Horlicks, the well-known UK malted milk beverage, is a staple as comforting as a rich, creamy milk tea. Flaky egg tarts sit among a broad array of bakery favorites—fluffy pineapple buns, sweet-savory pork floss buns, and crispy buns drizzled with sweetened condensed milk. A variety of baked rice dishes completes the savory lineup. The pork chop rice, a Cantonese dish built on fried rice and finished with a Western touch—a layer of tomato sauce topped with melted cheese.
Brewing milk tea for a group evokes the midcentury origins of these cafés. Cuisine, like language, evolves over time: sharp edges soften, and before you know it, a fresh cooking style emerges. Thus Hong Kong’s cha chaan tengs arose in the wake of World War II, as Western influences began reshaping the city’s culinary landscape.
Samuel Dic Sum Lai, a PhD candidate at the University of London, has dedicated his research to documenting the hazy history and culture of these eateries.
