Tai O is a little fishing village on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. It’s a local rarity as urbanisation has miraculously not spread its claws over here and the traditional way of life is still observed.
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Dried seafood: I don’t cook (I know I know, cooking is a life skill, I should learn, etc etc) but apparently you can use these guys in soups and stocks, rehydrate them and mix them into stir fry dishes, or incorporate them into the fillings of dumplings, wantons and egg rolls.
Dried starfish: I can’t say I’ve tasted these guys so I don’t feel qualified to comment.
Fresh water creatures / soon-to-be seafood
Freshly killed
Charcoal-grilled seafood
Cart noodle with fried fishballs, cuttlefish balls and squid
Yin and yang: Tofu pudding mixed with black sesame soup
Maltose candy: Basically a snack made up of a blob of really viscous syrup sandwiched between two biscuits. Very popular in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan about two decades ago, not so much now.
Cha Guo: It literally means “tea fruit”. The pastry is made from sticky rice and the filling can be anything you fancy. They are not very popular these days and according to mum almost no one knows how to make these anymore.
View of the river: It’s hardly Venice but it has its charm.
Stilt houses: You can see them on the opposite bank.
Cheese-grilled seafood: Very greasy but oh-so-yummy
Macau-style snacks: “Fung wong” rolls, almond cakes, etc
Deep fried street food: Fish balls, squid, you name it
Seashell crafts
Seashell wind chimes
People standing in line for the famous charcoal-grilled egg waffle
Pouring egg mixture into a special waffle iron
Heating the whole thing above a lump of charcoal
Here’s the finished product
And finally, a photo showing toys from my mother’s generation
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