Dipa Patel, who runs regular Taste of Tooting tours, has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to global cuisine, especially the variety that can be found in Tooting. Here, she talks about Tooting's Hakka influence...

Tooting is embracing foods from around the world, and it’s super exciting! Although South Asian curry houses still dominate the high street, the variety of eateries in the area is growing, and is enough to leave any foodie spoilt for choice. One cuisine that’s had a particular emergence in the last year is East Asian cuisine: Daddy Bao (Taiwanese), Koi Ramen (Japanese) and Hi-Ki Robata (Japanese) have all proved popular with the Tooting crowd, and will no doubt create space for more East Asian eateries to open. 

Despite this, not many people know that there has been an East Asian influence in Tooting for over half a century…
 

Hakka, or Han Chinese, are a group of people from Southern China, and due to their geographical location to the sea, are known to have travelled and settled in other countries. They are especially well known for the influence their food has had on other cultures. Hakka cuisine is skilful – it pays attention to flavour balance, technique in cooking, and texture – all hallmarks of a well-rounded dish.

One of dominant cuisines in Tooting that has been influence by the Hakka includes… Indian food! Yep, chilli paneer, pepper wings, lamb fry and vegetable Manchurian are all popular Indochinese dishes found on the menus of many Indian restaurants. These dishes have been inspired by and have grown out of Kolkata’s China Town, where there has been a well-established Hakka community since the 1800s. The Hakka people combined Indian ingredients with Hakka cooking techniques to create this delicious cuisine hybrid that has itself travelled the globe! A great place to sample Indochinese food in Tooting is Radha Khrisna Bhavan.
 

Other cultures that have also been influenced by the Hakka are Mauritian, Caribbean, and Philippino, all cuisines prominent in Tooting’s vibrant community. Some Hakka influenced dishes worth trying in Tooting include Jamaican braised oxtail stew (Kimmie’s Jerk Joint), Guyanese chow mein (Pepi’s Takeaway), Mauritian fried noodles (Manges Des Iles), and Philippino chicken adobo (Ading’s Kitchen).

The Hakka influence is only one example of hybrid cuisines in Tooting, but serves as a great testament to how cultures influence each other and how they travel. So if you’re interested in hybrid cuisines (done well), then I implore you to explore Tooting! And please do share your hybrid-foodie findings with me at tasteoftootingtours@gmail.com and via Twitter @8dipatel8

Tasty wishes!

Dipa Patel is a local foodie and runs regular Taste of Tooting Tours. Find out more on her website at tasteoftootingtours.com.

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