Eat Drink Asia South China Morning Post

Black moss is synonymous with Lunar New Year feasts because its name in Cantonese sounds lucky – fat choy being a homonym for “get rich”. However, cultivation of the moss has taken an unfortunate toll on some arid regions of mainland China. Post deputy culture editor Charmaine Mok reports on how overharvesting of black moss has turned some areas into desert.
Read Charmaine’s full story: https://sc.mp/ldgag 

Golden oysters are a plump delicacy symbolising prosperity and they adorn many tables at Lunar New Year in Hong Kong. Post reporter Lisa Cam travels to the city’s Lau Fau Shan area to discover how this delicacy is made and why it has been a staple for the local Shajing community.
Read Lisa’s full story: https://sc.mp/k4583 

Sweet and sour pork is served around the world to diners who consider it among the most iconic and beloved of Cantonese dishes. Hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans sit down with Post reporter Lisa Cam to discuss its evolution including how it made its way from the Chinese port city of Shanghai to Hong Kong, and around the globe including on the menus of British-Chinese takeaway shops.
Read more about sweet and sour pork: https://sc.mp/4xny

American fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken or KFC has found its way onto the Christmas dining tables of millions of Japanese families. Hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans explore how this surprising holiday tradition started. They speak with Tokyo-based chef Daniel Calvert, who is currently serving fried chicken at his restaurant and with Susan Jung, who wrote a cookbook about fried chicken in Asia.

South Korean exports of coffee mixes and instant coffee sticks have risen as the world’s K-drama fans react to seeing the products featured on TV series such as Moving, Vincenzo and My Mister. This Post story, reported by Kwak Yeon-soo and narrated by Charmaine Mok, explores how entrepreneurs in South Korea and the US are remaking the humble product into something that is now contributing to hallyu or the “Korean wave”.
Read Yeon-soo’s article here: https://sc.mp/2ecl 

Classic dishes including siu mai and har gow can be found in nearly every dim sum restaurant around the world. But where can you find quail egg siu mai, soup dumplings and preserved sausage buns? Journey with hosts Charmaine Mok and Sam Evans to find out why these varieties of dim sum are endangered. Post reporter Lisa Cam has the story of a labour shortage the industry faces, and how a restaurant in Hong Kong is trying to revitalise these dishes before they go “extinct”.