Bulletin Autumn‧Winter 1997

HlGHLIGHTS OF RGC-FUNDED PROJECTS were fascinated by h ow changing culinary habits in Hong Kong reflect social and cultural trends in the last f ew decades. Th ey emb a r k e d on a research t i t l ed 'Cooking up Hong Kong Identity ： A Study of Food Culture, Changing Tastes and Identity in Popular Discourse' i n 1995 ， and were awarded a grant of $510,000 b y the Research Grants Council for the purpose. The researchers examined f ood and c u l t u r al i d e n t i ty i n t he c o n t e x t o f demographic and family structure, the local tourist industry, th e emergence of Hong Kong as an international marketplace, and recent p o l i t i c a l changes. Spec i a l a t t e n t i on wa s p a i d t o f i ve representative foodways ： the coexistence of t wo contrasting f o od consump t i o n habits at home and i n restaurants, 'yum cha', tea cafes, n o u v e l le Cantonese cuisine, and ' p u h n choi' . By studying these areas they hoped to arrive at a clear conception of the development of f oo d culture in the territory and a deeper understanding o f H o ng Ko n g culture as a whole. Ques t i onna i r e surveys i n various districts we r e f o l l o w e d b y i n - d e p th interviews of selected subjects during the t w o years f r o m 1995 t o 1997, a n d interesting n ew insights were gained into the correlation between f ood and cultural identity i n postwar Hon g Kong. Eating Habits Reveal dichotomy between Traditionalism and Cosmopolitanism The researchers first compared eating habits inside the home w i t h those outside, and f ound a marked difference between the two. It is apparent tha t wh en people dine outside, variet y is what they seek ： g o i n g to Mc Do n a l d 's f o r b r eak f as t , lunching at a Japanese restaurant, and having Indian curry as dinner. They are eager to try Korean barbecue after the y have tasted belon o y s t e r s f r o m France and cherry stone clams f r om t h e U n i t e d States. Food c o n s u m e d inside the home is by far mo r e conservative ： the i ng r ed i en ts used are highly similar in most families Chinese University Bulletin Autumn ’ Winter 1 997 24