1 00:00:01,150 --> 00:00:04,724 If you have the privilege to choose what you eat and who you buy it from, 2 00:00:04,724 --> 00:00:07,172 your dollars are political capital. 3 00:00:07,172 --> 00:00:09,886 Do you know who your choices are supporting? 4 00:00:09,886 --> 00:00:12,234 Small businesses or meat packing plants? 5 00:00:12,234 --> 00:00:14,833 Local producers or factory farmers? 6 00:00:14,833 --> 00:00:17,936 People in Hong Kong are thinking about the political power of their food 7 00:00:17,936 --> 00:00:21,161 and their banding together around one urgent cause. 8 00:00:21,563 --> 00:00:24,034 PROTEST FOOD 9 00:00:26,573 --> 00:00:28,837 (Laurel) What are you making now? 10 00:00:28,837 --> 00:00:30,498 (Mandy) A Japanese cheese omelet. 11 00:00:30,498 --> 00:00:34,419 We need eggs, sweet corn, and cheese. 12 00:00:35,771 --> 00:00:38,332 So add oil in first. 13 00:00:38,846 --> 00:00:40,684 (Laurel) Wow, that's a lot of oil. 14 00:00:40,684 --> 00:00:44,184 (Mandy) Yes, but don't worry. It won't be oily afterward. 15 00:00:44,184 --> 00:00:45,702 (Laurel) Oh, so you've got to roll it. 16 00:00:45,702 --> 00:00:46,471 (Mandy) Yes. 17 00:00:48,108 --> 00:00:50,646 (Laurel) Amber Foods is a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant 18 00:00:50,646 --> 00:00:52,534 that opened on an infamous day 19 00:00:52,534 --> 00:00:55,321 in the history of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement-- 20 00:00:55,321 --> 00:00:58,595 The anniversary of the first big police crackdown. 21 00:00:58,979 --> 00:01:01,064 - Then we add another layer. - It really smells good. 22 00:01:01,064 --> 00:01:01,863 Yes. 23 00:01:05,050 --> 00:01:05,894 Hot! 24 00:01:06,414 --> 00:01:08,382 - Mmmm. - Okay? 25 00:01:08,989 --> 00:01:09,889 It's really good! 26 00:01:10,384 --> 00:01:12,765 It's very creamy like a-- 27 00:01:12,765 --> 00:01:15,021 It's kind of sweet-- Did you put sugar in there? 28 00:01:15,021 --> 00:01:15,774 - Yes. - Okay. 29 00:01:15,989 --> 00:01:17,651 It's very light and airy, 30 00:01:17,651 --> 00:01:20,830 and the cheese adds a nice bit of umami. 31 00:01:22,591 --> 00:01:24,604 Everyone who works here is a protester, 32 00:01:24,604 --> 00:01:25,831 including Mandy. 33 00:01:25,831 --> 00:01:28,786 She's a chef-in-training and didn't even know how to cook 34 00:01:28,786 --> 00:01:30,396 before she started here. 35 00:01:30,926 --> 00:01:33,057 (Mandy) My family and I have different political views 36 00:01:33,057 --> 00:01:34,360 because of the democracy movement. 37 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:38,919 We don't have a good relationship, and I wouldn't ask them for money. 38 00:01:39,849 --> 00:01:45,131 Sometimes I'd go home after a day [of protesting] on the streets, 39 00:01:45,131 --> 00:01:48,772 [my dad would] keep yelling at me, so I'd just hide in my room. 40 00:01:53,509 --> 00:01:55,798 (Laurel) In Hong Kong, yellow is the chosen color 41 00:01:55,798 --> 00:01:57,723 of the pro-democracy movement. 42 00:01:57,723 --> 00:02:00,152 Last year, protesters hoisted yellow umbrellas 43 00:02:00,152 --> 00:02:01,779 and don yellow hard hats 44 00:02:01,779 --> 00:02:04,619 to protect themselves against pepper spray and tear gas shells. 