If you do not like nuts and peanuts in particular, or have nut allergies even by looking at this…read morestuff, then please avert your eyes and go look at sushi, ramen, sliders, buns, macarons, and froyo pictures instead!
其奧 (Kei O) came highly recommended to me by a friend residing in the USA who grew up in Yuen Long (New Territories, Hong Kong). Fortunately this was not too hard to find after spending some time walking from Yuen Long train station and wandering around. It was on a fairly busy section of a street closed to car traffic, where it can be considered as a short mini night market like strip.
One look and you can tell this is a very old traditional business with a niche offering (and of course targeting a niche audience). Lots of very old school Cantonese classic dessert/snacks that are not sugared up the yin yang like a deep fried bacon beignet.
They offer several samples, and I had the pleasure of trying several varieties, of which I instantly became a fan.
Their signature peanut candy, is significantly tastier than the peanut brittle candy (e.g. See's Candies). Perhaps it is a result of using the Asian variety of peanut (likely by way of Indonesia) or a particular variety that has a more intense flavor than the ones grown in America (usually larger, less flavor even if you roast them).
There is a nut candy plastered with black sesame seeds, that one is also quite a winner.
The most interesting one has to be the candy made primarily with pumpkin seeds. It is hard to describe the texture but is unique in that I have never seen it before. It was an even a bigger pleasure to be able to see one of the employees taking a huge batch that was cooked, and laid out in one big giant goopy ball, and he was trying frantically to stir the mixture. My guess is that the next step, it has to be roasted, cooled then carefully divided up (and formed into bite sized cubes). Hard to beat fresh, hand made good chit. Labor intensive, but not expensive at all.
There are no preservatives in the candies, so they will last at most two months according to the staff. Perfect gifts for families locally, or even abroad.
Please keep supporting these traditional local businesses. If we do not do our part to keep them alive, they will start dropping like flies, and all we will be left with are high priced fusion or western trendy restaurants and bling shops. Don't keep chasing the next food trend, understand and appreciate food culture and history.
And hopefully everything will not be lost.
