泰昌餅家回來了 The return of Taicheng Bakery
Monday, September 5th, 2005三個多月前因業主收回舖位而停業的中環泰昌餅家,可望在未來一至兩個月內復業。我星期六經過中環擺花街,見到泰昌餅家的新舖正在裝修,店後烘培室已裝妥部份設備,惟前店尚未裝修。未備手機跟電腦的接駁線,故未能讓大家看到拍得的裝修中店面。
泰昌餅家新店於舊舖對面,於黎巴嫩菜館Assaf及匯豐銀行分行之間,離舊舖約一百米,略近荷李活道。該店以舊式港風麵包餅食聞名,最後一名港英總督彭定康(Chris Patten)品嘗過該店的蛋撻(塔)後,該店名聲更響。
談到蛋撻,據研究香港舊事的浸會大學傳理學院教師吳昊所寫,最初的蛋撻出自約八十年前,即一九二零年代的廣州。其時廣州茶樓注重「星期美點」,即每星期更換的特色點心,以招徠顧客;有一家茶樓的廚師,從英國式果撻得靈感,以蛋液為餡,並皮焗之,創製新品種甜點蛋撻。早期蛋撻多呈橢圓形,漸漸演化成今日常見的圓形。
Taicheng, a bakery situated in Central, Hong Kong Island, had to closed down this May. It shall resume business coming 1 or 2 months. I strolled Lyndhurst Terrace last Saturday and saw the new shop of Tai Hing was being renovated. The baking room was partially set; however, the work of frontside shop area seemed has not begun yet. I took a picture of it by my mobile phone, I would share it with all of you if I had a cable to connect my phone with my computer.
The new shop is situated between Lebanese restaurant Assaf and HSBC branch, which is at the opposite side of the old shop, 100m west of it and nearer to Hollywood Road. Taicheng is well-known of traditional Hong Kong style bakings. It came more popular after Chris Patten, the last Hong Kong Governor, praised its egg tarts.
According to the writing of Ng Ho, a HKBU School of Communication teacher who also studies ong Kong history, egg tarts originated in 1920s Guangzhou, a southern China city not far from Hong Kong. The tea-houses in 1920s Guangzhou like to attract more patrons by their own ‘weekly dimsum’. Cooks from a tea-house were inspired by British fruit tarts, and created their own sweet tart by using eggs as filling. Early tarts were oval in shape, and came to circle later.
延伸閱讀 Further Reading
Florence:再別肥彭蛋撻店.長龍之謎 Florence Lai: Goodbye, Chris’ favourite Egg Tart bakery, and the mystery of long queue (Big 5 Chinese only)
線上《廣州市志》:卷六二章二節〈點心〉Guangzhou Introduction and History 6.2.2: Dimsum (GB Chinese only)

