“More people talk about food, not merely as a food review, but about the relationship between the community and our food. “In the last decade, there has been a rise in the need to understand our local identity in Hong Kong,” says Siu Yan Ho, a lecturer in food literature and cultural studies at Hong Kong’s Lingnan University. I was surprised by how the humble waffle has subtly weaved its way into becoming a strong part of our city’s history and culture since its invention in the 1950s. How was the first bubble waffle invented?Ī few years after my one-year stint as a bubble waffle vendor, I was back in Hong Kong and ready to learn more about the history and stories of the Hong Kong snack to which we’ve grown so accustomed.
The rise of bubble tea, one of Taiwan's most beloved beverages “Hong Kong bubble waffle?” the Korean traveler asked. Nine months later, I opened for business in London. It was a soft pancake disguised as a bubble waffle.įrom that moment, I decided I’d introduce my own version of gai daan jai to London.īack in Hong Kong, I took a crash course from a retired waffle street vendor. I took a bite and instantly felt cheated. The “new” bubble waffle was rolled up into a cone, which was stuffed with colorful ice cream and toppings. It was a response to a bad gai daan jai experience a year earlier, when I tried a reinvented egg waffle in another London street food market. I used to hold similar views, until 2016, when I quit my full-time job and moved to London where, one cold winter, I opened a street market stall selling Hong Kong bubble waffles under an undersized tarp that barely kept out the relentless rainwater. The waffle is curled into a cone and filled with ice cream or whipped cream. What’s so special about Hong Kong egg waffles? “Are you sure you want to write about bubble waffles? Why not char siu (barbecue roasted pork) or something more remarkable?” “I’ve looked everywhere but couldn’t find anything about Hong Kong bubble waffle irons in my father’s old sketches and notes,” says Leung Wing Cheung, the third-generation owner of the century-old kitchenware store/factory.
Choy Tung Shing is one the oldest remaining blacksmiths in Hong Kong – most famous for its handmade ovens used for Cantonese roasted pork and goose.īut there, too, the owner struggled with my request. “Choy Tung Shing may be your best chance.” “We all import our waffle irons from China these days,” said one shopkeeper. Filled with kitchenware shops, it’s a popular destination for those buying bubble waffle irons. I kicked off my quest with a visit to Shanghai Street in Kowloon. Called “gai daan jai” in Cantonese, their texture can be described as a cookie and sponge cake hybrid. When I decided to write a story about the origins of Hong Kong bubble waffles – also known as “egg waffles” – I thought it would be easy.Ī seemingly unexceptional cheap street food found throughout the city, these snacks are crispy on the outside, while each “bubble” is fluffy on the inside.
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