Historical Context and Modern Day

There is always a particularly comforting atmosphere upon entering local Chinese bakeries such as Harper’s Bread House. I ordered a small cup of 奶茶 (milk tea) which is quite literally a tea bag (typically Lipton) brewed in hot water with a splash of milk and dash of sugar. I was immediately reminded of my childhood and those Sunday mornings I spent with my mom and two siblings eating 面包 (bread) and sipping warm milk tea. For us, Chinese bakeries were like a sanctuary where we could indulge in unique flavors and aromas that remind us of our culture. 

New York City houses countless Chinese bakeries and in Chinatown, alone, you can expect to find multiple of them within a single street. While these bakeries are more or less the same, each one of them is integral to the makeup of the Chinese cultural enclave that is Chinatown. Harper’s Bread House is especially notable as they continued their services during the pandemic, providing solace during times of fear and uncertainty. 

However, these bakeries aren’t wholly Chinese, Hong Konger, or Taiwanese. Originating in Hong Kong, these bakeries were a product of inescapable colonialism and Western influence. Various regions of China and neighboring countries adopted this style of baking and, thus, began the rise of these hybridized bakeries. Although they aren’t solely “Chinese”, this distinction was necessary to differentiate these Chinese-British goods from traditional Western pastries.

Researched By: Derek Dong, Alex Ma, Nicole Chen