add oil, hong kong / 加油香港

+ lo mai gai recipe

This piece was written on Dharawal land. Always was, always will be Aboriginal Land.

Hong Kongers were banned by law from participating in candlelit vigils on 4th June, the date that signifies the Tiananmen Square crackdown. On June 4th, 1989, after months of peaceful student protests, the Chinese government declared martial law, killing hundreds to thousands of protesters. To this day, the CCP denies this ever happened.

Student Protests // Catherine Henriette - AFP

It remains one of the most highly censored topics in China. So, in semi-autonomous Hong Kong, for the last 33 years citizens would gather in Victoria Park by candlelight to commemorate innocent lives lost, and to listen to survivors’ stories. Hong Kongers have always carried this responsibility for the rest of China, who were not allowed to mourn.

2019 vigil // Financial Times

However, since the National Security Law came into effect in 2020, candlelight vigils are punishable by up to five years’ jail time. In fact, organisers of last years’ illegal vigil are currently in jail. This year, police booked out Victoria Park and made several arrests of those who came down to mourn.

An empty Victoria Park, June 4th, 2022 // Anthony Kwan

June 4 was a bittersweet day for me as a Hong Konger. It is so painful to see the place I was born and raised, the place I call home, lose more freedom as time goes by. It’s such a privilege to be living in Australia, where I can publicly mourn, but heartbroken that some cannot, for fear of 1989’s events echoing in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong diaspora will continue to mourn and remember those who were massacred at the hands of the CCP.

As Hong Kongers, it’s our moral responsibility to keep this story in the public memory. Never forget this day. And stand with Hong Kong citizens who are losing their freedoms as time goes by. The protests in Hong Kong only stopped for fear of imprisonment or death; they haven’t stopped in the collective minds of Hong Kongers.

The video that always brings me to tears, yet I keep revisiting it. An 11 year old at the 2019 protests, crying and protesting alone. Epoch Times

Add oil (加油) is an expression used interchangeably with “you can do it!” and is used as encouragement. It was used highly during the Umbrella Movement in 2014 as well as the 2019-2020 protests.

With all my heart, I say, Add Oil Hong Kong/ 加油香港. This will always be home, and will always be the most special place in the world to me.

Lo Mai Gai (糯米雞) is such a Hong Kong dish. Though it originated in nearby Guangzhou, it’s immensely popular in my hometown. My little brother used to squeal “loooow mai gai!” with enthusiasm when asked what he wanted to eat (he could barely speak yet). It’s his favourite.

I really admire my younger brothers, who can speak fluent Cantonese, as they went to a local school. I can get by in broken schoolyard Canto, but I’ve decided to learn formally, as a tiny way to preserve a language and culture that is being threatened. Another way to do so is to appreciate the wonderful food of my childhood, which is not hard to do.

Lo Mai Gai is traditionally made with chicken, Chinese mushrooms, char siu, Chinese sausage and dried shrimp. It’s also usually wrapped in lotus leaves. I made a vegan version, and used local cabbage leaves; as lotus leaves aren’t available near me.

Lo Mai Gai with vegan char siu, crispy soy sauce tempeh, and vegan oyster sauce mince and mushrooms

Thank you to Made With Lau, whose recipe I adapted to make vegan.

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ingredients. serves 2.

• wrap: 5 cabbage leaves - dye free string

• sticky rice: 1 cup glutinous rice - 1 1/2 cups water - 2 tbsp dark soy sauce - 1 tbsp soy sauce - 1/2 tsp five spice - 2 cloves - 1 tbsp vegetable oil

• crispy soy sauce tempeh: 1/4 cup hot water - 1 chicken-style stock cube - 1 tbsp dark soy sauce - 1/4 block tempeh, in small strips - 2 tbsp cornstarch

• char siu: 200g firm tofu, drained and cut into in flat strips - 2 tbsp hoi sin sauce - 1 tbsp soy sauce - 1 tsp five spice - 1/8 tsp red food colouring - 1 tsp sesame oil - 1/2 tsp white pepper

• oyster sauce mince & mushrooms: 1/2 cup vegan mince (any kind) - 6 Chinese mushrooms, rehydrated and chopped - 3 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce - 1 shallot, chopped - 1 spring onion, chopped, 2 tbsp pickled mustard greens (optional)

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how to.

1. Preheat oven to 180 c. Marinate char siu with all char siu ingredients. Put aside.

2. Make glutinous rice. Bring water to a boil, add in sticky rice and all other ingredients, simmer, covered for 15 mins, and leave for 5.

3. Dissolve stock cube in hot water. Add tempeh and soy sauce. Once absorbed, coat in cornstarch and fry until crispy. Set aside. At this point, put char siu in oven and cook for 15 mins.

4. Marinate mince mixture in all mince ingredients. Fry for 10 minutes or until everything is cooked through.

5. Add cooked rice, tempeh, char siu and mince mixture to the middle of cabbage leaves. Tie up each and steam for 5 minutes.

6. Serve with iced lemon tea! 香港凍檸茶

Hong Kong Kids for life <3