V Sparkle

Soft Meal "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall" Birthday Banquet — Breaking Traditional Boundaries to Celebrate Across Generations

VTC Community Engagement Unit (CEU) has partnered with Sik Sik Yuen on the soft meal project for the second consecutive year. Building on last year’s development of “Soft Meal Dim Sum”, this year we launched the “Soft Meal Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,” which was officially unveiled at “Soft Meal Buddha Jumps Over the Wall Birthday Banquet and Recognition Ceremony.” The event was attended by Mr HO Kai-ming, JP, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare; Ms Gladys YAM, VTC Deputy Executive Director; Dr LEE Yiu-fai, MH, Abbot of Wong Tai Sin Temple of Sik Sik Yuen; and other distinguished guests. Students celebrated the birthdays of nearly 50 senior citizens born in August, allowing them to savour this exquisite soft meal delicacy.

The soft meal was developed over nine months by the team of teachers and students from the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education (IVE) Health and Life Sciences Discipline and Chinese Culinary Institute (CCI). The students combined traditional culinary skills with food science technology to prepare five main ingredients — abalone, dried scallops, shiitake mushrooms, fish maw, and radish — into a soft, smooth texture that is easy to swallow and meets the Level 5 soft food standards of the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI).

Students from Higher Diploma in Food Technology and Safety at IVE applied various food testing methods and processing techniques to precisely balance the ingredient combinations, portions, and gelatinisation processes. Their goal was to preserve the original shapes of the ingredients, allowing the birthday seniors to enjoy the luxurious festive feel of the soft meal.

Students from Higher Diploma in Culinary Arts and Diploma in Chinese Cuisine at CCI demonstrated the cooking of special sauce to enhance the dish’s unique flavour. They also made birthday peach buns for the seniors, making the birthday banquet even warmer and more heartfelt.

Students from Diploma of Vocational Baccalaureate (Design) at the Youth College (International) (YCI) used their visual design expertise to create eight soft meal ingredient character designs and made magnetic badges as gifts for the guests and birthday seniors. By incorporating design thinking into their work, the students showcased the unique charm of traditional Chinese cuisine, attracting guests to learn more about this soft meal project. Applying digital imaging technology, students also designed a birthday photo booth to take pictures of the seniors and printed the photos with exquisitely designed frames as gifts, preserving joyful moments.

YCI Diploma of Vocational Baccalaureate (Sport) students also applied their knowledge of sports training and event preparation to lead the seniors in “Longevity Towel Exercises” before tasting the soft meal, helping them relax their muscles. They also shared various stretching techniques with the seniors to improve posture and reduce hunchback.

Mr HO Kai-ming, JP, expressed surprise and delight after tasting the “Soft Meal Buddha Jumps Over the Wall”. He noted the rich aroma and complex flavours, especially the fresh umami of the abalone that left a lasting impression.

Ms LEE from Sik Sik Yuen's Ho Chui District Community Centre for Senior Citizens commented that the dish retained the flavour of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, while Ms CHAN praised the abalone and mushrooms for their suitable texture and size, fitting perfectly with requirements for minced and moist food, making them ideal for seniors.

Mr LAI Chak-sum, Board Chairman of Sik Sik Yuen, stated that Sik Sik Yuen has always placed great emphasis on the dietary needs of seniors with swallowing difficulties. This “Soft Meal Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,” made with authentic ingredients and continuously refined by the VTC teachers and students, not only preserves the form of precious ingredients but also presents the traditional taste. He looks forward to further collaboration with VTC to develop more unique soft meals in the future, allowing seniors to rediscover happiness through their taste buds.

This interdisciplinary collaboration, combining Chinese culinary arts and food science, addresses the needs of seniors with swallowing difficulties. Coupled with ingredient character designs and stretching segments, the birthday banquet was enriched and diversified, fully showcasing the characteristics of vocational and professional education and training.

For more information about the event, please refer to related news reports.

[Photo 1] (From left) Mr Poon Kuen-fai, Director and Chairman of the Service Development Sub-Committee under the Social Services Committee of Sik Sik Yuen; Mr Patrick CHU, Principal of Youth College (International); Ms SIN Pik-shan, Chief Executive Officer of Sik Sik Yuen; Dr CHEUNG Kwai-chung, Academic Director of Health and Life Sciences Discipline and Principal of IVE (Kwai Chung); Mr MAN Whi-chung, Director and Vice Chairman of Social Services Committee of Sik Sik Yuen; Mr James YAP, Academic Director of Hospitality and Business Discipline and Principal of HTI, CCI, and ICI; Dr LEE Yiu-fai, Abbot of Wong Tai Sin Temple of Sik Sik Yuen; Mr HO Kai-ming, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare of HKSAR government; Ms Gladys YAM, VTC Deputy Executive Director; Mr LAI Chak-shm, Board Chairman of Sik Sik Yuen; Mr Wing WONG, Principal of Youth College; Mr MA Chak-wa, Board Vice-chairman of Sik Sik Yuen; Ms Jenny KO, Academic Director of Student Development Discipline; and Mr TO Wing-cho, Chairman of the Group Center Services Sub-committee of Sik Sik Yuen, officially open the event.

 [Photo 2] Mr HO Kai-ming, JP, Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare tastes the “Soft Meal Buddha Jumps Over the Wall”.

 [Photo 3] Teachers and students from the Health and Life Sciences Discipline prepare the “Soft Meal Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” in the kitchen.

 [Photo 4] IVE and CCI teachers and students drizzle the special sauce for the “Soft Meal Buddha Jumps Over the Wall”.

 [Photo 5] Eight soft meal ingredient characters and magnetic badges designed and made by Youth College (International) students.

 [Photo 6] Youth College (International) students operate the birthday photo booth and take photos of seniors.

 [Photo 7] Photo frames designed by Youth College (International) students. 

 [Photo 8] Youth College (International) students leading seniors in Longevity Towel Exercises.

 [Photo 9] Birthday senior praises the “Soft Meal Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” after tasting it.

 [Photo 10] Group photo of VTC teachers and students with Sik Sik Yuen team.

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