKKA HEE PAN
It is an indispensable traditional soft pastry made by Hakka people especially during the festive seasons. “Hee” means celebration while “pan” means cake in Hakka. As its name implies, Hakka Hee Pan is a must-have item during Hakka weddings and birthdays.

Hakka Hee Pan is a soft sweet dough in white, pink or green colour that does not stick in the mouth.

Hakka Yellow Glutinous Rice Wine Chicken, photo courtesy of feasttotheworld

HAKKA YELLOW GLUTINOUS RICE WINE CHICKEN
This dish has chicken meat cut into pieces and soaked in Chinese wine. It tastes sweet with nice wine aroma and not sour at all. The soup is yellowish and milky and enhanced aroma with sesame oil for added aroma. The dish’s ingredients of wine, ginger, sesame oil and chicken will help boost blood circulation and strengthen the body with the much needed nutrition. Most mothers love this traditional Hakka dish which is prepared for confinement after the delivery of their babies.

Pigs trotter and egg stewed in black vinegar, photo courtesy of culinarygypsy

BRAISED PIG TROTTER WITH VINEGAR
Braised pig trotter with black vinegar as the name implies has a sourish taste. It is appetizing as it is sweet and sour and the taste can be slightly spicy when added with ginger. Just like the Hakka Yellow Glutinous Rice Wine Chicken, both dishes are favourite dishes served during confinement.

Duck soup with salted mustard green by Ooi Family Cookbook

DUCK SOUP WITH SALTED MUSTARD GREENS
Another significant dish is duck soup with salted mustard greens which mainly consists of salted mustard greens, duck meat, tomatoes and pickled plums. This sourish saltish soup is a delicacy served during lunch in coffee shops or food courts. The pickled plums and tomatoes enhance its sour taste. While these four Hakka dishes are hardly found in a single shop, they have however established a foothold in the daily diet of the Chinese community and could be found in food courts.