When it comes to melon seeds, the time-honored Lu Jinji brand is indispensable, which has been open for decades and has strong Hong Kong characteristics. Luk Kim Kee is one of the few shops in Hong Kong that can still insist on making its own fried melon seeds, and has been recommended by the famous Hong Kong food critic Cai Lan, and has been dubbed the "King of Melon Seeds" by the locals.
 
The founder of Lu Jinji came from Zhejiang, and after arriving in Hong Kong in 1949, he first worked as a street vendor to sell spiced beans and fruits, and then set his sights on the Hong Kong and Shanghai markets, so he began to study the technology of fried melon seeds, and after years of development, he created the legend of the king of melon seeds in Hong Kong. At present, Luk Kim Kee has opened a number of branches in Hong Kong, and each store is crowded with people during holidays, attracting a large number of diners from Canada, Indonesia and Southeast Asia.
 
Different from similar melon seed brands, Lu Jinji's special feature is that the production method of melon seeds still adheres to the traditional hand-made, which is extremely testing the skill of the roasting master, if the melon seeds are fried for a short time, the fire is too small, it is susceptible to moisture and mold, but if the time is too long, the fire is too fierce, and the melon seeds will be broken when they are too dry and bitten. By accurately grasping the heat and time of the fried melon seeds, Lu Jinji's master makes the melon seeds more complete, crispy and fragrant, and easy to peel and open.
 
In terms of raw material control, Lu Jinji is also quite rigorous, and the raw materials of melon seeds are purchased from Lanzhou, Gansu Province, and then shipped back to Hong Kong after screening. After the raw materials of melon seeds arrive at the store, they will be classified according to the size and thickness of the particles, and after frying, they will be divided into melon seeds of different grades and prices. Lu Jinji has a total of more than a dozen kinds of melon seeds to choose from, and there are many flavors, the more famous ones are the best red melon seeds, soy sauce black melon seeds, salt-baked pumpkin seeds, etc.
 
Its best red melon seeds are smooth in color, uniform in size, crisp and fragrant in the mouth, and about 150 yuan per catty. Soy sauce black melon seeds are an improved Shanghai flavor, with salt, soy sauce and five spices into the flavor, the saltiness and soy sauce flavor are reduced, and the star anise flavor is relatively strong, 74 yuan per catty. If you like pumpkin seeds, you can try the salt-baked taste, the meat is thin and crispy, and the sweet taste of pumpkin flesh, about 58 yuan per catty.
 
Since Lu Jinji has not launched bagged products, if you want to buy melon seeds, you can only go to the store, and the convenience of buying is average. If you are traveling to Hong Kong, you may wish to take a stroll, and it has also launched date-paste shortbread, beef jerky and other foods, all of which can be tasted before buying.