The exploration of Macao culture comes to the fourth chapter—Food Culture! In this contemporary era where urbanization is accelerating, when we go to another city or even country, from airports, stations to hotels, the architectural designs we see are becoming more and more the same, but the menus provided by restaurants and gourmet shops on the streets will be silent. said: "Welcome to XX!"

Yes, food culture is the DNA of a place. The more unique a place is, the stronger its food DNA is. That’s exactly what happens in Macau! Just looking at the buildings here, I thought I was in Europe, and looking at the souvenir shops all over the streets, I thought I was in Hong Kong. Only when I taste the delicious food can I be sure that I am in Macau.

There are many topics about Macau’s food, but they are all inseparable from Macanese cuisine. This cuisine is unique in the world. For this reason, Macau has been recognized as a Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO.

Macanese?

When talking about Macanese cuisine, I have to mention Macanese. Since the Portuguese settled in Macau in the 16th century, they began to intermarry with the locals. Their descendants were born in Macau and can speak Portuguese. They are a mixture of blood and culture.

Because they are of mixed race, we can tell who is a Macanese by looking at their faces on the streets of Macau. It is best to speak to them in English or Cantonese, and Portuguese is of course the most convenient.

Macanese people identify with Portugal in terms of identity, but culturally they are dually influenced by the various local cultures of Macao. They even created a vernacular called "the language of Christ", which was based on Portuguese and mixed with dialects of Malay, Cantonese, and Dutch. Unfortunately, it declined after the 19th century. Today, this dialect has been included in the intangible cultural heritage list, and there are performances performed at the Macau Arts Festival every year.

Macanese cuisine

Just like the creation of Macanese cuisine that is a mixture of multiple languages, Macanese cuisine is also created by this group of cultural mixtures, and fusion is its greatest feature , bringing together Asian, African and European styles. This is why when you go to mainland Portugal, you can’t find any trace of Macanese dishes. Even Portuguese egg tarts seem related but different.

Portuguese Chicken is a classic Portuguese dish. In addition to chicken legs, the ingredients include Portuguese sausages, etc. It retains the Portuguese tradition. The brownish-yellow sauce on the plate reflects the tradition of Macanese cuisine with its strong taste and emphasis on sauce. Coconut milk, turmeric powder, and curry paste are the components of the soup, representing the dietary elements of Malaysia and India. This sauce not only adds flavor to the chicken and stimulates the taste buds of diners, but it also contains profound history and culture.

In addition to Portuguese chicken, there is also African chicken, which is the embodiment of African dietary elements. The sauce composed of extremely spicy African black-eyed peppers is the highlight of this dish. Black-eyed pepper is pronounced Piri in English, and it is appropriate that Macau people call it Pili. African chili peppers were brought to India by the Portuguese, and then to Macau, and even to former Portuguese colonies in the Americas such as Brazil.

After chatting about the main course, let’s have some dessert. The most famous dessert in Macau must be Portuguese tarts, and there are always queues in front of the stores of two major brands, Andrew's and Margaret's. However, the Portuguese egg tart is not a native Portuguese style. Instead, the British Andrew improved the recipe of the egg tart produced in a small shop in Lisbon and created the Macau version of the Portuguese egg tart. The real Macanese dessert is called butter cake, which is composed of flour, almonds, coconut milk, milk, etc. It is a must-have Christmas delicacy for Macanese people. Since it is native to Portugal, the origin of this dessert is not simple. Its real birthplace is the Arab world. It was introduced to Portugal by the Moors, and Indian style was later added. Looks like you shouldn’t underestimate the stack of snacks that look like Chinese rice cakes!

Recipes and Restaurants

The charm of Macanese cuisine is that it is difficult to copy and has no fixed standards. Authentic Macanese food? Really not! Macanese cuisine was first spread through the family. Family recipes were not passed down to the outside world and were usually passed down from mother to daughter. Even if outside chefs can find the recipe, it will be difficult for them to restore the taste. Therefore, every family and every restaurant has its own secret recipe and unique taste.

As the Macanese immigrated to Europe and North America, they added local ingredients and sauces. It can be said that Macanese cuisine has always been innovating. Just like when it was first created, it is also a process of constantly integrating new food culture elements. The diverse origins, different standards and ever-changing Macanese cuisine are the composition of Macau’s cultural mixture. element.

Nowadays, tourists visiting Macau who want to eat Macanese food will go to restaurants. Most of the chefs are Macanese and speak fluent English. But locals will eat this kind of food in shabby little restaurants, which are a bit like old-fashioned tea restaurants in Hong Kong. The decorations are very ordinary, but the food provided is made from family recipes that have been passed down for generations and has a unique taste. Going to restaurants visited by locals in a city and eating dishes recommended by locals is the right way to travel, and it is also the best opportunity to understand a city’s food culture. Unfortunately, nowadays, major websites always feature internet celebrity stores. Those restaurants that do not know how to promote online and still retain the tradition of paying with cash can only operate as neighborhood businesses.

Conclusion

In addition to Macanese cuisine, Macau also has delicious Cantonese cuisine and other cuisines. However, Macanese cuisine has unique taste, contains profound history, and represents the characteristics of Macau. Food culture should be valued and disseminated.

In fact, apart from Macau, it is difficult to find places to eat Macanese food. Maybe you can find it in Hong Kong and Taiwan, but maybe it is the Hong Kong and Taiwan version. Maybe this is also an innovation?