用英國本地食材做香港湯羹 Making Hong Kong Soups with Ingredients in the UK

香港文化其中一個特點是我們對湯的喜愛。儘管許多傳統湯水需要從中式超市購買特定材料，有些湯羹卻可以用英國本地食材輕鬆製作得到。這裏分享十個我喜愛的湯羹。

1. 西湖牛肉羹：免治牛肉、芫茜和蛋都可以在本地超市輕易買到。
2. 粟米豆腐羹：在超市買豆腐和粟米，豆腐是盒裝的，粟米可以買雪藏粟米粒，或買新鮮粟米切出粟米粒。
3. 豆腐海鮮羹： 材料採用豆腐、蝦、帶子（新鮮、雪藏皆可），可按個人口味選擇海鮮，還可以加入蟹柳，它在本地超市也不難買到。
4. 番茄薯仔肉片湯： 番茄和薯仔當然都很容易找，至於豬肉，我通常用柳梅，它在本地超市也很常見。
5. 甘筍蘋果排骨螺肉湯： 在香港常用的乾螺頭，我用新鮮的螺肉代替，味道一樣鮮甜！我在海鮮店買螺肉回來，雪在冰格，需要時拿出來煲湯。至於排骨，我從超市購買一整條的排骨，將頭尾的小塊切下來做其他菜，中間的長骨則用來煲湯。
6. 翠玉瓜粒粒湯：翠玉瓜、豬肉、蝦和帶子固然都很容易在本地超市買得到，但令人喜出望外的是，原來乾冬菇在本地超市也有售。加入冬菇，這美味的湯水更有香港的味道！
7. 粟米湯： 這個湯的材料非常簡單，只需要粟米（雪藏或新鮮皆可）和雞蛋！香港常見的罐頭粟米湯，在英國只在中式超市看見，價錢不便宜。自己煲粟米湯，不但更化算，更比罐頭湯美味很多呢！
8. 甘筍粟米瘦肉湯： 這些食材都不難找到！
9. 芫茜魚片湯： 我選用雪藏的白魚。芫茜我則通常買盆栽那種，剪下葉子做湯後，就讓盆栽繼續在花園中重新長出葉片。
10. 甘筍合掌瓜瘦肉湯： 你可能會訝異，合掌瓜在本地一些亞洲食品店，甚至在超市，都不難找，尤其在夏天！

將香港湯水文化融入英國生活並不困難。無論你是經驗老到的廚師，抑或初入廚房，我希望這些湯羹的意念能為身在英國的香港人提供一些靈感。

One aspect of the Hong Kong culture is our love for nourishing soups. While it is true that many traditional soups require specific ingredients from Chinese supermarkets, some can be made using ingredients that are easily accessible locally.

1. West Lake Beef Soup (西湖牛肉羹): Minced beef, coriander and eggs are all readily available in local supermarkets.
2. Corn and Tofu Soup (粟米豆腐羹): You can make this soup using tofu and corn (frozen or fresh ones on cobs), both of which are available in local supermarkets.
3. Seafood Tofu Soup (海鮮豆腐羹): Use tofu and your favourite seafood such as prawns or scallops (fresh or frozen). You might also consider adding seafood sticks (蟹柳) which are surprising easy to get in local supermarkets.
4. Tomato, Potato and Sliced Pork Soup (番茄薯仔肉片湯): Tomatoes and potatoes are incredibly available. For the pork, I use pork fillet pork (柳梅) which is also not hard to get.
5. Carrot, Apple, Pork Rib and Escargot Soup (甘筍蘋果排骨螺肉湯): Instead of dried escargot (螺頭) I used to have in Hong Kong, I use fresh escargots (or called whelks) from fish shops. I freeze them and use them to make soups when needed. As for the pork ribs, I get them from the supermarket, cutting off the small pieces at the ends for other dishes while keeping the long bones in the middle for making soup.
6. Courgette, Diced Pork and Seafood Soup (翠玉瓜粒粒湯): While courgette, pork fillet, prawns and scallops are understandably easy to find, you may be surprised to learn that shiiltake mushrooms are also available in some local supermarkets. Shiiltake mushrooms add the flavours of home to this hearty soup.
7. Cream of Corn (粟米湯): All you need is corn (frozen or fresh) and eggs! It tastes better than canned ones which are basically only found in Chinese supermarkets.
8. Carrot, Corn and Pork Soup (甘筍粟米瘦肉湯): These ingredients are not difficult to find at all!
9. Coriander Fish Soup (芫茜魚片湯): I use frozen white fish for this soup. I usually get living coriander plants in pots, and let them regrow in my garden after cutting the leaves off for making this soup.
10. Carrot and Chayote Soup with Lean Pork (甘筍合掌瓜瘦肉湯): You may be surprised to learn that it is not hard to find chayote in some local Asian food stores and even in some supermarkets, especially during summer!

Incorporating the spirit of Hong Kong’s soup culture into our lives in the UK doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a novice cook, I hope these soup ideas offer inspiration for what is possible in the British-Hong Kong kitchen.