A Tale of Two Food Blogs: Culinary Tourism in Hong Kong from A
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A Tale of Two Food Blogs: breakfast in Los Angeles eighteen years ago. Over the years, I have been relying on my memory to Culinary Tourism in Hong judge the authenticity of Chinese food from Kansas Kong from a Chinese-American City to New York City. When I traveled to Hong Kong in the summer of 2013, I felt like a tourist of Perspective my own birthplace as I searched for nostalgic food. Rosemary K. Yee This paper will argue that Chinese Americans are culinary tourists in their homeland as they search Penn State Harrisburg for the taste of nostalgia, which may have been altered or even disappeared, in a dynamic Imagine you are about to go on a vacation. foodscape. How will you build your itinerary? Depending on This paper is not the first to discuss the your time, money, and interest, you may choose cultural identity of Chinese Americans and the anything from theme parks, national parks, authenticity of Chinese cuisine. In 2014, historian museums, cruises, skiing, just to name a few. If you Yong Chen, a first generation Chinese American, have an opportunity to travel abroad, chances are offered his interpretation in Chop Suey, USA: The that you will treat your taste buds with international Story of Chinese Food in America, a book that cuisines. In fact, when you travel across America or attempted to examine the rise of Chinese food in simply enjoy a night out in your neighborhood, you America since the nineteenth century and its may dine at an ethic restaurant. By consuming food continuous consumption nowadays. In that work, from another culture, you participate in a booming Chen argued that the limited job availability for industry known as culinary tourism. Folklorist Lucy Chinese Americans in the nineteenth century and Long coined the term “culinary tourism” in 1998 the changing consumer culture contributed to the and defined it as “the intentional, exploratory popularity of Chinese food in America. This paper participation in the foodways of another culture – provides an alternative analysis. Whereas Chen participation including the consumption, focuses on how the adaptation of Chinese food preparation, and presentation of a food item, democratized the dining experience of the working cuisine, meal system, or eating style considered to class, African Americans, and racial minorities in belong to a culinary system not one’s own” (Chrzan the nineteenth century and eventually across 40; Long 21). According to the International America, I find that the cultural identity of first Culinary Tourism Association, among tourists of generation Chinese Americans is at stake when they different ages, sexes, and ethnic groups, dining is compare Chinese food in America with those in one of their favorite activities wherever they travel their homeland in the twenty-first century. because it is an interactive way to explore local Famed as the Food Paradise, Hong Kong food and understand local people (Kivela and Crotts offers exceptional local (Chinese) and international 360). It can even enhance the authenticity of their dining experiences. With more than 30,000 visits (Okumus et al. 257). restaurants, Hong Kong boasts the world’s most Americans participate in culinary tourism all restaurants per capita (Okumus 257). Within 425 the time, especially Chinese food. When Chinese square miles, or 6 times the area of Washington Americans consume Chinese food, you may assume D.C., Hong Kong is home to more than 7 million that they are simply enjoying food from their own people. How do locals and tourists find good places culture. However, it is not always true, especially to eat? Before turning to the internet and mobile for first generation Chinese Americans who applications in this digital era, locals used to pick immigrated to America later in their lives. My restaurants based on television, radio, and culinary tour began when I first tasted a Chinese newspaper advertisements, restaurant guides, or 45 friends’ recommendations while tourists relied on delicacies (Dim Sum). Individuals, generations of travel guidebooks they bought prior to their family members, friends, and co-workers get departure or brochures created by Hong Kong together to enjoy dim sum for breakfast, brunch, or Tourism Board. Of course, they may choose lunch. Serving dim sum all day long, One Dim Sum restaurants at random. is a Michelin one-starred restaurant. Similar to Chinese cuisine is an umbrella term for eight Zagat Survey which rates restaurants across regional cooking styles in China, including America, Michelin is the oldest European rating Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Anhui, system for restaurants and hotels in Europe and Sichuan, Hunan, and Cantonese. For the