Hong Kong Born Pantry: A Roundup Of The City’s Most Delicious Food Artisans

The Hong Kong food scene continues to heat up with a growing selection of delicious locally produced products. These artisanal, handmade gems are all made with love right here in Hong Kong. Their freshness means their carbon footprint is low and their list of preservatives is non existent. We have rounded up local brands that have come up in the last year who make their products the old fashioned way, in small batches, using high quality ingredients and in many cases with their own two hands. When it comes time to fill your pantry, choose these fabulous products instead of the imported supermarket kind! It’s better for you and it supports your local entrepreneur community.

Churned

Churned makes freshly ‘churned’ almond butters in various flavor profiles. They are all made to order with home-roasted almonds and include moreish options like dark chocolate almond and apple pie almond. They update their product offering frequently  and seasonally so there is always something new to try- we especially loved their wintry Pumpkin Pie Spice version with homemade pureed pumpkin. If you have a special flavor request or dietary restrictions, they will do their best to accommodate you. Their almond butter is perfect for us lazy folks- add to filtered water and blend for the easiest no-fuss homemade almond milk ever!

Order via their website, Facebook, whatsapp or via email Facebook. More information here.

Lowe’s Condiments for Grownups

We were extremely excited to discover Lowe’s. The British born founder is a longtime chef and veteran of the UK F&B industry who realized that her homemade condiment concoctions were so popular she needed a formalized sales channel. Enter Lowe’s: Condiments for Grownups, a wide range of English-style mustards, dips, chutneys, jams and relishes. The cheeky name has to do with the added extra that comes with every jar: every product contains some type of booze so you will find innovative and unique condiments like Chilli Vodka Jam, Onion Bourbon Chutney, Pink Champagne Mustard and our personal pick Sake Wasabi Dip. Lowe’s develops its flavours based on what is available and inspiring in the season so they do vary- but that just means more fabulous condiments for you to try.

Order via Facebook, phone or via email. More information here.

Halmoni’s Divine Marinade

Traditional Korean sauces and marinades made from family recipes (halmoni means Grandmother in Korean), all made without thickeners or preservatives. Halmoni’s Divine Marinade currently has four flavors: Korean bbq & bulgogi marinade, Korean spicy pork marinade, Korean spicy paste sauce, and Korean dipping soy sauce. They are all extremely tasty -think packed with umami- and make it easy to throw together a delicious Korean meal at the last minute! We love marinating some grass fed beef strips in their bulgogi marinade and then serving it with the spicy paste wrapped in crisp lettuce leaves.

Order via their or find them at CitySuper. More information here.

Prana Yum

Prana Yum offers herbal tea blends and spice blends as well as locally brewed tea drinks under their Sacred brand. Prana Yum’s products are updated seasonally and use recipes from various countries and cultures, echoing founder Seema Bhatia’s pan-global heritage covering Africa all the way to India but the driving philosophy behind the products is Ayurveda, India’s centuries-old medicine tradition. Prana Yum wants to bring you foods that are delicious and full of their namesake principle: prana, which means breath or life giving force in Sanskrit. We regularly start our morning with their Sacred masala chai loose tea blend, which includes cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom and

Order via Facebook and email. More information here.

Taboocha

Taboocha‘s kombucha has a distinctively Asian flair. With unique flavours like lime basil, goji ginger and jasmine, they are committed to satisfying our regional taste buds. If you are not caught up on why kombucha is a must-have in your fridge, we highly recommend Taboocha take your ‘bucha virginity. The fermented probiotic filled tea drink has been around for over two thousand years and is wonderfully fizzy, not to mention vital to your digestive health. Taboocha brews theirs with organic raw cane sugar, organic & fair trade Chinese loose tea blends from Yisheng Organic and locally sourced organic cold pressed juices and herbs.

Order via email or find them at various retail outlets including The Bottle Shop and Just Green. More information here.

Bee’s Nest Pure Honey

Bee’s Nest Pure Honey produces Hong Kong’s very own local honey. The homegrown brand produces three mono-floral honeys from the lychee tree, the longan tree and the unique to Hong Kong ivy tree. The honey is cultivated right in our backyard: the bees live and buzz about in Stanley. The honey is totally raw: unfiltered, unheated and whilst they don’t have organic certification, they are happy to show the results of the frequent laboratory testing they do to ensure theirs is the purest and the least contaminated. It is one of the purest and low-moisture honeys you can find in Hong Kong and great for people who suffer from allergies- many people agree that imbibing a spoonful of raw, local honey on a daily basis builds up your immunity against local allergens. Imported honey does not seem to produce the same results. From a food lover’s point of view though, the reason to get some Bee’s Nest on your toasted gluten-free seed bread is that it is absolutely delicious: unctuous, clean-tasting and boasting delightful floral notes. Choose from pure honey jars and honeycomb filled jars, or get the entire honeycomb.

Find them at their PMQ shop or check their website for stockists. More information here.

Photo credits: Churned,  Lowe’s: Condiments for Grownups, Halmoni’s Divine Marinade, Prana Yum Sacred Foods, Taboocha, Moonzen Brewery, and Bee’s Nest Pure Honey.