Leftovers make for a delicious lesson on food waste for kids

This Christmas meal came with a serious message, but you couldn't tell that from the sight of boisterous children talking, laughing and eating.

That was the scene last Saturday morning when Maxim's Group sent in a team of 30 volunteers to work with food charities Foodlink Foundation and Green Monday at the Happy Teens Club under the Hong Kong Christian Service in Kwun Tong.

The volunteers were soon outnumbered by a horde of primary pupils with a big appetite for fun and food. That was exactly the mindset the group expected of the boys and girls for its "waste-not" theme.

"We hope to help these youngsters appreciate food, and enjoy it, even if it's just leftovers," said Amanda Chan, a Maxim's volunteer.

According to Foodlink, the volume of food that is wasted in the city has doubled in the past five years.

It says 3,337 tonnes of food waste is disposed of in landfills each day, accounting for 36 per cent of all municipal solid waste in Hong Kong.

To highlight the recycling theme, Chan and her colleagues started with a handicrafts session, teaching the kids to turn toilet-paper rolls and used gift wrappings into a variety of festive objects.

"Look around at home or school. With a little patience and imagination you can turn something into an artwork," Chan told the crowd.

Enthusiastic comments and exchanges ensued. But the room suddenly turned silent with the emergence of a chef with seven years of Michelin stardom under his belt. In full attire, he demonstrated how to turn leftover chicken into a mouth-watering lettuce wrap in just minutes.

"Our philosophy is always cooking to the satisfaction of clients. In this particular case, my clients are the young folks out there, and they appreciate colourful ingredients like corn and carrot more than shark fin and abalone," said Kelvin Wong, who is the district head chef at Maxim's Group.

By altering the form of the leftover chicken by mincing or dicing it, and mixing it with fresh ingredients on a leaf of lettuce, even unwanted food became healthy and tasty, the chef added.

"The food is really tasty. I will finish all the rice in my next meal," said Lau Sen-hei, six.

He was joined by a group of Hong Kong-born Pakistanis, who appreciated the food in a different way.

"Our religion forbids chicken, but we enjoyed the rest of the food and the party," said Tayiba Bibi, 12, in fluent Cantonese.

Maxim's is a donor and Foodlink is a beneficiary of this year's Operation Santa Claus, the fundraising campaign that is organised by the South China Morning Post and RTHK.

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