What is Hakka Food?

Posted on May 31, 2025 by lla

Hakka Stuffed Tofu from Hakka Restaurant — Stuffed Tofu

What is Hakka food? I grew up in California eating Chinese food at home with occasional nights of tacos, spaghetti, and chicken pot pies. Most of our meals centered around a bowl of rice. I really didn’t give much thought if the food was Hakka or Chinese, to me it was just comfort food.

It wasn’t until I started researching this book that I tried to define Hakka food. I asked every Hakka I met and got many answers: satisfying, fatty, robust flavors, rustic food of the working man. Preserved vegetables and meats play a prominent part in their diet. Soy sauce, rice wine and their by-products, fermented bean curd, and fermented bean sauces season the foods.

But as I ate Hakka dishes around the world, the definition seemed to encompass a much wider range of foods. Many of the Hakka classics fit the previous definition, but what the Hakka eat today maintains traditional flavors but also adapts to their new adopted homes and a different lifestyle than their ancestors. Fresher ingredients, more seafood, and new seasonings broaden the diet. Innovative Hakka cooks add variety, lighten dishes, and create new recipes.

Some Cantonese might try some of the recipes in this cookbook and say it tastes like what they ate at home. It’s not a coincidence. Some call Hakka food the country cousin of Cantonese cuisine. It makes sense. Both groups lived side-by-side, although not amicably, in southern China for centuries. Abroad, they were often forced to live together. So many dishes bear a similarity. Even at Cantonese restaurants, often a few Hakka dishes appear on the menu.

Compared to Cantonese dishes, I find Hakka food tastes more satisfying, with stronger flavors. Because many Hakka lived inland, seafood was not readily available. Pork stews and braised chicken, often dark with soy sauce, were common. Yet many dishes, especially fresh vegetables were simply cooked, letting natural flavors emerge. Preserved vegetables, meats, and seasonings also played a prominent role in their diet because these foods lasted a long time, an asset for those who migrated often and whose access to fresh ingredients were sometimes limited. Salt and dehydration extended their shelf life and attributed a salty flavor to some of the finished dishes.

For me, Hakka food is Chinese soul food. It comforts my soul and satisfies my stomach.

Taste the Hakka soul in this pork and mustard green stew

Posted on March 11, 2025 by lla

Soy-Simmered Pork and Salted Mustard Greens

Taste traditional Hakka flavors in this easy pork stew. This dish pairs two Hakka staple ingredients, salted mustard greens and pork. They simmer together with a generous dose of garlic and rice wine. Dark, sweet soy sauce gives it a deep inky hue and salty-sweet-sour flavor. The result tastes distinctively Hakka.

Fah Liong, my Hakka mentor, contributed this recipe to the The Hakka Cookbook. Her Indonesian roots show up in her use of kecap manis, an Indonesian sweet soy sauce. The syrupy soy sauce infuses the stew with a dark, glossy, finish and a salty, sweet, taste. The salted mustard greens, popular in Hakka dishes, balance the richness of the pork and the sweetness of the soy sauce. Serve the soy-braised pork with mounds of hot rice.

Soy-Simmered Pork and Salted Mustard Greens

For a more detailed recipe, see page 222 in The Hakka Cookbook. The dish can be made a day ahead made; cool, cover, and chill. Reheat, covered, over low heat, adding a little extra water, as needed.

3 cups salted mustard greens (about 1 1/4 lb.), rinsed and cut in 1 1/2-inch squares
¼ cup vegetable oil
⅓ cup minced garlic
2 pounds boneless pork butt, cut in 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups Chinese rice wine (shaoxing) or dry sherry
3 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) OR mix 2 tablespoons each dark soy sauce (see notes, following) and packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (or 4 teaspoons light or regular soy sauce plus 2 teaspoons molasses)
Salt

Soak the mustard greens in water at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours, changing water occasionally. Drain and squeeze excess water out of the mustard greens.
Set a 14-inch wok or 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add the oil and garlic. Stir-fry until garlic is lightly browned, about 15 seconds. Add the pork and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat is lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the wine, mustard greens, kecap manis, sugar, and dark soy sauce.
Bring the pork mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pork is tender when pierced, 1 ½ to 2 hours. If liquid evaporates before the meat is tender, add a little water as needed, and continue simmering. With a slotted spoon lift out pork and mustard greens and transfer to a serving dish. Skim off the fat from pan juices and discard. Taste juices and if too watery, boil, uncovered, over high heat until juices are reduced to about 1 cup. Taste and add salt and more sugar, if needed. Pour over pork. Makes 6 to 8 main-dish servings.
Notes: For a quick substitute for dark soy sauce (aka black soy sauce, double black soy sauce, mushroom soy sauce) use 2 parts light or regular soy sauce plus 1 part molasses

Happy Chinese New Year!