45 00:02:06,956 --> 00:02:08,516 Yellow has now become shorthand 46 00:02:08,516 --> 00:02:11,872 for whether an individual or establishment supports the protests. 47 00:02:11,872 --> 00:02:14,202 Blue stands for the other side. 48 00:02:14,202 --> 00:02:15,349 The police who crackdown 49 00:02:15,349 --> 00:02:16,649 and of course, China, 50 00:02:16,649 --> 00:02:18,975 which passed a National Security Law this year (2020) 51 00:02:18,975 --> 00:02:21,038 that basically criminalized dissent. 52 00:02:21,491 --> 00:02:24,205 Between COVID-19 and the sweeping new law, 53 00:02:24,205 --> 00:02:26,179 street protests have become scarce. 54 00:02:35,370 --> 00:02:38,673 (Lauren) The drink's name in English is "Stand With Hong Kong" 55 00:02:38,673 --> 00:02:41,806 but ka you literally means "add oil". 56 00:02:41,806 --> 00:02:47,134 But in Cantonese, it's sort of this cheer that is very commonly heard 57 00:02:47,134 --> 00:02:51,410 and throughout the protest it's become a rallying cry. 58 00:02:51,410 --> 00:02:53,149 By having a drink called that, 59 00:02:53,149 --> 00:02:57,500 they're giving people the excuse to actually say it multiple times a day. 60 00:02:58,433 --> 00:03:01,487 Amber Foods isn't the only protest restaurant. 61 00:03:01,487 --> 00:03:04,583 It's part of the so-called The Yellow Economic Circle, 62 00:03:04,583 --> 00:03:08,364 a network of businesses that consider every bite and every dollar spent 63 00:03:08,364 --> 00:03:10,634 an opportunity to resist. 64 00:03:10,634 --> 00:03:13,152 Growing the yellow economy is all about linking up 65 00:03:13,152 --> 00:03:15,001 yellow customers with yellow shops. 66 00:03:15,690 --> 00:03:17,475 That's where Matt Lau steps in. 67 00:03:18,002 --> 00:03:20,538 The pickeat.hk app lets customers order 68 00:03:20,538 --> 00:03:23,314 from yellow restaurants in other districts of the city. 69 00:03:23,514 --> 00:03:25,258 Lau delivers for free. 70 00:03:25,298 --> 00:03:28,714 (Lau) Step one is to log on to this website 71 00:03:28,714 --> 00:03:30,977 to choose and order your food. 72 00:03:30,977 --> 00:03:37,040 Then, you'll have to decide the pick-up spot. 73 00:03:37,350 --> 00:03:41,573 Who are your customers? 74 00:03:41,789 --> 00:03:48,023 Surprisingly, they're mostly 40 to 50 years old. 75 00:03:49,217 --> 00:03:51,814 (Laurel) Lau's business is his form of protest 76 00:03:51,814 --> 00:03:54,848 and he's betting that other Hong Kongers will help it grow. 77 00:03:54,848 --> 00:03:57,485 But for now, his service is helping yellow restaurants 78 00:03:57,485 --> 00:04:00,001 more than his own bottom line. 79 00:04:00,001 --> 00:04:01,653 (Lau) In my opinion, 80 00:04:01,653 --> 00:04:06,150 the neutral [restaurants] are siding with the government. 81 00:04:06,150 --> 00:04:10,749 The reason is that those shops would like to have revenue 82 00:04:10,749 --> 00:04:13,979 from both political sides. 83 00:04:13,979 --> 00:04:17,336 Even though I'm losing money, I'm willing to help. 84 00:04:17,739 --> 00:04:22,052 I believe there are still voices that call me stupid or dumb. 85 00:04:22,052 --> 00:04:26,658 On the contrary, I think I'm being smart. 86 00:04:26,658 --> 00:04:30,004 It's because I'm smart that I want to help others. 87 00:04:30,230 --> 00:04:31,016 Hello! 88 00:04:33,435 --> 00:04:36,484 (Laurel) Chinese government would prefer businesses care about profits. 