Fermented beancurd for cooking carbonara: How a 118-year-old Hong Kong shop modernises its business

“Oh, Liu Ma Kee. Very traditional. Their fermented beancurd is one of the best in town,” remarked our Hongkonger friend when we asked her if she had heard of an old-school shop in Yau Ma Tei selling the old-school Chinese condiment.

Almost every local knows Liu Ma Kee, which has been around for 118 years. The family-run business is tucked within a six-storey building in West Kowloon. The unofficial ‘Kitchen Street’ of Hong Kong, this neighbourhood is filled with many longtime shops specialising in kitchenware like wooden chopping boards, Chinese weighing scales, and knives.

Photo: Liu Ma Kee

Business founded in 1905 in Guangzhou

The business was founded in 1905 in Guangzhou by the twin Liu brothers, and is now run by their grandson, granddaughter-in-law and great-grandson. The brothers moved to Hong Kong in 1905, where they continued selling their soybean products like tofu and fermented beancurd out of a small shop space in Jordan.

Photo: Yip Jieying

No advertisements, limited quantity

It was only in 1915 that the siblings decided to specialise in selling only fermented beancurd, as they had observed much more demand for it than other products. They branded their beancurd line as ‘Liu Ma Kee’ (which means ‘the Liu twins’ shop’ in Cantonese). Sales became so brisk that the brothers were eventually able to buy over their shop unit, which their descendants are managing now.

Photo: Yip Jieying What is unusual about their business model is that the Lius are sort of the hipsters of their time: They barely advertise their brand, and till today, their fermented beancurd is still handmade only in limited batches by a team of longtime hired staff at the back of their cramped shop. Photo: Liu Ma Kee Word-of-mouth has made Liu Ma Kee’s fabulous beancurd very in-demand. The shop also supplies to Cantonese restaurant Fook Lam Moon, which has a reputation for being the meeting place for Hong Kong’s tycoons.

The fermented beancurd sold here are divided into three types: Fermented (a pale yellow), Dark (sun-dried for a month for a darker hue) and Red (spiked with chilli flakes). There are also mod flavours like Plum, Pickled Ginger and a garlicky Carbonara (which we will get to later). Photo: Yip Jieying

It’s not stocked in supermarkets

Due to the small quantity produced, you can’t find Liu Ma Kee in major Hong Kong supermarket chains like Wellcome. The store only distributes its wares to small neighbourhood shops and minimarts. Its regulars drop by the original Jordan flagship to buy condiments and chat with the proprietors, which comprise husband-and-wife Liu Chuan Kin and Tsoi Sai Mei, both 62.

Photo: Yip Jieying The cheerful, friendly couple — who are secondary school sweethearts — exude upbeat good vibes. We can’t help but wonder if fermented beancurd has something to do with their smooth-skinned youthfulness (fermented food is known to be good for digestion). A young Mr and Mrs Liu at their shop. Chuan Kin studied under a kung fu master in his youth. Photo: Liu Ma Kee

Fermented beancurd with bonus chiropractic tips

Chuan Kin himself had inherited Liu Ma Kee from his father after helping out at the shop since he was a kid. During our recent Hong Kong visit, we dropped by to buy fermented beancurd (the lady boss shrink-wraps our purchases in plastic to keep ’em secure for the flight back to Singapore, but it does leak some from airplane pressure, so do wrap it a couple more times with plastic bags if you are buying).

As we were leaving, Chuan Kin suddenly asked: “Are you bothered by backache?” Yes, we said in surprise, to which he replied he had observed that our posture was problematic for our health. He sent us on our way, kampong neighbour-style, with some tips for stretching and aligning our spine properly.

As it turned out, Chuan Kin is very knowledgeable about proper posture and form, having learnt kung fu and chiropractic from a master since he was young. “I also have a secret recipe for medicinal wine from my master,” he said.

Photo: Yip Jieying Since she married into the family, Sai Mei has been working at Liu Ma Kee for almost 30 years. Fermented beancurd is, naturally, a very commonly-used ingredient for home cooking in the Liu household. Photo: Liu Ma Kee

Fermented beancurd for carbonara

While making her own version of carbonara for her son and daughter, Sai Mei thought of adding fermented beancurd to the sauce. The combination was so interesting that the family decided to stock it at their store as an actual product.

Liu Ma Kee uses Canadian soybeans, chosen as they have less impurities. The beans are then grinded into pulp with an old-school stone mill cranked by hand. The pulp is compressed into a sheet before being cut into smaller pieces, placed into bottles and left to ferment for three to six months. For the Carbonara flavour, the fermented beancurd is stir-fried before minced garlic is added.

We can’t speak for carbonara purists, which is traditionally made only with eggs, hard cheese, cured pork and black pepper, but Liu Ma Kee’s beancurd does make a pretty fab pasta sauce. The cubes are brined just right and not aggressively salty. When mashed it becomes smooth and creamy, with a flavour that reminds us of cream cheese. Photo: Yip Jieying We have been tossing a flavour cube into our stir-fry and chap chye to ramp up the flavour (we recommend using the pale yellow one; the Lius also suggest using it for steamed garlic shrimps).

You can also add dark beancurd to steamed beef and pork dishes, or mix it with noodles. The red beancurd can be used for stewed vegetarian food and batter for fried chicken wings (a popular dish in Malaysia). Charmingly enough, cooking recipes are also pasted on Liu Ma Kee’s storefront to inspire customers. Photo: Liu Ma Kee

Fourth-generation owner is a professional musician

Chuan Kin and Sai Mei are passing their business to the fourth Liu generation — their son Jay (extreme right in pic), whom Sai Mei joked “is forever 18” to her. A professional flautist, Jay studied music at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK, and now performs as a freelance musician in Hong Kong.

Photo: Liu Ma Kee

He joined the family business in 2013 after coming back from the UK, having started working in Liu Ma Kee as a kid placing labels on beancurd bottles and cashiering. “ I now work at the store in the morning, and have music rehearsals or perform in concerts at night,” he explained. “It’s better to work as a freelance musician as I can manage my own schedule.”

As for whether he intends to modernise his family’s business after taking over, Jay reckoned that Liu Ma Kee will always be anchored by its three foundational products: Fermented beancurd and the dark and red versions. “If the products are changed, our customers might not know how to cook with them,” he said.

Instead, he and his family attract more customers by offering new flavours like plum and pickled ginger fermented beancurd. He shared: “We sometimes give the new products to customers for free, so they can try them and come back to buy next time.”

Liu Ma Kee, 1-7 Min St, Yau Ma Tei, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2730-2968. Open daily except Sun, 9am-5pm. www.facebook.com/liumakeelimited