Sharing is caring, in Hong Kong

I recently went for a meal over in Shek O on the south side of Hong Kong Island and I’ve discovered something about the eating habits of Hong Kong that is completely foreign.

In England you order from a set menu, each to his own, and although you may order a side of onion rings or possibly even a salad to share, if you’re that way inclined, the vast majority of people are happy with their own choice. Even when ordering foreign food from a take away, in England, you’re likely to have your own dish. This is the way of the English.

The thing about moving to a foreign country, however, is that you’re thrust into embracing foreign habits and customs. Most of these are not too taxing, for example; everyone sweats in Hong Kong in the summer “apparently” and it’s just accepted, no one ever wears a tie to work, beer is considered liquid gold with a price tag to match and the business card is the Hong Kong hand shake. The strangest of these customs, however, comes at meal time.

Instead of ordering a set meal each, everyone orders a dish from the menu, and it’s shared between the table. Just think about how vicious it would get if you had to share your meal with several people in England. At Uni if anyone came close to steeling your chips they’d risk losing a finger. I’m guessing this is why the Chinese invented chopsticks, blunted instruments that make it impossible to take too much food at once. This technically prevents selfishness and injury, unless of course you take a chopstick in the eye.

After a few months of deliberation, however, I have come to love the concept of a shared meal. You can pick and choose, benefit from a variety of flavors and usually enjoy more food then from a set meal. I don’t see the concept taking off in England anytime soon though so I think I’ll stay out here a little longer.

In Hong Kong sharing really is caring. If only the Chinese could invent something to remove the side effects of eating spicy foods.