SLOW FOOD HONG KONG

CHINESE NEW YEAR EVENT, TUESDAY 16th. FEBRUARY 2010

“LOCAL DINING TRADITIONS: PUN CHOI”

Dining on pun choi, literally “basin food” is a long-standing tradition in the New Territories.

In huge wooden bowls, ingredients which have hitherto seldom met are layered up. There’s turnip at the bottom and duck and prawns on top, and in between dried oysters and dried scallops, pork belly and pork skin (okay, so at least those two have met already!), taro and radish, bean curd sheets, and more besides.

The story goes that pun choi began as the food eaten by those who, because of social hierarchy, were not allowed to dine inside the main hall of the walled village. Delicacies were passed to them in the adjoining courtyard, each one placed inside the same large bowl.

Legend has it that, more than 700 years ago, Emperor Bing of the Song Dynasty fled to what is now the New Territories. Villagers there cordially received the Emperor and his army with any foods they could find and, in haste unable to find sufficient dishes, served up everything in the wooden bowls used by fishermen.

Every year, a huge pun choi feast is held in the Tang Ancestral Hall in Ping Shan. This is the ancestral hall of fashion designer William Tang.

Slow Food is very lucky that he has again very kindly reserved two tables for us.

Date: Tuesday 16 February 2010

Time: From 6pm

Cost: $200 per person

Wine: Please bring a bottle (And a glass!)

Directions to Ping Shan Ancestral Hall

At the Ping Shan heritage trail, Hang Mei Village, Ping Shan.

Ping Ha Road, off Castle Peak road, between Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai.

For Drivers

Take Highway 3 or Tuen Mun Highway( 9) turn off at exit to Tin Shui Wai then look for PING SHAN.

By Train

Take Tung Chung line from Central to Nan Cheung then transfer to West Rail stop at Tin Shui Wai station, then only 7 mins walk from the station.

By Bus.

969 from HK island, 269B from TST, 269D from Sha Tin, 276A from Sheng Shui, E34 from Tung Chung or the airport; all stop at Tsui Shing Lau( the famous Ping Shan Pagoda, )which locates under Tin Shui Wai rail station.

Map and directions at the station and around points you the way to the TANG CLAN ANCESTRAL HALL at the P.S.H. Trail, allow 7 to 10 mins walk only.