A Hong Kong food staple is having a gourmet moment. Cantonese canned fish dessert, anyone?
From the US to Europe, these innovators are taking humble Chinese ingredient dau si leng yu – fried dace with black beans – beyond the tin
Tins of fried dace with salted black beans – known as dau si leng yu in Cantonese – are a pantry staple in Hong Kong and in Cantonese-diaspora homes around the globe.
Affordable, ready to eat and with a long shelf life, the canned food is a symbol of working-class resilience. And it is highly valued; in April 2023, a masked man in a black windbreaker allegedly stole 48 cans of dau si leng yu (worth HK$1,800 or US$230) from a supermarket in Sheung Shui in Hong Kong’s New Territories.
During the 20th century, Hong Kong – which was ruled by the British from 1841 to 1997 – attracted refugees fleeing poverty and political turmoil in mainland China. These refugees brought the canned fish product with them to the city as an inexpensive food option during times of hardship.
Dau si leng yu became an emergency staple food in Hong Kong, where severe tropical storms would often shut down markets and restaurants for days at a time. The product, which comes in an iconic flat oval tin, has long been viewed as a simple comfort food.