The Vibrant Hong Kong Table: 88 Iconic Vegan Recipes from Dim Sum to Late-Night Snacks

Wong (The Plantiful Plate), who’s descended from three generations of Hongkongers, offers scrumptious plant-based recipes contextualized with both her family’s stories and a broader historical backdrop. Never preachy and always informative, she has a nimble touch on serious subjects like racism and the impact of meat consumption on the environment. Sweet dishes include Western toast, a pandan-leaf jam sandwich soaked in milk and pan-fried, and peanut candy that dates to 475 BCE. Plant-based substitutions are clever: vegan XO sauce is made with nori and kombu, while jackfruit stands in for brisket in a hearty noodle soup. This is food for sharing: a chapter on breakfast foods and dim sum features taro croquettes and striking steamed black sesame rolls, while dinner ideas include rice cooked in a clay pot so that a crispy layer forms at the bottom. The street food for which Hong Kong is renowned features throughout: fishballs are here made with potatoes, and eggplant and sweet potato are stuffed into pastry packets for curry puffs. Useful tips abound: a recipe for simple stir-fried greens, for example, incorporates meticulous instructions for cleaning the vegetables, and sidebars cover topics such as Hong Kong restaurant etiquette. Wong’s personable and knowledgeable voice makes this thoughtful effort shine. (Sept.)