Brand Essays: From the Jerky Shop and Beyond / 【品牌隨筆】 肉乾 · 有何相干

From the teeth of our customers to the tree standing quietly outside our shop, we hold close the things that quietly endure—stories, flavours, and values passed down through time. This set of bilingual essays was created for Signature Collection by KVK, the premium sub-brand of my family’s jerky and snack business, Kun Van Kau.

由客人的牙齒，到靜立店外的一棵老樹，敝店珍而重之的，都是那些歷久不衰的事物——無論是故事、風味，抑或代代相傳的信念。此系列中英隨筆，為 家族肉乾零食品牌 冠環球 旗下尊尚支線「王牌系列」而撰。

11 May 2025

Just steps from our shop stands a quiet banyan tree, rooted where Wan Chai Road meets Johnston Road. Locals call it the John Denver Tree—you’ll even find it on Google Maps.

In 1994, American folk singer John Denver planted it by hand, as part of a greening initiative led by then-Governor Lord Wilson—a man so fond of Hong Kong’s landscape that his baronial title, granted by Her Majesty the Queen, included the name ‘Fanling’.

Three decades on, most of the 1,000 trees planted under the scheme are lost to time. A brother tree nearby has long fallen; our own building has since been cloaked in a bold CMYK-coloured skin. The city renews itself—and quietly forgets the trees and flowers it once sowed.

A now-vanished newspaper once warned the banyan might be unbalanced, with heavy canopies and leaning branches. No one knows how this tree will meet its end. We simply wish it well—and this place, too.

But this was never just a story about a tree. It is about the quiet resolve behind the shovel—the same resolve found in Denver’s voice, and in our jerky: a craft handed down through generations, untouched by artificial shortcuts, rooted in texture, truth, and time.

Because if we forget our flavours and our spirit—what remains?

They say trees are part of Mother Nature—steadfast, wordless, yet full of grace. On this Mother’s Day, may we remember all that was quietly planted, and all who’ve quietly held us up.

To those who nurture and endure—Happy Mother’s Day.

2025 年 5 月 11 日

走出店舖，不消卅步，便會遇上一棵細葉榕，靜立於灣仔道與莊士敦道交界一隅。人稱 John Denver Tree，並載於 Google Maps。

1994 年，美國民謠歌手 John Denver 訪港，應邀親手栽種此樹，為衛奕信任內「灣仔綠化計劃」一部分。此總督鍾情山水，及後獲女皇冊封時，封號更納入「香港粉嶺」，不無詩意。

卅一年後，當年種下的千棵大多無從追尋。只知數百公尺外，由另一位總督所植的兄弟樹早已倒下；而敝店所在的大廈，也髹上了 CMYK 色地標外牆。小城展開新局，也忘掉種過的花與樹。

據一份已不存在的報章記載，其樹冠或已失衡，枝幹傾斜，恐有倒塌之虞。植株結局未卜，風物隨年華逝去，唯願此樹安然，此地安好。

想講的，其實不止一棵樹，而是 John Denver 當日提起鐵鏟的那份純粹——像他的歌，也像我們的肉乾：傳自祖輩手藝，不濫加化學元素，保留咬得出纖維的實在。因我們相信：若連風味與精神都遺忘，那我們還剩下甚麼？

常言樹是 mother nature 一部分，深根默守，無聲亦有情。適逢母親節，願我們記得那些默默撐起歲月的人和事。

祝含辛茹苦的妳，母親節快樂。

10 Feb 2025

Fries, kimchi, tom yum—origins are often debated. Food, like culture, invites questions of belonging.

When it comes to jerky, curious travellers often ask, ‘Is this from…?’

The truth is: no one really knows. Was jerky developed in East Asia? Or brought by traders and explorers from Central Asia and beyond?

For millennia, humans have salted, dried, and smoked meat to preserve it. These techniques likely emerged independently across civilisations, shaping the jerky we know today.

Historical records suggest East Asia had its own jerky traditions. Moist-style jerky (roufu) may have originated in Fujian and Teochew. Sliced, sun-dried jerky resembles methods seen in Central Asia and North China.

Over time, every region developed its own take: Singapore and Malaysia prefer smoky notes; Taiwanese jerky leans fruity; in mainland China, traditional handcraft gave way to mass production and newer strategies.

As for Hong Kong and Macao? Local jerky tends to be firm, savoury, and slightly caramelised—but few still make it here.

Grandfather Kwok Tong trained in Canton in the early 20th century before returning to HK/MO to establish Kun Van Kau. He witnessed the industry’s shifting tides—before jerky became a symbol of Macao, and while Hong Kong, like many local crafts, stayed quiet.

In the end, origins are fun to trace. But what really matters is finding a flavour that speaks to you.