Posted on January 14, 2025 by lla

Year of the Snake

Happy Chinese New Year! Khiung Hee Fat Choy! 恭禧發財 Gong Hay Fat Choy! On January 29, 2025, we welcome the start of the Lunar New Year of the Snake. Celebrate the Chinese New Year with a feast. Gather family and friends around the table filled with foods that symbolize auspicious messages: wealth, luck, success, unity, growth, and longevity.

 As I plan the menu for our family’s new year feast, I look through The Hakka Cookbook for ideas. I like our family meals to be a cooperative effort, sort of an organized potluck plus cooking lesson. It’s easier and more fun to share the cooking duties and hopefully everyone can learn something new.

For my grandchildren, who are now teenagers, I like to include one cooking activity. In the past, we made won tons, dumplings, and pot stickers. This year we may make Stuffed Tofu. It’s a Hakka classic and not too difficult. The Hakka invented stuffed tofu when they could not find wheat flour in their new home in the south to make the dumplings they ate in their former home in northern China.

There are many variations of Stuffed Tofu (釀豆腐 Hakka: nyiong tiu fu; Mandarin: niang dou fu). In the basic Hakka version, the filling starts with ground pork. When the Hakka migrated to coastal areas, they might add shrimp or salted fish, or fresh fish paste. The seasonings vary depending on the cook. Common ones include garlic, ginger, green onions, cilantro, soy sauce, dried tangerine peel, and dried mushrooms. This versatile filling can also be used to fill vegetables such as eggplant, chilies, mushrooms, or bitter melons.

The tofu may be cut in different ways. For the simplest way, cut the tofu into thick squares or rectangles. Then dig out a shallow cavity in the center to hold the filling. Or if you’re dexterous, cut the tofu in thick triangles, then carve a slot-like pocket into the long side to cradle the filling (as pictured at left.)

The stuffed tofu can be cooked in different ways: steamed, pan-browned and braised, poached, and deep-fried. Look for different variations: Uncle Henry’s Tofu Triangles (recipe on page 31), Natalie Com Liu’s Tofu Topped with Pork (pictured below, recipe on page 33), Braised Fried Tofu with Pork (page 76), Fah’s Stuffed Tofu Triangles (page 215), and Stuffed Tofu Soup (page 216.)

To add more luck to the meal, we’ll probably add some green vegetables for growth such as the Chinese Broccoli in Sweet Rice Wine (page 230 ), Stir-fried Chinese Lettuce and Wine Rice (page 50), Lettuce with Garlic and Black Beans (pictured below, page 57), or Iceberg Lettuce with Garlic (page 27).

Noodles represent long life. Choose from the dark, umami-rich Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce (page 104), the lighter Garlic Noodles and Shrimp (pictured below, page 193), or the dark Sweet Soy Chow Mein (page 178). Fish is a must-have on Chinese New Year table. The fish brings surplus and abundance to the new year. I like the Steamed Fish with Green Onions (page 39) or the Braised Fish in Black Bean Sauce (page 137).

Possibly we may cook the famous Hakka Salt-baked Chicken (page 64) or the easier Salt-Poached Chicken (page 226). Or maybe we’ll buy a Chinese roast duck.

For me, Chinese New Year is about food and family. Khiung Hee Fat Choy 恭禧發財! Happy New Year!!

Buy The Hakka Cookbook

Holiday gift for Hakka

Posted on December 2, 2024 by lla

Looking for the perfect gift for your Hakka family or friend? Consider The Hakka Cookbook. It’s a great primer for those who want to know more about their Hakka history and identity.

Popo, my grandmother, always told me, “You should be proud to be Hakka.” I never understood why. Long after she passed away, I wrote the book to find the answer. This book follows my journey to find my Hakka identity. It explores our unique history of migration and shows how it shaped the Hakka character and cuisine. I traveled around the world and interviewed many Hakka who shared their stories and recipes in this book.

