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Lesson Transcript

Hi, everyone! Welcome to Cantonese Top Words. Upon request, a lot of your request, that we’re making a list for 10 Hong Kong foods. Let’s see if any of your favorite foods is in the list. Let’s start! Yum, yum, yum. First word is…
1. 蝦餃 (haa1 gaau2) “shrimp dumpling”
蝦餃係點心嘅一種。 (haa1 gaau2 hai6 dim2 sam1 ge3 jat1 zung2.) “Shrimp dumpling is a kind of dim sum.”
It’s steamed in a glutinous rice skin. Oh it’s so good! I want some right now.
2. 魚蛋 (jyu4 daan2) “fish ball”
魚蛋 (jyu4 daan2), so they are fish balls. If you’re walking on the street in Hong Kong and you see people selling fish balls, you can just say...Oh, 俾串魚蛋我吖。(bei2 cyun3 jyu4 daan2 ngo5 aa1) “Give me one skewer of fish ball.” Usually, that’s like four to five fish balls on one skewer. Oh, 咖喱魚蛋 (gaa3 lei1 jyu4 daan2), you can ask for 咖喱魚蛋 (gaa3 lei1 jyu4 daan2) “curry fish balls”. Those are really good. 唔該俾串咖喱魚蛋我吖。 (m4 goi1 bei2 cyun3 gaa3 lei1 jyu4 daan2 ngo5 aa1.) “Please give me a skewer of curry fish ball.”
3. 燒賣 (siu1 maai2) “pork dumplings”
燒賣 (siu1 maai2) is also a kind of dim sum and it’s steamed in one of those bamboo dim sum boxes. Sometimes, they have more choices than pork. Sometimes, they have scallop or shrimp, even abalone in the dumpling. 唔該俾籠燒賣我吖。 (m4 goi1 bei2 lung4 siu1 maai2 ngo5 aa1.) “Please give me one order of the steamed dumpling.” 籠 (lung4) is the “measure word for those bamboo cases for dim sum”. So 一籠燒賣 (jat1 lung4 siu1 maai2) “one bamboo case of steamed dumplings”. Usually, there are like three to four inside so it’s best for sharing.
4. 叉燒包 (caa1 siu1 baau1) “BBQ pork bun”
That’s my favorite. That’s actually a baked barbecue pork bun. That is super delicious and very famous in Hong Kong. Try it if you can. 叉燒 (caa1 siu1) is barbecue pork and filled in a bun. 叉燒包 (caa1 siu1 baau1), 包 (baau1) is “bun”.
呢度嘅叉燒包好出名,你一定要試呀。 (ni1 dou6 ge3 caa1 siu1 baau1 hou2 ceot1 meng2, nei5 jat1 ding6 jiu3 si3 aa3.) “The BBQ pork bun here is very famous, you've gotta try it.”
5. 蛋撻 (daan6 taat1) “egg tart”
蛋撻 (daan6 taat1) “egg tart”, oh, one of my favorites. Whenever I’m travelling, I would crave for egg tart. It’s a pastry with kind of like a custard baked inside a pastry. It’s best to eat it warm or hot. It’s kind of like a warm custard, oh so good and I want some now. Also, the other version is “Portuguese egg tart” 葡撻 (pou4 taat1) for Portuguese. Those are really good too. A bit sweeter than the normal egg tart.
邊度可以買蛋撻?(bin1 dou6 ho2 ji3 maai5 daan6 taat1?) “Where can I buy egg tarts?”
That’s a tough question whenever I go travelling.
6. 雞蛋仔 (gai1 daan6 zai2) “egg waffle”
They actually look like bubble wraps like big versions of bubble wraps, about this big and a whole bunch of them and they’re like waffles, so crunchy on the outside, soft in the inside.
When I was in high school, there was an old man selling 雞蛋仔 (gai1 daan6 zai2) outside my school. He is like the most popular guy on the street.
好想食阿伯整嘅雞蛋仔。 (hou2 soeng2 sik6 aa3 baak3 zing2 ge3 gai1 daan6 zai2.) “I want to eat the egg waffles that that old man made.”
That is like the best ever.
7. 燒鵝 (siu1 ngo2) “roasted goose”
燒鵝 (siu1 ngo2) is a kind of the barbecue meat in Hong Kong that’s very famous, very oily, but crispy. Sometimes, you eat it with rice, sometimes with noodles, sometimes you wrap it in a bun, many ways to eat it. Oh, I want some now. 燒鵝 (siu1 ngo2) is very delicious. Try it. So there is actually an area in Hong Kong that has two or three very famous roasted goose restaurant. It’s called Sham Tseng. So 深井燒鵝好出名。 (sam1 zeng2 siu1 ngo2 hou2 ceot1 meng2.) "The Sham Tseng roasted goose are very popular.”
I have been there. It’s a bit similar to what they have in other area, but it’s always nice to try.
8. 燕窩 (jin3 wo1) “bird's nest”
That’s like swallow bird’s nest. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it, but it’s supposed to be a really good for the skin, for ladies. It has a lot of collagen, estrogen, vitamins, minerals, whatever.
椰汁燕窩 (je4 zap1 jin3 wo1) “bird’s nest cooked in coconut milk.” That’s a very popular Hong Kong dessert.
我識整椰汁燕窩。 (ngo5 sik1 zing2 je4 zap1 jin3 wo1.) “I know how to make bird's nest in coconut milk.”
Come try it sometimes, but you have to buy the bird’s nest. I don’t have any at home and those are very expensive.
Next is…
9. 蔥油餅 (cung1 jau4 beng2) “green onion pancake”
That’s like the Chinese version of naam or tortilla? I don’t know.
It’s made with green onion and oil. Sometimes, they put other kinds of onion in there too. It’s good to go with strong flavored stew.
我鍾意食上海舖嘅蔥油餅。 (ngo5 zung1 ji3 sik6 soeng6 hoi2 pou3 ge3 cung1 jau4 beng2.) “I like the green onion pancakes from Shanghainese cuisine.”
So there are many types of green onion pancakes and the kind that the Shanghainese made are my favorite.
10. 菠蘿包 (bo1 lo4 baau1) “pineapple bun”
菠蘿 (bo1 lo4 ) is “pineapple”, 包 (baau1) is “bun”, 菠蘿包 (bo1 lo4 baau1) “pineapple bun”, but there is no pineapple in the pineapple bun. I know that in Japan, they call it melon bun so Japan is melon and in Cantonese, it’s pineapple and I think in Mexico, they call it the seashell bun. It’s a sweet bread. Somehow, it’s very famous in Hong Kong because they serve it with a really thick layer of butter. It’s kind of sweet and salty at the same time, oh so good, and they’re pretty cheap too.
So that’s it for today. Today, we talked about 10 Hong Kong foods. Is there any of those your favorite? Let us know what other Hong Kong food you like. Also, leave a comment in the section. Have you find all the food you want to try in Hong Kong? Please subscribe and check out the wordlist on CantoneseClass101.com and I’ll see you next time in other videos. I’m Olivia. Bye!

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