As for us, we’ll keep doing what we do: crafting Hong Kong–Macao style jerky with care, and carrying it forward for generations.

2025 年 2 月 10 日

美食，往往是文化象徵，也常成為歸屬之爭的題目。

炸薯條是法國還是比利時發明？泡菜源於韓國還是中國？冬蔭功到底屬於泰國還是柬埔寨？這些問題，有時引起爭議，有時只是趣談，卻總能反映出食物與文化身份之間的微妙關係。

幸運的是，對肉乾的提問通常溫和得多。每逢有旅客來訪，總會有人好奇問：「這款肉乾，是不是來自某某地方？」

老實說，這個問題，大概永遠沒有標準答案。究竟肉乾的原型，是源於東亞？抑或經由中亞、商旅或探險家自西方引入？至今已難以考究。

人類早於數千年前，便懂得醃製、晾乾、燻焗等保存肉類的方式。這些技藝，很可能在世界不同文化中各自演化，再交織成我們今日所熟悉的「肉乾」。

若依據史料推測，東亞自古已有獨立的肉乾製作傳統。濕潤柔韌的肉脯，相傳源於福建、潮州；而片狀風乾的版本，則或與中亞流傳至中國北方的技術相似。

幾經時代更迭，不同地區發展出各自口味：新馬偏好燻香風味，台式偏甜帶果香，大陸則因市場變遷與產業規模化，另闢出一套全新製程與營銷模式。

港澳的肉乾則注重肉感與醬香焦甜之間的平衡。但說到仍在本地製作的品牌，已寥寥可數。

祖父郭棠於上世紀初赴廣州學師，後回港澳創立冠環球，親歷行業風雲轉變——從街頭小販、江湖風波，到市場更替、同行轉型。最終，肉乾成為澳門特產，而香港卻如其他本地工藝一樣，默默無聲。

至於「究竟源自哪裡」這問題，不妨當作飯後閒聊。最重要的，還是找到你鍾意的那款風味。

而我們，就繼續做好自己：於香港工場製作港澳風肉乾，將這份匠心與技藝，傳承下去。

11 Apr 2025

We joke about it ourselves—no offence meant. Even our own team sometimes says it with a smile.

But when a local walks into our shop and points straight at the Prime Whole Cut Beef or Pork Jerky, we quietly give them a nod of respect: you know what’s good.

These original-cut jerkies—firm, fibrous, juicy—have long been favourites among travellers. To us, they represent the truest taste of Hong Kong and Macao.

Since the founding of Kun Van Kau, this line has followed traditional methods passed down from our grandfather: whole cuts, hand-sliced, no chemical tenderisers, no shortcuts. Every bite comes with grain and grit—flavour drawn from meat, not makeup.

Of course, we know not everyone likes it tough. That’s why we also offer other options:

• The softest Classic Sweet Jerky, with a silky texture.
  
• The balanced Signature Jerky, combining flavour and chew.
  
• The rich, round Pork Jerky Coins, bursting with caramelised sauce.

But as for those spam-like, hyper-soft, melt-in-your-finger snacks? That’s not what we do. That’s not jerky.

Real jerky is firm. Making it in Hong Kong is hard. Sticking to real ingredients is harder.
But the harder it is, the more worth doing.

Whether you grew up with it or are discovering it for the first time, we invite you to try this traditional Prime Whole Cut series—made fresh, made local.

Fresh jerky made in Hong Kong.

此番笑言，即使我們自家店內的港人同事，也會半開玩笑地說上一句。當然，無意冒犯，敬請見諒。

但每當有本地客人步入店中，指名要買特級原切牛／豬肉乾，我們心中總會偷偷豎起拇指：「識食。」

這些保留原塊肉質的特級肉乾，紋理分明、肉汁飽滿，早已成為不少旅客試完必買、回頭再訪的首選，亦可謂港澳風味的最佳代表。

自冠環球創立以來，特級系列一直遵循祖父傳下來的古法：原塊切片，不加鬆肉粉，不走化學捷徑。啖啖真材實料，來自肉的本質，亦來自人手的工夫。

當然，我們亦照顧不同口味。除了原切款式，還提供其他選擇：

• 柔軟滑嫩的經典蜜味牛／豬肉乾
• 汁香與肉感兼備的王牌豬肉乾
• 小巧圓片、醬香濃郁的金錢豬肉乾

但若要我們製作那種鬆軟如午餐肉、入口即化的產品——恕不奉陪。那不是肉乾。

真正的肉乾，應當是實在的。要在香港製作更難；要堅持不加雜質，更難。但也正因為難，才值得去做。

不論你是否從小吃慣，或是剛剛接觸，我們誠邀你試試這一味：祖傳的特級原切肉乾。

肉乾新鮮香港製造。