Best Chinese Cuisine Cookbook in the World in 2012

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards recognized The Hakka Cookbook as Best Chinese Cuisine Cookbook in 2012.

You can order the book from your local bookstore. Or you can find it online at many outlets around the world such as Amazon and Kinokuniya. Click this link to find other sources for different areas. You can also buy the book directly from the publisher University of California Press.

This year a Taiwan publisher translated The Hakka Cookbook into Chinese. You can order the Chinese translation directly from SMC Books.

Buy The Hakka Cookbook

Bitter melon soup, a Hakka classic

Posted on September 5, 2024 by lla

Summer brings bitter melon (foo gwa). We can find them at the Hmong’s stand at our farmers market. Their appearance prompts curious questions. They don’t look much like melons, their shape is more like a slender gourd or a plump cucumber. Their shiny bumpy skin is furrowed with deep wrinkles and their interior is filled with a white pithy mesh of seeds. Like their name implies, they are bitter. Although Hakka and many Asians love their strong numbing bite, it’s an acquired taste for many. Although I love bitter in many forms, I’ve find most times they are simply too bitter for me.

My father loved them so much that when he retired, he grew them in his garden. His recipe for the Hakka classic, stuffed bitter melon soup is on page 24 of The Hakka Cookbook.

My husband also loves bitter melon. Last weekend we bought two bitter melons at the market. I’m making his favorite, stuffed bitter melon soup tonight. I will use all pork for the filling, You can vary the filling to your taste. Many add some minced shrimp or fish to lighten it. I like to season the pork with some minced ginger, garlic, green onions, cilantro, soy sauce, shaoxing wine, salt, and pepper. Add some cornstarch to help bind it together. Slice the gourd crosswise into thick rings and scoop out the seeds. Pack the meat mixture into the bitter melon rings. then slide them into the simmering broth. Simmer the soup until the melon is tender. Tonight, I had some filling leftover so I dropped spoonfuls of the mixture into the broth. I also added some sliced carrots and celery to the soup because I had some in the refrigerator. Success! He ate three bowls.

Feeling adventurous? Give bitter melons a try.

The birth of Chino Latino cuisine

Posted on March 30, 2024 by lla

In a recent article in Taste Cooking, Jess Eng writes about the history and spread of Chino Latino cuisine throughout Latin America. Now with a growing population of Asian-Latino immigrants in the United States, you’ll find chefs who recreate Asian-influenced foods they grew up with, adding their own signature to these dishes. Many came from Peru, Cuba, and Dominican Republic. Their fluid fusion cuisine began with the Chinese immigration to Latin America.

Chinatown in Lima, Peru

In 2007, I first encountered this blend of Chinese and Latin cuisines in Lima, Peru. I was there to research the Hakka diaspora for The Hakka Cookbook. Lima boasted the largest Chinatown in South America. A large concentration of Hakka once lived there. Lima’s Chinatown looked much like others throughout the world with it’s mix of markets, restaurants, temples, and gift shops. Shops sold Asian greens and vegetables stacked high, shiny mahogany-hued roasted ducks hanging from hooks, and fresh whole fish glistening with freshness. Yet a Latin vibe pulsated through the streets. Spanish signs and a mix of Spanish phrases with Chinese echoed a Latin American environment. A fusion of Chinese and Hispanic features showed in the faces of many vendors and customers.

Chinese change the Peruvian Diet

Professor Jorge Salazar (now deceased) explained how the Chinese changed the Peruvian diet. The first Chinese came as early as the 16th century, but the largest influx started in 1849, when over one hundred thousand Chinese migrants replaced the black workers. Most came from Canton (now Guangdong). Many were Hakka. They worked as contract laborers on sugar plantations, the railroad, and guano mines. Although they worked under exploitative contracts, the Chinese workers demanded rice, essential to their diet. This forced landowners to import and grow rice, a new food for this country. The Chinese also introduced Chinese vegetables and the wok with its stir-fry technique.

