Skin deep: 5 skins we love to eat in Hong Kong
Thrift is a virtue. And food-crazed Hong Kongers are most virtuous when it comes to eating.
Kitchens in Hong Kong take care to make every last part of a butchered animal taste good so nothing is wasted. In particular, the skin is never considered superfluous. The skins of animals and plants are prized for their oil-rich, flavorful and nutritious composition.
Here are five skins -- including fruit skins -- that we love to eat the most:
Skin chips
Fish skin tastes best when done Chiu Chow-style. The skin is deep-fried and served with a rich broth and a bowl of noodles.
The crispy fish skin is dipped briefly into broth so it becomes slightly soggy with a crunchy middle.
Think of it as the Chinese version of chips and dip, with extra nutrition as fish skin is rich in collagen.
It tastes not unlike the batter from English fish-and-chips with a strong whiff of the sea.
Chiu Chow people prefer flathead mullet for making fish skin chips. But in other Chinese provinces, a fish such as shark or eel which has a thicker skin is considered best for steaming and stir-frying or even for spicy fish skin salads.
Where to get it: Shui Kee serves a perfectly crisp and not too fishy housemade deep-fried fish skin. 2 Gutzlaff St., Central, +852 2541 9769
Priciest "skin"
Chenpi is sundried mandarin peel that is used to flavor all kinds of dishes in a Cantonese kitchen.
The peel has to be stored for at least three years to be considered real "chenpi," which literally means "old skin" in Cantonese.
From braised abalone to sweet red bean soup, or congee and a cup of tea, there is no end to the Cantonese dishes that could benefit from the aniseed-like taste of chenpi.
The older the mandarin peel, the more rare its aromas. A catty (500 grams) of 80-year-old chenpi can fetch up to HK$5,000.
It may not look like much, but chenpi has great value in traditional Chinese medicine. It is used to improve the digestive system and eliminate dampness.
Chenpi can also be sugared and eaten as a candy. It tastes a bit like licorice. Kids love it.
Where to get it: Lin Heung Tea House serves beef balls with chenpi during the dim sum service from 6 a.m.-3.30 p.m. 160-164 Wellington St., Central, +852 2544 4556. Lin Heung Tea House on CNNGo.
Photo may induce goosebumps.
The new bacon
Diners who are still avoiding chicken skin on a yakitori menu should make it a New Year's resolution to give it a try.
Crispy char-grilled chicken skin is a star in a Japanese or Korean skewers meal.
We're crazy for yakitori in Hong Kong and fans of chicken skin skewers proclaim it the new bacon.
Slivers of skin turn slowly over hot coals, the fat gradually renders, the edges furl and the color deepens to a golden brown as the sauce caramelizes.
Still not convinced? Then check out the chicken skin tumblr to see how the bumpy flesh is appreciated around the world.
Where to get it: Yardbird does a mean crispy chicken skin with egg rice. 33-35 Bridges St., Sheung Wan, +852 2547 9273 www.yardbirdrestaurant.com.
Also on CNNGo: Yardbird: Hong Kong's 'it' restaurant
Thick-skinned
The pomelo fruit's rind is thick and rubbery. It's more like a building material than anything related to food.
But Cantonese cooks have found a way to make it edible -- even delicious.
Preparation for the signature dish pomelo rind with shrimp roe and gravy can take a few days.
The rind must be rinsed, boiled, soaked and dried to get rid of the bitterness. It's practically half-digested by this stage. Then it is simmered in a rich broth for a few hours before plating.
The result is a piece of rind resembling a steak, encircled by gravy and covered in a heap of shrimp roe. It should fall apart in your mouth and have just a hint of bitterness.
Where to get it: Luk Yu Tea House serves traditional pomelo peel with shrimp roe. 24 Stanley St., Central, +852 2523 5464. Luk Yu Tea House on CNNGo.
The muffin tops of poultry
Peking duck deserves its creds as China's national dish. Salty-sweet duck with greasy juices, wrapped with refreshing cucumber, zesty spring onions and rich hoisin sauce. It's a cultural experience in a bite.
But really Peking duck is so good because it is a meal of just the skin of a perfectly roasted duck. In other words, the best part of the duck. It's like eating just the tops of a muffin, making Peking duck the most decadent dish of skin.
Gourmands like to argue whether Peking duck done in the food capital of Hong Kong is actually better than the same dish in Beijing.
Where to get it: Spring Deer is famed for its Peking duck; 42 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, +852 2366 4012/ 5839. Peking Garden also has yet to fail us; Shop B1, Alexandra House, 16-20 Chater Road, Central, +852 2526 6456
