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Cha chaan teng
Cha chaan teng (Chinese: 茶餐廳; Cantonese Yale: chàhchāantēng; lit. 'tea restaurant'), often called a Hong Kong-style cafe or diner in English, is a type of restaurant that originated in Hong Kong. Cha chaan tengs are commonly found in Hong Kong, Macau, and parts of Guangdong. Due to the waves of mass migrations from Hong Kong in the 1980s, they are now established in major Chinese communities in Western countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Likened to a greasy spoon cafe or an American diner, cha chaan tengs are known for eclectic and affordable menus, which include dishes from Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style Western cuisine. They draw comparisons to Western cafés due to their casual settings, as well as menus revolving around coffee and tea.
Since the 1850s, Western cuisine in Hong Kong had been available only in full-service restaurants—a privilege limited for the upper class, and financially out of reach for most working-class locals. In the 1920s, dining in a Western restaurant could cost up to $10, while a working local earned $15 to $50 per month.
After the Second World War, Hong Kong culture was influenced by British culture, with locals beginning to add milk to tea and eating cakes. Some Hongkongers set up cha chaan tengs that targeted a local audience.[citation needed] Providing different kinds of Canto-Western cuisine and drinks with very low prices led to them being regarded as "cheap Western food", or "soy sauce Western food" (豉油西餐).
In the 1950s and 60s, cha chaan tengs sprang up as rising lower class incomes made such "Western food" affordable, causing "soy sauce western restaurants" and bing sutt (冰室, "ice rooms") to turn into cha chaan teng to satisfy the high demand of affordable and fast Hong Kong-style Western food.
In recent years, the management of cha chaan tengs has adapted to developments in the Hong Kong economy and society. During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, cha chaan tengs became much more popular in Hong Kong as they still provided the cheapest food for the public.
Before 2007, most cha chaan tengs allowed people to smoke, and some waiters would even smoke when working. Since 1 January 2007, Hong Kong law prohibits smoking within the indoor premises of restaurants.
In April 2007, one of the Hong Kong political officers suggested that cha chaan teng be listed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, because of its important role in Hong Kong society. On 19 December 2007, lawmaker Choy So Yuk proposed, during a legislative council session, that Hong Kong's cha chaan teng be recognised and put up to UNESCO as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity". The proposal came about after a Hong Kong poll found that seven out of ten people believed the cafes deserved a UNESCO cultural listing. However, despite these proposals, cha chaan teng was not added to UNESCO's lists.
In June 2014, a number of well-known dishes at cha chaan tengs—namely milk tea, yuenyeung, pineapple bun, and egg tart—were enlisted into the first Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong.
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Cha chaan teng
Cha chaan teng (Chinese: 茶餐廳; Cantonese Yale: chàhchāantēng; lit. 'tea restaurant'), often called a Hong Kong-style cafe or diner in English, is a type of restaurant that originated in Hong Kong. Cha chaan tengs are commonly found in Hong Kong, Macau, and parts of Guangdong. Due to the waves of mass migrations from Hong Kong in the 1980s, they are now established in major Chinese communities in Western countries such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Likened to a greasy spoon cafe or an American diner, cha chaan tengs are known for eclectic and affordable menus, which include dishes from Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style Western cuisine. They draw comparisons to Western cafés due to their casual settings, as well as menus revolving around coffee and tea.
Since the 1850s, Western cuisine in Hong Kong had been available only in full-service restaurants—a privilege limited for the upper class, and financially out of reach for most working-class locals. In the 1920s, dining in a Western restaurant could cost up to $10, while a working local earned $15 to $50 per month.
After the Second World War, Hong Kong culture was influenced by British culture, with locals beginning to add milk to tea and eating cakes. Some Hongkongers set up cha chaan tengs that targeted a local audience.[citation needed] Providing different kinds of Canto-Western cuisine and drinks with very low prices led to them being regarded as "cheap Western food", or "soy sauce Western food" (豉油西餐).
In the 1950s and 60s, cha chaan tengs sprang up as rising lower class incomes made such "Western food" affordable, causing "soy sauce western restaurants" and bing sutt (冰室, "ice rooms") to turn into cha chaan teng to satisfy the high demand of affordable and fast Hong Kong-style Western food.
In recent years, the management of cha chaan tengs has adapted to developments in the Hong Kong economy and society. During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, cha chaan tengs became much more popular in Hong Kong as they still provided the cheapest food for the public.
Before 2007, most cha chaan tengs allowed people to smoke, and some waiters would even smoke when working. Since 1 January 2007, Hong Kong law prohibits smoking within the indoor premises of restaurants.
In April 2007, one of the Hong Kong political officers suggested that cha chaan teng be listed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, because of its important role in Hong Kong society. On 19 December 2007, lawmaker Choy So Yuk proposed, during a legislative council session, that Hong Kong's cha chaan teng be recognised and put up to UNESCO as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity". The proposal came about after a Hong Kong poll found that seven out of ten people believed the cafes deserved a UNESCO cultural listing. However, despite these proposals, cha chaan teng was not added to UNESCO's lists.
In June 2014, a number of well-known dishes at cha chaan tengs—namely milk tea, yuenyeung, pineapple bun, and egg tart—were enlisted into the first Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong.