Why Hong Kong’s ‘farewell cakes’ trend has exploded in recent years and the best bakeries to buy them from
- In Hong Kong, it has become a tradition for workers to shower their colleagues with ‘saan seoi beng’ – yummy leaving cakes – on their last day at the office
- Here we explore the culture, including how it developed, bakeries for ultra-customised designs, and the minefield of rules for giving them out
In Hong Kong office culture, there are many unspoken food rules.
First, a welcome lunch for an incoming colleague is an absolute must, as breaking bread over the dining table is the most efficient way to get to know the new recruit.
Second, if you go on holiday, it is imperative that you bring back a bevy of treats to be shared among the team – an act of repentance, almost, for daring to leave the office for leisurely pursuits.
Third, unless you decide to quietly quit having spent most of your working days avoiding any interaction whatsoever with your colleagues, you must show up on your last working day with an armful of “scatter water cakes”.
That is the literal translation of the Cantonese phrase saan seoi beng, for which there is really no proper translation.
Crowdsourced online dictionary CantoWords.com, for example, defines saan seoi beng as “confectioneries for co-workers on the last day at work”. The onus is on the one leaving to thank their soon-to-be-ex colleagues for their understanding, friendship and support.