Dim Sum, Congee, Donkey and Boar Meat, Jellyfish and Other Foods

Spiced donkey meat

As it is a big city, Hong Kong boasts a wide variety of food from all over the world and we took full advantage of the selection. However, when we did treat ourselves to Asian fare, it usually consisted of some form of noodle, soup or meat. Poor Carrie had a tough time finding vegetarian options, but for me it was heaven.

The most popular dish, according to our guidebook, is congee: a rice porridge-based soupy meal that is filled with foods ranging from meat to fermented egg, veggies, tofu or anything else one can imagine. While the first few bites were a bit odd, the taste and texture grew on me as I finished the massive bowl. That said, I don’t ever need to order it again.

One item that I did love and couldn’t get enough of was dim sum. The term is used to describe pretty much any small dish and usually has some from of meat or seafood wrapped in a rice-based shell. Some are mushy rice noodles, others are deep fried and all are delicious! I usually got one as an appetizer, but they can also be combined to form a full meal.

Pork meat congee with Chinese preserved egg and spices

As for tasty new meats to sample, I had my share. The best was donkey meat, which was served cold and, quite possibly, raw. It had some sort of sauce on it and tasted like extremely juicy beef jerky. In Macau I sampled boar jerky, which was much sweeter than regular jerky but less gamey. Finally, I tried a pasta dish with jellyfish and shrimp eggs in it. The shrimp eggs tasted a bit like caviar and the jellyfish had very little flavor to go with its chewy texture.

Despite all this awesome new food I got to sample, I must guiltily admit that my favorite meals of the trip were the Indian ones we had in Chungking Mansions: our guest house complex. I think I ate at least 3-4 samosas a day!