purpose of around the world. While some bloggers at this paper, I focus on Cantonese style Chinese food openrice.com say One Dim Sum is their best dim because it is the local style of Hong Kong, and it is sum experience ever at a reasonable price, others popular in Chinatowns across America. Also, after say it does not deserve a star from Michelin because reviewing food blogs and travel guidebooks on it is nothing more than a typical dim sum restaurant. computers and mobile devices, I find that food Among 152 reviews at openrice.com, 87.5% of the blogs provide subjective opinions of locals and bloggers have an average to positive experience at tourists who have various levels of exposure to the One Dim Sum. Bloggers at openrice.com report the food or cuisines at restaurants, whereas travel average wait time for this 30-seat restaurant is about guidebooks tend to offer objective comments 30-45 minutes. Is their dim sum something to die written by veteran food critics and editors. For a for? Before making a decision, I consult given restaurant, there are usually more entries in a tripadvisor.com which shows that One Dim Sum food blog than a guidebook. Since food blogs ranks 4th out of 3869 restaurants listed on its reflect the experiences of common people and their website. I head to One Dim Sum with my parents, contents are more diverse, I prefer online food blogs my sister, and my three children by commuter rail, to guidebooks. without a doubt. Two food blogs will serve as my guide Among the 13 dishes we have ordered, most during my culinary tour in Hong Kong. The most of them look attractive and taste authentic. Four of popular food blogs consulted by locals (including them are worth discussing, namely, Steamed Cake non-Chinese) and tourists (including overseas in Mala Style (see FIG. 2.), Steamed Shrimp Chinese) are openrice.com and tripadvisor.com, Dumpling (see FIG. 3.), Turnip Cake with Dry respectively. Although locals and tourists are Salted Meat (FIG. 4.), and Boiled Chinese bloggers on both blogs, more locals post in Chinese Vegetable (FIG. 5.). They are standard dim sum at openrice.com while more tourists post in English served in Hong Kong and America. Let us take a at tripadvisor.com. Instead of selecting a Chinese look at their quality, value, and services. restaurant randomly, I make sure it appears in both Local bloggers praise and criticize dim sum food blogs because I am interested in analyzing without hesitation. At openrice.com, the most their food from a Chinese American perspective. highly recommended item is Steamed Cake in Mala Moreover, with the notion of exploration in mind, I Style. Almost every blogger who eats the steamed choose a restaurant I have never patronized. After a cake give it two thumbs up because it is “hot and brief survey of both food blogs, I enter “Prince fluffy,” “soft but not too sweet,” and “enough for Edward” as my preferred location and “dim sum” as four people.” I have never seen such a generous my favorite cuisine. One Dim Sum (see FIG.1.) portion of steamed cake in a bamboo steamer in my shows up. Is it a good place for lunch? life! The taste is not exactly the same as what I had Literally meaning “touch your heart,” dim when I was young, but it is pretty close. What about sum consists of steamed dishes in bamboo steamers Steamed Shrimp Dumpling, a classic dim sum item? and other baked, pan-fried, and deep-fried Two bloggers note that the skin (translucent 46 wrapper) is not as thin as expected while one of boiled vegetables before. They may not have any them finds the shrimp not big enough but fresh. A exposure to turnip or boiled vegetables before, and non-Chinese blogger who works in Hong Kong it all depends on their readiness to try. thinks the skin of shrimp dumpling “beautiful” and Bloggers at openrice.com and the shrimp “tasty.” Indeed, the thinner the skin, the tripadvisor.com focus on the value of food and the better the dumpling. Although the shrimp is not too service rendered. Whereas the value is embedded big, at least it is not stuffed with fillers. Another within their posts at openrice.com, such as “The two popular item is Turnip Cake with Dry Salted Meat. of us ordered six dishes and we are full and Most bloggers who order this item are disappointed satisfied. It costs less than [HK]$100” and “We because it is either “too starchy,” or there is “not ordered a lot (too much), but it didn’t bother us enough turnip,” or “not enough meat”. What the because the total bill came to $150 HKD for 3 bloggers write is absolutely accurate! Not only are people,” the posts at tripadvisor.com are flooded excessive flours added as fillers to substitute turnip with titles like “Great value for money,” “Cheap and meat, it is also not crispy enough after pan- and cheery dim sum place with a Michelin star,” frying.