What is a food stall and what kind of food stall?

Food stalls, formerly known as "big-name stalls", are named after the installation and hanging of large-size licenses at fixed stalls. This mode of operation began in Hong Kong after World War II. At that time, everything was in a hurry, and people began to set up roadside stalls to sell cooked food. Among them, the big-name stalls are bigger than ordinary vendors, and there are several folding tables and chairs. The booth is a huge box, which is tied up with wooden boards and iron sheets at night and placed on the roadside, so that more equipment can be put in and food similar to restaurants can be provided. Since the 1950s, the government has issued a "fixed stall hawker licence" for regulation. Compared with other roadside stalls, the license plate of a big-name stall is a big piece of paper, which needs to be mounted and hung in a conspicuous position, so it is called "big-name (big-name) stall". In Cantonese, "stall" is similar to "shop" and "stall". In the early years, Chinese in Hong Kong concentrated in the areas of Central, Sheung Wan and Wan Chai, which was also the birthplace of big-name stalls.

In Cantonese, "Pai" and "Pai" are homophonic. Many people mistakenly think that food stalls refer to "a large row of people eating", so they mistakenly write it as food stalls. In Southeast Asia, Singapore, Malaysia and other areas dominated by Fujian and Guangdong immigrants, there are no big-name stalls, which are called hawker centers locally.

Historical editor

Food stalls make people eat their fill.

Food stalls make people eat their fill.

Food stalls have a long history in Hong Kong. The fifties and sixties were very prosperous; By the 1970 s, the number had decreased. Since the 1950s, the Hong Kong government has been supervising the issuance of fixed stall hawker licenses. Compared with other roadside stalls, the license plate of food stalls is a big piece of paper, which needs to be mounted and hung in a conspicuous position, so it is called "big-name (big-name) stalls (stalls)", and later it was introduced to the mainland to write "food stalls". In Cantonese, both "stall" and "stall" have the meaning of unfixed or mobile, that is, the location or storefront building is not a fixed shop.

1972, the hong kong government announced the housing construction plan for 10, and the government built low-cost houses. In the later stage of the plan, the design of the deli, commonly known as the mushroom pavilion, is similar to that of the big-name stalls, but the store is no longer packed with wooden boards and iron sheets, but fixed in a designated position. However, in everyday speech, this kind of store is also called "big-name file".

During the urban renewal of Hong Kong in the1980s, many hawker licenses of big-name stalls were revoked, some closed down, and some moved into shops, such as Zaixing Roast Restaurant in Keke Street, Wan Chai, Arrow in Guang Yuan West Street, Central, and Jiuji Steak, all of which started from big-name stalls and became famous shops in Hong Kong.

The word "big-name stalls" or "food stalls" spread to Chinese mainland after 1990s. At first, most of them gathered in piles of food stalls, mainly barbecues, skewers, mala Tang and simple side dishes, which were similar in meaning to "roadside stalls". However, with the improvement of people's spending power, many food stalls have also been greatly transformed and become more beautiful. The development of food stalls from the initial grass-roots consciousness to today's petty bourgeoisie feelings has also witnessed the economic changes in China for decades. [2]

Cultural editor

There are many kinds of big-name foods, both Chinese and western. Chinese food includes side dishes, fried noodles, fish and egg noodles, rice porridge and fried dough sticks. Western food includes toast, sandwiches, Hong Kong-style stockings and milk tea, coffee, mandarin ducks and so on. And Chinese desserts such as bean paste and sesame sauce.

Chicken wings in food stalls are popular everywhere.

Chicken wings in food stalls are popular everywhere.

Unlike Hong Kong tea restaurants, which have literally sold hundreds of kinds of food, most big-name stalls in the early days monopolized only one kind of food, and several of them operated together. Guests sitting in one shop order roasted rice. They can order a cup of milk tea from another shop and a dessert from a third shop. This kind of eating habit, which does not pay attention to the classification of Chinese and western, has become the embryonic form of Hong Kong tea restaurants. Most of the big-name stalls are mainly made of iron and wood, and the color is mainly green. Men seldom wear uniforms. Most of them only wear a sweatshirt and a towel to bless you. There is no air conditioning in the room, and some quilts are only made of green canvas, and there is no sewage system. Tableware is placed in the middle of the table, and the sanitary environment is poor. Almost all shops offer a cup of weak tea, but guests usually don't drink it, but wash chopsticks and spoons in the cup. With the improvement of food hygiene in Hong Kong, this method of washing cups is still very common in Hong Kong, although it is not as popular as it used to be.

Traditional big-name stalls are rarely put on paper. After ordering, the guests calculate the money according to the dishes. When they check out, the gang will shout "how much?" (Similar to "Come on, how much is it?" ), the boss collects money directly.

Business editor

The excitement of food stalls

The excitement of food stalls

Competition between food stalls is also fierce. There will be more and more guests in booths with more diners, and there will be no need for the boss to shout, while booths with fewer diners will become more and more deserted. Because many people have a nostalgic habit, they feel good after eating one and will come again next time. The Matthew effect caused by this made the hot stalls prosper, and the deserted stalls were unsustainable and finally closed down. It doesn't matter if you close the door. Naturally, new people will come in and a new round of competition will begin again. It's actually quite hard to do business and watch the fun at food stalls. Start work at sunset every day, set up stalls and tents, cook and entertain guests. When there are no guests, the stall owner is idle and worried. When there are many guests, he can't wait to have three or four more hands and keep busy. Until late at night, the crowd dispersed, and the stall owner was still unwilling and continued to guard. He hopes that the guests can come again, come more, and go home at dawn. At this point, the stall owner was covered in oil smoke and exhausted. However, you can't rest during the day. You have to buy vegetables and arrange vegetables to prepare for the next night. In this way, the stall owners of food stalls are haggard. Many of these stall owners are laid-off workers. As a re-employment channel, the government secretly encourages it, although there are also problems such as food safety and urban sanitation brought by food stalls.

The so-called "food is the most important thing for the people" can be seen at a glance in food stalls.