Sunday, July 11, 2010

Hong Kong's Swiss Style Chicken Wings


People growing up in Hong Kong would reminisce about the days they used to go to Tai Ping Koon(太平 馆)to have Swiss-style chicken wings (瑞士 鸡翼) with rice and that would be a real treat.  The history behind Swiss-style chicken wings is not entirely clear to me.  I've heard that it actually has nothing to do with the Swiss at all.  

In the colonized days of old, a Chinese chef was asked about this dish and he said that it was "sweet-style" chicken on account of the sugar factor in the dish.  But the Englishman who heard it thought he said "Swiss-style".  Whether there's any truth to this simple lore about the origins of this dish, its popularity has transcended the decades and this dish is still offered in the Cha-chan-tangs (茶餐厅) of Hong Kong.  Of course also at the institution that is still Tai Ping Koon.

Earlier in the week, I went to one of Hong Kong's better known cha-chan-tangs Tsui Wah (翠华)and ordered it.  Inspired, I decided to create my own version at home, with a less sugary twist but similarly adored and soaked up by the Nissin(出前一丁)instant noodles, thus the dish 瑞士 鸡翼捞丁.

Simple traditional goodness re-created at home.  Happy weekend!


2 comments:

  1. I should NEVER read your blog before lunch. Now I'm so hungry I'm sure to overeat!

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  2. That's the whole idea J. To serve and provide inspiration for gastronomers around the globe!

    ReplyDelete