The reason is that in postwar China and Hongkong, mobile cooked food licenses were issued to the families of some civil servants who were killed or injured. This license is bigger than the general license, so it is called "big name", and their stalls are called "big name stalls".
1956 * * * stopped issuing such licenses again. The "big name" cannot be transferred, but can only be inherited by the spouse, so when the holder or inheritor of about 30 existing licenses dies, such licenses will disappear. The big name stalls are usually opened in crosswalks or alleys, stalls are set up on the roadside, and benches are set aside for diners to sit down.
The name of the big-name stall originated from the license issued to the big-name stall in China and Hongkong in the early days. The area is very large, which is larger than that issued to ordinary vendors at that time, and it needs to be hung in a conspicuous place. Therefore, the file with this big license is called "big file".
In the early years, there were many big-name stalls in Central Sheung Wan, including Wellington Street, Hilly Street and Kistler Street.
Big-name stalls in China and Hong Kong in the 1950s and 1970s were the main places for people to eat, with reasonable prices and many food choices, so they were very popular among the general public and became a part of Hong Kong culture in China.
There are many kinds of food provided by big-name stalls, both Chinese and western. Chinese food includes side dishes, fried rice noodles, fish egg noodles, rice congee fried dough sticks, etc. Western food includes toast, sandwiches, Hong Kong-style milk tea, coffee, mandarin duck, etc., as well as Chinese desserts such as red bean paste and sesame paste. Because the big-name stalls are in the open air, they usually use a water stove to cook food, and the fire can be fierce, so the big-name stalls are famous for being strong enough. Another feature of big-name stalls is that they can still order other kinds of food from several stalls next door at the same time after visiting one stall, and shops are happy to cooperate with other shops and share furniture. For example, if a guest wants to eat rice congee's egg with legs for breakfast, the store may only give him egg with legs, but he will ask the porridge noodle shop next door to send him a bowl of rice congee. At the time of checkout, some stores will collect money for neighboring stores, and some ask guests to pay separately.
To patronize big-name stalls, you usually have to sit on the street to eat, without air conditioning or a cover. Although it is full of flavor, the food being prepared and used dishes can only be placed on the street, and the sanitary environment is relatively poor. Streets with big-name stalls also make it difficult for vehicles to pass, which brings inconvenience to passers-by.
With the continuous progress of society, in the 1980s, * * * thought that the sanitary environment of big-name stalls was poor and it was easy to cause infectious diseases, so it began to be banned and no new licenses were issued. After the death of the licensee and his spouse, the old licence cannot be inherited by relatives. * * * Licenses were also withdrawn in cash, and big-name stalls operating on the street were encouraged to go upstairs and move to the cooked food market in the municipal building. However, because the cooked food market is located upstairs, it is inconvenient to get in and out, and it lacks traditional flavor, so many big-name stalls are not as good as before after moving. However, many habits in big-name stalls, such as exchanging guests and furniture, are still retained in many cooked food markets.
Some big-name stalls have gradually evolved into tea restaurants, which continue to be frequented by many China and Hong Kong people.
In May, 2005, the licence of Minyuan Noodle Shop in elgin street, Central was revoked due to the death of the licensee, which made the media and the public pay attention to this special food culture of China and Hong Kong again. Many citizens quickly savored the traditional flavor before the noodle shop closed down, and people from all walks of life also helped the noodle shop, hoping that * * * would re-license, but unfortunately * * * had no intention of changing its original intention, and the noodle shop closed down on July 30.