A Hong Kong food staple is having a gourmet moment. Cantonese canned fish dessert, anyone?

During the 20th century, Hong Kong – which was ruled by the British from 1841 to 1997 – attracted refugees fleeing poverty and political turmoil in mainland China. These refugees brought the canned fish product with them to the city as an inexpensive food option during times of hardship.

Dau si leng yu became an emergency staple food in Hong Kong, where severe tropical storms would often shut down markets and restaurants for days at a time. The product, which comes in an iconic flat oval tin, has long been viewed as a simple comfort food.

Crafting a taste of nostalgia

“Growing up, dau si leng yu was always in the back of the kitchen pantry for when my parents were away or too tired from work to cook anything substantial,” says Jimmy Wong, a California-born pastry chef whose parents met in Hong Kong before emigrating to the United States. “At first, I thought it was a little scary because it’s a bit different from a lot of the other canned foods you get here in the West. But I learned to love it because it can be used in so many different ways – even by itself.”