Latest news with #congee
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- South China Morning Post
What's in a Chinese olive? The history behind the congee ingredient
As a Hongkonger, I have no childhood memories of the Chinese olive. Zero. And it wasn't until a few years ago I had my first encounter with this fruit in pickled form. Even without tasting it, the sight of the black-green paste, swaddled in oil the colour of a dark lake, told me it was going to be rich, or at the very least, interesting. What is that? I asked my mother, pointing at the jar. Her answer was plain: 'They're olives. Put them in your congee.' Tasting pickled olives for the first time is hard to describe, but I could tell right away I'd remember the taste for the rest of my life. It was far more subtle than what I'd thought of as a pickle – no acidity, no sharpness, no crunch. All of the soft chords and bass of a song, none of the treble: earthy umami, a silky texture, simple yet layered. And, as Mother said, fantastic on congee. Her introduction-to-olives lesson ended there. I'm not sure she knew what Chinese olives were. She perhaps assumed the same as I, that they were olives, just grown in Asia instead of the Mediterranean. We were wrong. Kwok Kam-kei throwing airplane olives up to his customers, in 1994. Photo: SCMP Archives Despite the name, the Chinese olive (Canarium album for Chinese white olives, Canarium pimela for Chinese black olives) is not related to its namesake in Europe (Olea europaea). Where European olives belong in the Oleaceae family of (wait for it) olive trees, Chinese olives belong in the Burseraceae family of resinous trees and shrubs, also known as incense trees. These trees are characterised by their resinous sap, which, historically, played a major role in the shipbuilding industry in China and Vietnam. Evidence suggests the tree was being cultivated for its resin as early as the 9th century. Pickled olive is a Chiuchow speciality , used throughout the cuisine, in fried rice, stir-fried dishes, steamed proteins such as ribs and fish, and, of course, congee. A jar of pickled olives contains a paste-like mixture of the fruit, along with mustard greens pickled in soy sauce and oil. An interesting piece of Chiuchow olive history is that they have another, nomenclaturally inaccurate name for the Chinese olive: betel nut. It was far more subtle than what I'd thought of as a pickle – no acidity, no sharpness, no crunch Vanessa Lee Similar to Taiwan, Fujian province and parts of Southeast Asia, the people of Chiuchow also chewed betel nut as a stimulant, but the practice was abandoned in the late Qing dynasty, with the nut being replaced with Chinese olives. The people of Chiuchow, however, still call it 檳榔, 'betel nut', or 珍果, 'precious fruit'.
South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Safeguard workers when businesses shut in Hong Kong
It is sad but true that the weak economy and a changing business environment are pushing more restaurants and retailers to the brink. The stakes are even higher when businesses that shut their doors leave workers in limbo. The financial and social costs to the wider society can be overwhelming. Advertisement Take, as an example, the abrupt closure of the Ocean Empire Food Shop. It came as a surprise, not least because, at its peak, it operated more than 30 congee restaurants around Hong Kong. What makes the chain's closure even more shocking is the poor handling of the affected workers, who were told to make claims over wages, payment in lieu of notice, accrued annual leave and severance pay directly to the Labour Department. The department said it had received requests for help from more than 100 staff members seeking outstanding wages and related payments worth HK$15 million. The restaurant chain has also reportedly failed to pay workers their wages and make Mandatory Provident Fund contributions on time. Advertisement The restaurant owners said they had spent more than HK$30 million of their personal funds to stay afloat, amid accusations that they had been irresponsible by referring workers to the labour authorities to claim unpaid wages.
South China Morning Post
11-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
What a 33-year-old congee chain's closure says about Hong Kong
The news of Ocean Empire, a 33-year-old congee restaurant chain, suddenly shutting down is not surprising. The catering industry has struggled mightily since Hong Kong reopened its borders after the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, and many local restaurants have bitten the dust. Advertisement The disrupter of the century so far, the pandemic has permanently changed so much in our lives – and not just in terms of people falling ill. We can see the effects of Covid-19 in every closed shop and struggling business . We can also see the impact of the measures taken to fight the pandemic in the lingering effects of prolonged isolation and limited socialisation on schoolchildren. Pandemic measures have changed our behaviour so much that Hongkongers are now eating out less . When the weekend arrives, people venture out to Shenzhen or other nearby mainland cities in search of better bargains and service. Revenge spending ' – the surge of spending that arose after months of boredom and sheltering in tiny living spaces – has turned into a habit for some. And as nostalgic as some of us are for the 'old' Hong Kong, far too many people continue to seek new experiences in new places. Even after the intrigue and excitement of the new wears off, the easy access to the mainland and the many choices and better prices businesses there offer consumers make it difficult to win back customers and diners at home. That is why the news of so many local restaurants shutting shop is alarming but no longer surprising. 03:39 Shop occupancy recovers in Hong Kong, but vacant stores still visible across the city Shop occupancy recovers in Hong Kong, but vacant stores still visible across the city Has enough been done to reverse this trend? Our government has definitely tried with some expensive campaigns, starting with ' Night Vibes Hong Kong ', in an effort to resuscitate the nightlife for which the city was once known. The pandemic choked off our nightlife and, after three years, we got accustomed to staying home.
South China Morning Post
10-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
‘We tried our best': owners of failed Hong Kong congee chain break silence
The owners of a Hong Kong congee restaurant chain that closed abruptly, leaving about 100 unpaid workers in limbo, have broken their silence, saying they made the difficult decision after selling their own property and enduring high interest loans in a bid to stay afloat, while pledging to strictly follow legal procedures. Advertisement The city's Labour minister said on Saturday that the government had been in touch with the company, the 33-year-old Ocean Empire Food Shop, as he sought to reassure workers that their wages would be largely recovered and paid within about three months. The owners' comments on Friday night followed mounting accusations that they had been ' irresponsible ' by referring workers to labour authorities to claim unpaid wages from a government fund. Founders Siu Chor-kee and Choi Wong-hoe said they sought to raise funds by selling their personal property, borrowing from others, using personal assets and enduring high interest loans to pay staff wages and cover operating expenses, but faced a sluggish economy and a worsening financial environment. 'Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have used more than HK$30 million of personal funds to make up for the company's losses,' they said. Advertisement 'We have always tried our best and tried every means to save the company and its business. Unfortunately, due to the extremely severe operating environment, we have no choice but to end the business.'
South China Morning Post
09-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong congee chain closure: what options do unpaid workers have?
Ocean Empire Food Shop, a popular 33-year-old congee restaurant chain, stunned Hongkongers following the abrupt closure of all its outlets, leaving more than 100 employees in limbo over unpaid wages. Advertisement The Post explores how workers can protect themselves in case of their employers' insolvency. 1. What happened to the Ocean Empire congee chain? The restaurant chain, held by Ocean Empire International, told employees about its decision to shut all its seven outlets and go into liquidation in a letter on Wednesday night, blaming worsening operating and financial conditions for the closure. It also told employees to file claims for outstanding wages, payment in lieu of notice, accrued annual leave and severance pay, and to consult the Labour Department regarding their legal rights. On Thursday, the department said it received requests for help from more than 80 staff members seeking outstanding wages and related payments of HK$8 million (US$1 million). Advertisement More than 100 employees have also sought help from a union, with up to 20 imported workers from mainland China facing eviction from their dormitory and anxious about being sent home without collecting unpaid wages. Founded in 1992, Ocean Empire was known for its Cantonese congees, fried dough sticks and rice noodle rolls – dishes typically served in a Chinese-style breakfast.