After surviving their contacts, the Chinese set up their own businesses. Some started restaurants that served traditional Chinese dishes. Others looking for a way to grow the business, created dishes that mixed local ingredients with Chinese cooking techniques and seasonings. This merger produced lomo saltado, a popular dish of stir-fried beef strips with French fries, tomatoes, and onions. Served with rice, this dish epitomizes a Chino Latino fusion dish with Chinese stir-fry technique and Chinese soy sauce with Peruvian potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers. These restaurants catered to the Peruvian tastes and were called chifas. Peruvians grew to love these brighter, colorful, sweeter dishes and the spread of chifas grew.

Now as these Chino Latino immigrants explore and expand on their cuisine in the United States, we can taste the strong impact of the Chinese immigrants in their homeland long ago. The influence of the Chinese immigration continues to spread around the world.

Chinese restaurants around the world

Posted on April 7, 2023 by lla

Have you noticed that everywhere you go around the world, you will find a Chinese restaurant? Cheuk Kwan, a Canadian film-maker and now author, explores this global phenomenon in his new book, Have you Eaten Yet? The book follows Kwan’s exploration of family-run Chinese restaurants from the Arctic to South Africa, from Trinidad to India. The restaurants symbolize the Chinese migration. Kwan tells the stories of these immigrants and how they adapted to their new homes while maintaining their Chinese culture.

Last weekend, Kwan was in the Bay Area to promote his new book. The best way to discuss a book about Chinese restaurants is over a good Chinese meal. So we shared lunch at the Hakka Restaurant in San Francisco. The book records his journey he took over two decades ago when he produced the documentary series Chinese Restaurants. He goes behind the scenes and reveals the feelings, emotions, and soul of these Chinese migrants.

I first met Kwan, shortly after his film series was released in 2004. My daughter had seen one of his episodes at a film festival and suggested I see his series for my book research. I ordered his 15 episode DVD set. Many of his restaurateurs were Hakka, like my father, immigrants looking for a way to make a living.

I contacted Kwan and asked him about his Hakka chefs. He suggested we meet because he would be in the Bay Area for a film festival next week. Our projects shared a similar focus on the global Chinese diaspora.

I was still in the early days of research for my Hakka cookbook. Kwan told me I needed to go to Toronto. He said he could set me up with a Hakka friend who could gather many contacts for me. Within a few weeks, I was in Scarborough, a suburb of Toronto, sharing a meal with a dozen new Hakka friends. They came from all over the world. I interviewed them, asking about their stories and their food. Many of their stories and recipes found their way into The Hakka Cookbook. I’m so grateful to have met Cheuk Kwan.

I asked him about his documentary series, Chinese Restaurants. He said he has posted the episodes on YouTube so everyone can see it. Read “Have you eaten yet?” then view his series to see their faces. It’s an insightful view of the Chinese diaspora. Click this link to see.

The next day at a book signing event at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Kwan shared some of his experiences writing the book. Martin Yan also interviewed him about the Chinese diaspora. Read the book and enjoy the historical and revealing journey of Chinese migrants who dared to open a restaurant across the world.

Happy Year of the Rabbit!

Posted on January 15, 2023 by lla

Happy Chinese New Year! Khiung Hee Fat Choy! It’s a time of renewal and feasting. In 2023, January 22, marks the start of the Year of the Rabbit. You are a rabbit if you were born in 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, and 2023. On the Chinese horoscope, each year is dominated by an animal sign: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal has special characteristics. This year looks generally positive and favorable for Rabbits, especially in the first quarter. There could be some challenges later in the year.

A family reunion feast is central to the Chinese New Year celebration. The table is traditionally filled with foods that send auspicious messages to attract wealth, luck, success, unity, and longevity.

As I plan the menu for our family’s new year feast, I’m looking through The Hakka Cookbook for ideas. I like our meals to be a cooperative effort, sort of an organized potluck plus cooking lesson. It’s easier to share cooking duties and hopefully everyone can learn something new. For my grandchildren, I try to include one cooking activity. In the past, we have made won tons, dumplings, and pot stickers. This year we may make Stuffed Tofu (pages 31, 33), sort of a Hakka version of dumplings. The Hakka invented stuffed tofu when they could not find wheat flour in their new home in the south to make the dumplings they ate in the former home in northern China.