89 00:04:36,484 --> 00:04:38,595 The city is in a historic recession 90 00:04:38,595 --> 00:04:43,532 and China has accused yellow businesses of trying to quote, "kidnap its economy." 91 00:04:43,532 --> 00:04:45,833 But Hong Kong relies on China for its food. 92 00:04:46,333 --> 00:04:48,839 90% of Hong Kong's food is imported 93 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:50,810 and most of that comes from the mainland. 94 00:04:51,813 --> 00:04:55,401 Less than 5% of the territory is devoted to farming. 95 00:04:56,785 --> 00:04:59,010 One of the few farms is run by Wong Yu Wing. 96 00:04:59,619 --> 00:05:01,863 (Wong) Do you want to pick some together just a little? 97 00:05:01,863 --> 00:05:02,754 (Laurel) Sure. 98 00:05:02,754 --> 00:05:05,307 (Wong) So just use your hands to snap it like this. 99 00:05:05,707 --> 00:05:08,699 You see the big ones, just snap it like this. 100 00:05:09,664 --> 00:05:11,379 Yes, should be enough for a meal. 101 00:05:14,496 --> 00:05:16,214 (Laurel) Demand for Wong's organic produce 102 00:05:16,214 --> 00:05:18,197 has gone through the roof since the protests 103 00:05:18,197 --> 00:05:21,171 and a pandemic that's raised the price of food from China. 104 00:05:22,113 --> 00:05:24,543 Why are young people saying, 105 00:05:24,543 --> 00:05:29,001 "If you want to support Hong Kong, then support this farm?" 106 00:05:29,196 --> 00:05:32,977 Primarily because, deep down in their hearts, 107 00:05:32,977 --> 00:05:37,204 Hong Kongers view Hong Kong and mainland China 108 00:05:37,204 --> 00:05:39,059 as two distinct entities. 109 00:05:39,059 --> 00:05:42,900 If your fresh water and food are being controlled, 110 00:05:42,900 --> 00:05:44,207 how many days can you last? 111 00:05:46,218 --> 00:05:48,770 (Laurel) Tours from the city even come help out on Saturdays 112 00:05:48,770 --> 00:05:50,649 when the other workers get a day off. 113 00:05:52,767 --> 00:05:57,871 Pretty clever having your paying customers do your weeding for you, I must say. 114 00:06:01,591 --> 00:06:03,229 The water is boiling. 115 00:06:03,229 --> 00:06:04,845 Let me put the vegetables in. 116 00:06:08,269 --> 00:06:09,556 The freshest taste. 117 00:06:09,556 --> 00:06:11,595 When we eat vegetables here at the farm, 118 00:06:11,595 --> 00:06:14,453 we just pick them straight from the fields and try them here. 119 00:06:14,453 --> 00:06:17,702 We don't put salt and oil on them, so they're very light. 120 00:06:17,702 --> 00:06:19,913 They're ready after about two to three minutes. 121 00:06:22,056 --> 00:06:23,577 (Laurel) Though his small organic farm 122 00:06:23,577 --> 00:06:26,239 may seem removed from the city and its problems, 123 00:06:26,239 --> 00:06:27,817 to him it's all connected. 124 00:06:29,936 --> 00:06:33,869 (Laurel) Do you think Hong Kong is a good environment now? 125 00:06:33,869 --> 00:06:39,118 (Wong) Now it's like a messy farm full of weeds and infestation. 126 00:06:39,118 --> 00:06:42,989 You need to use so much effort to take care of it 127 00:06:42,989 --> 00:06:45,178 and slowly sort everything out. 128 00:06:45,178 --> 00:06:48,689 You have to rectify it, in order to continue producing, 129 00:06:48,689 --> 00:06:51,555 in order to have a sustainable agricultural industry.