Rice // 開飯

Cheekily named “開飯” (hoi faahn), which directly translates to “open rice,” this phrase is commonly used to mean “let’s eat!” and is associated with family meals and celebration. Rice—a staple in Chinese food and culture—is all together humble, comforting, and sacred.

In Hong Kong culture, rice represents community sustenance, wellbeing and, to an extent, survival. The phrase, “have you eaten rice yet?” (sihk jo faahn meih a? 食咗飯未呀?) is a common Cantonese greeting, similar to “how are you?” in English. The metaphor "rice bowl" (faahn wun 飯碗) signifies ones livelihood, and the saying  “有米” (yauh mai) literally “have rice," means having money. The significance of the rice metaphor can be traced back to WWII rice rationing and subsistence-level living, creating a focus on dietary intake that today functions as both greeting and genuine well-wishes for loved ones, encapsulated by rice.

The Rice range fundamentally highlights the value of food in Hong Kong culture in the simplest, most down-to-earth way.