History
Since the 1850s, Western cuisine in Hong Kong had been available only in full-service restaurants. This privilege was limited for the upper class, and financially out of reach for most working-class locals. In the 1920s, dining in a Western restaurant could cost up to $10, while a working local earned $15 to $50 per month.[6]
After the Second World War, Hong Kong culture was influenced by British culture. The working class Hongkongers became influenced by European customs, milk was occasionally added to black tea, and sometimes accompanied by cakes, sandwiches, or other kind of foreign confectionery. The set up of cha chaan tengs targeted a local audience. Providing different kinds of Canto-Western cuisine and drinks at low prices was regarded as "soy sauce Western food" (豉油西餐).[3]
In the 1950s and 60s, cha chaan tengs sprang up as rising lower class incomes made such "Western food" affordable,[3][7] causing "soy sauce western restaurants" and bing sutt (冰室, "ice rooms") to turn into cha chaan teng[8] to satisfy the high demand of affordable[7] and fast Hong Kong-style Western food.[8]
In recent years, the management of cha chaan tengs has adapted to developments in the Hong Kong economy and society. During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, cha chaan tengs became much more popular in Hong Kong as they still provided the cheapest food for the public.[9] Before 2007, most cha chaan tengs allowed people to smoke, and some waiters would even smoke when working. Since 1 January 2007, Hong Kong law prohibits smoking within the indoor premises of restaurants.
In April 2007, one of the Hong Kong political officers suggested that cha chaan teng be listed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, because of its important role in Hong Kong society.[10] On 19 December 2007, lawmaker Choy So Yuk proposed, during a legislative council session, that Hong Kong's cha chaan teng be recognised and put up to UNESCO as an "intangible cultural heritage of humanity". The proposal came about after a Hong Kong poll found that seven out of ten people believed the cafes deserved a UNESCO cultural listing.[11] However, despite these proposals, cha chaan teng was not added to UNESCO's lists.[3]
In June 2014, a number of well-known dishes at cha chaan tengs—namely milk tea, yuenyeung, pineapple bun, and egg tart—were enlisted into the first Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory of Hong Kong.[12]