Fish is a must-have on Chinese New Year table. The fish brings surplus and abundance to the new year. I like the Steamed Fish with Green Onions (page 39) or the Braised Fish in Black Bean Sauce (page 137). Steaming or braising keeps the delicate flesh moist and is so easy. A green vegetable represents growth in business. I love the simplicity of the stir-fried Chinese Broccoli in Sweet Rice Wine (page 230).

Egg or spring rolls look like gold bars, signifying wealth. We could make Spicy Egg Rolls (page184) or the Hakka Egg Rolls (page 170).

Braised Chicken Stuffed with Preserved Mustard Greens

Possibly we may cook the famous Hakka Salt-baked Chicken (page 64) or some of the easier variations. For a special dish, consider making the Braised Chicken stuffed with Preserved Mustard Greens (page 233). Or maybe we’ll buy a Chinese roast duck.

For me, Chinese New Year is about food and family. Khiung Hee Fat Choy! Happy New Year!

Happy Year of the Tiger!

Posted on January 28, 2022 by lla

Happy Chinese New Year! Khiung Hee Fat Choy ????! It’s a time of renewal and feasting. In 2022, February 1, marks the start of the Year of the Tiger. On the Chinese horoscope, each year is dominated by an animal sign: Rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey rooster, dog, and pig. Each animal has special characteristics. This is the year of the tiger. Some horoscopes predict this year symbolizes spontaneity, novelty, and determinism.

A family reunion feast is central to the Chinese New Year celebration. The table is traditionally filled with foods that send auspicious messages to attract wealth, luck, success, unity, longevity.

As I plan the menu for our family’s new year feast, I’m looking through The Hakka Cookbook for ideas. I like our meals to be a cooperative effort, sort of an organized potluck plus cooking lesson. It’s easier to share cooking duties and hopefully everyone can learn something new. For my grandchildren, I try to include one cooking activity. In the past, we have made won tons, dumplings, and pot stickers. This year we may make Stuffed Tofu (pages 31, 33). The Hakka invented stuffed tofu when they could not find wheat flour in their new home in the south to make the dumplings they ate in the former home in northern China.

Natalie Com Liu's Tofu topped with Pork — Natalie Com Liu’s Tofu Topped with Pork from The Hakka Cookbook page 33

Hakka Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce — Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce from The Hakka Cookbook page 104

Noodles represent long life. I like the dark, umami-rich flavor of Noodles with Mushroom Pork Sauce (page 104). Or perhaps we’ll cook Garlic Noodles and Shrimp (page 193), sort of a Hakka-style Chow Mein. Fish is a must-have on Chinese New Year table. The fish brings surplus and abundance to the new year. I like the Steamed Fish with Green Onions (page 39) or the Braised Fish in Black Bean Sauce (page 137). Steaming or braising keeps the delicate flesh moist and is so easy. A green vegetable represents growth in business. I love the simplicity of the stir-fried Chinese Broccoli in Sweet Rice Wine (page 230).

For me, Chinese New Year is about food and family. Khiung Hee Fat Choy ????! Happy New Year!

Good luck symbols of Chinese New Year — Symbols of good luck and prosperity for Chinese New Year

Best Chinese cookbook in the world

Posted on December 7, 2021 by lla

Give The Hakka Cookbook, Chinese Soul Food from around the World, recognized as the Best Chinese Cookbook in the World in 2012, to Hakka family and friends. The book outlines the Hakka history and defines Hakka identity. Or give the book to a cooking enthusiast who loves Chinese food and history. It’s a great holiday gift for the Chinese foodie.

The Hakka Cookbook awarded Best Chinese Cookbook in the World by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards — **The Hakka Cookbook was recognized as the Best Chinese Cookbook of the World by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards** **in 2012.**

Through recipes and stories told by Hakka from all over the world, discover the unique Hakka history, culture, and cuisine. Find 140 recipes, including Hakka classics such as stuffed tofu, lei cha, and salt-baked chicken as well as easy Chinese comfort food. The beginner cook will find sections on cooking techniques, equipment, and ingredients. Paintings created by artist Alan Lau gracefully illustrates the book.

Check this link for sources on where to buy The Hakka Cookbook. It is widely available online. Some of the major sellers are Amazon.com, Books Kinokuniya, and University of California Press. Or ask your local book store to order The Hakka Cookbook for you.

The Hakka Cookbook

Chinese Soul Food from Around the World

Category Archives: Hakka food