Hong Kong, as the crossroads of eastern and western cultures, has developed a blend of eating habits incorporating Chinese, notably Cantonese, and western cuisines. It is has acquired a reputation as an "eating paradise". As a place where the world meets, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and Indian restaurants are also very common.

 

Most people serve Chinese cuisine at home. Whilst most people are of Cantonese ancestry, there are also many Hakka (especially the indigenous residents in the New Territories), Teochew (Chiu Chow, Chaozhou) and Shanghai peoples. Home dishes are usually a mixture of these traditions with rice being the main course of meals.

 

Indigenous residents in the New Territories have a tradition of having poon choi during festivals. Cake shops in Yuen Long are famous for lo por cakes.

 

Traditional breakfast food includes congee and yau cha kwai (literally oil-fried ghosts), however, bread and butter, sausage and eggs etc., are becoming more popular.