那些曾經垂手可得的美食 Delicacies that were Once Easily Available
家住英國，一些以前在香港隨時買得到的小食，現在都要自己做才有得吃，因為刻意去亞洲超市購買的話，非但路途遙遠，食品的質素也沒有保證。最近我嘗試做了瑞士卷、豆腐花、素鴨、酸齋，有些效果不錯，有些尚待改善。
Living in the UK, many of the snacks I used to get easily in Hong Kong are not very accessible here. Even if I make a deliberate trip to the Asian supermarkets, these food items may not be available, and if they are, they may not always be of good quality. As a result, I now have to make these food items myself if I want to enjoy them. Recently, I have tried making Swiss Roll, Tofu Pudding, Vegetarian Duck (Beancurd Rolls), and Sweet and Sour Wheat Gluten. Some attempts were successful; others needed improvement.
瑞士卷 Swiss Roll
我依照這個食譜來製作，蛋糕的質地很鬆軟，蛋味濃郁，比英國市面出售的固然好吃得多，難得的是比起以前在香港店鋪購買的，也絕不遜色！
I followed this recipe to make the Swiss Roll. The cake turned out really soft with a rich egg flavour. It’s definitely tastier than the ones sold here in the UK, and surprisingly, it’s even better than the ones bought in some Hong Kong shops!
豆腐花 Tofu Pudding
我做的是簡化版豆腐花，用豆漿和大菜製作。我看見多個食譜都是用1000cc豆漿、6克大菜這個比例，可是我按這個比例做出來的豆腐花質地很結實，像豆腐布甸多一些，不知道是否因為大菜太輕，份量量得不準。然而，只要不視它為豆腐花，作為一個甜品，它是非常美味可口的。
I made a simplified version of Tofu Pudding using soy milk and agar. Most recipes suggest using 1000cc of soy milk and 6 grams of agar. But when I followed this ratio, the texture was quite firm, lacking the softness of traditional Tofu Pudding. Maybe I measured the ingredients incorrectly since agar is quite light. Nevertheless, it was still a delicious dessert – just don’t expect it to be like the Tofu Pudding you normally have.
素鴨 Vegetarian Duck (Beancurd Roll)
以前在香港，素鴨實在太容易買了，從未想過自己做，所以到現在我才知道原來只需要用腐皮就做得到，而且方法很簡單。我按這個食譜來製作，味道有點過鹹，下次會試試自己調另一個汁。
In Hong Kong, Vegetarian Duck was so easy to buy that I never thought of making it myself. It wasn’t until now that I realised its ingredient only consists of bean curd sheets and it is rather easy to make. I followed this recipe, but it turned out a bit too salty. Next time, I’ll try making a different sauce.
酸齋 Sweet and Sour Wheat Gluten
這也是一個簡化版，用罐頭齋鮑魚，加上酸甜醬烹調而成，比起自製麵筋省卻不少功夫。我之前做過一次，覺得齋鮑魚本身的調味過重，阻礙了吸收酸甜醬的能力。故今次我先用熱水浸泡齋鮑魚，去除它的味道，才加入酸甜醬烹煮，最後得出不錯的味道。雖然它跟真正的酸齋仍然相差一截，但作為懶惰版，已算不錯。
This is another simplified recipe, using canned vegetarian abalone (a kind of wheat gluten) cooked with sweet and sour sauce. This saved me from the work of making wheat gluten dough from scratch. The first time I made this dish, I found the flavour of the vegetarian abalone too strong, preventing it from sucking up the sweet and sour sauce. This time, I soaked the vegetarian abalone in hot water to remove its flavour before putting it into sweet and sour sauce. The result was pretty good. Although it’s still not quite like the authentic sweet and sour vegetarian dish, it’s not bad for a lazy version.
重現這些心愛的小吃是一段美好的旅程，它不僅提供了在英國難以獲得香港小吃，也令我更加欣賞這些熟悉的味道，那邊試驗邊改進的過程，也帶來創作的樂趣和成功感。
Recreating these beloved snacks has been a wonderful journey. It not only fills the gap left by the difficulty of finding Hong Kong snacks in the UK but also enhances my appreciation for these familiar flavours. The process of experimenting and improving along the way has also brought me the joy of creativity and a sense of accomplishment.
