Daa Laang facts for kids

Daa Laang (Chinese: 打冷; Jyutping: daa2 laang1) is a popular late-night meal in Hong Kong. It first appeared in the 1950s and includes many delicious hot and cold dishes from the Chaozhou region of China.

Where Daa Laang Came From

Daa Laang started in Chaozhou, China. That's why it's also known as Chaozhou Daa Laang. It refers to the tasty cold cuts and spicy dishes found at food stalls in Chaozhou. The main types of Daa Laang food are marinated dishes, seafood, pickled items, and other cooked meals. In the 1950s, people from Chaozhou moved to Hong Kong and brought this unique food tradition with them.

Traditionally, you choose your food right in front of the server. They mark down your choices, and then the Daa Laang dishes are prepared and brought to your table. Because it's easy to order and tastes so good, Daa Laang is now becoming popular in other places, like Shenzhen.

What "Daa Laang" Means

The name "Daa Laang" was created in Hong Kong using the Cantonese language.

How the Words Connect

• In old Chinese stories from the Song Dynasty and Yuan dynasty, words like "da tsim" and "da dim" meant stopping at a restaurant to eat while traveling. So, the word "Daa" can mean "to eat" at a restaurant.
• In the Teochew dialect, the word "lang" means "people." Over time, people in Cantonese started calling Teochew people "lang lo." This term eventually became a slang word for Chaozhou food stalls. Slowly, "Daa Laang" came to mean having dinner at Hong Kong's Chaozhou food stalls.

Teochew Language Influence

• In the 1950s, many Teochew people sold late-night snacks and marinated food on the streets of Hong Kong. They carried baskets of food on poles over their shoulders. These sellers were called "basket carriers." The way this term sounded in the Chaoshan dialect was very similar to "Daa Laang." So, people in Hong Kong started calling them Daa Laangs. Eventually, "Daa Laang" became the name for eating Teochew cuisine in Hong Kong.
• Also, during that time, some people would try to leave without paying at the Chaozhou food stalls. To protect their businesses, the Chaozhou community in Hong Kong would call out for help. The phrase "hit them!" in the Teochew dialect sounds like "Daa Laang." Because of this, people gradually connected Daa Laang with Chaozhou food.

Popular Daa Laang Dishes

Different food like cuttlefish, beancurd and goose pieces are cooked with marinate sauce

There is usually a counter put up all the marinated food for the chef to chop when customers need to takeaway.

Salt and Pepper Tofu

Oyster Meat congee

One dish that Hong Kong people must try when eating Daa Laang is the marinated Chaozhou soy-sauce goose. Each Daa Laang chef has their own special marinated sauce, so the taste can be a little different everywhere. People often order marinated tofu and cuttlefish along with the goose, or they might just get a mix of different marinated items.

Another famous Daa Laang specialty is its pepper and salt fried food. Daa Laang usually uses lighter foods like tofu and squid for these dishes. Chefs first fry the food, then fry it again with pepper and salt. It's often served with chili to make a spicy and salty treat.

You can order both hot and cold dishes at Daa Laang, and they are usually cheaper than what you'd find in a fancy Chaozhou restaurant. For hot dishes, you might find:

• Oyster congee: This is a rice porridge with oysters, chopped meat, and dried flatfish.
• Pan-fried oyster cake: Oysters are mixed into an egg batter and then fried.
• Lemon flathead mullet: Fish steamed with slices of lemon.
• Chinese kale and beef: Served with a special Satai sauce that is unique to Daa Laang.

For cold dishes, popular choices include:

• Iced cockle: Cockles are boiled first, then chilled until they are frozen. They are served with a special sauce made from garlic, sugar, and vinegar.
• Iced crab: Crabs are boiled and then frozen, served cold.