Siu mai or egg waffles? Hong Kong foodies cut through political divide to share reviews, photos in online ‘concern groups’
- Popularity of dedicated sites reflects obsession with food, pride in localism, observers say
- With 100,000 followers, siu mai group promotes memberships offering discounts at eateries
When Alex* and Louis* started their Facebook page about siu mai, the popular Cantonese dim sum item, it was for the love of the steamed dumplings sold as humble street food as well as in luxe restaurants across Hong Kong.
“We saw a page about potato crisps and it was fun, and we like the fish version of siu mai a lot, so we formed a page too,” Louis tells local media.
Their page, called Hong Kong Siu Mai Concern Group and started in November 2019, is listed under the category of “trade unions” – only for fun, the pair explain in a food channel, as there were several workers’ rights groups with such names at the time.
“We also wanted to express concern over the price and taste of siu mai,” says Alex with a laugh.
The steamed dumpling is usually made with minced pork, shrimp and mushrooms and is a staple item in yum cha restaurants.
But the two siu mai fans prefer a more humble dumpling popular with Hongkongers, made with fish and cassava starch, served on a skewer and usually eaten with soy sauce and chilli oil.
They did not expect their page to become a big hit, attracting more than 107,000 followers not only from the city, but also Hongkongers around the world sharing the same passion.
