Many people have eaten Portuguese tarts, but have you heard of the story behind them?
Portuguese egg tart, Portuguese egg tart, as the name suggests, many people think that the famous Portuguese tart in Macau was introduced by the Portuguese, but in fact the Portuguese tart was created by an Englishman.
In 1979, Andrew, a British pharmacist, came to Macau alone. In 1984 he founded a food company that imported European baked goods and sold bread. Later, because he was tired of the complicated urban life, he resigned from his position and in 1988 he and his wife opened a small shop - Andrew's Bakery on Coloane Island, far away from the city center. Two years later, their daughter was born here. It was probably the arrival of his little daughter that inspired Andrew. He invented an exclusive recipe of egg tarts and named them "Andrew's Portuguese Tarts".
As we all know, Macau’s gaming industry is developed, and most people who come to Macau will go to casinos. People at the gambling table often forget to eat and sleep while playing. They need high-calorie food to satisfy their hunger and replenish their calories. Portuguese tarts quickly stand out among many Macau snacks because they are easy to eat, high in calories and delicious.
But it was Andrew’s wife who really made Portuguese tarts popular in Macau.
Margaret is Andrew’s wife. Although the names of these two people are full of Portuguese flavor, they are not Portuguese. Andrew is British, while Margaret is actually a Chinese whose ancestral home is Zhuhai and was born and raised in Macau.
At first, the two ran Andrew's Bakery in Coloane. Andrew was responsible for making Portuguese tarts, and Margaret was responsible for the operation of the bakery.
Andrew, who likes a simple life, enjoys the days of "working at sunrise and resting at sunset", but his wife Margaret has greater ambitions. She travels around the city of Macau. Two branches were opened one after another.
The business of the bakery is booming, but the contradiction between the couple has gradually become obvious. Andrew likes a simple and comfortable life, while Margaret seems to yearn more for the bustling urban life. Eventually, the two parted ways in 1997 due to different value orientations.
As you can imagine, the separation between the two was peaceful. Andrew gave the recipe for making Portuguese tarts to Margaret, and Margaret left with the recipe and the two branches that later opened. The name of the bakery was also changed to "Margaret's Egg Tarts."
And Andrew still stayed on the quiet Coloane Island to run "Andrew's Cake Shop" and settle down his duties.
Later, in order to cater to market tastes, Margaret made some improvements on the original recipe, making the egg tarts sweeter and more milky. The business of Margaret's Egg Tart Shop is getting better and better, but what's interesting is that she did not open more branches and sold the egg tart recipe to KFC in 1998. The egg tarts we eat at KFC now are actually based on Margaret's egg tarts. Made from Jia Lie egg tarts.
The two Margaret's egg tart shops are both near the Grand Lisboa. One is on Matong Ling Street and the other is on Admiral Jabal Street. They are very close to each other. During peak tourist periods, there will be long queues in front of these two stores. If you want to eat Margaret Egg Tart, you have to wait at least half an hour. Although the store's business is good, its service has been criticized. Many people have reported that their waiters are arrogant and indifferent.
On the contrary, the service of Andrew's Bakery on Coloane Island has been highly praised. The staff are friendly, warm and courteous. The bakery has always been the same, with the same small facade and wooden lattice glass kitchen windows, which is simple and clean. There is no bustling crowd in the store, and the customers even speak softly. The Portuguese tarts are still the same as before. The egg noodles are a little browned after baking, and the skin is tough and crispy, slightly sweet, with a touch of milk and egg...
Such a small Macau , Andrew did not get tired of living there, and Margaret did not move away from home. They lived in two completely different atmospheres in Macau, but they were each at peace.
In January 2006, the Macau government awarded Andrew the Medal of Merit in Tourism in recognition of the positive role of his Portuguese egg tarts in the development of Macau's tourism economy, and named Andrew the founder of Macau's signature egg tarts.
In October 2006, Andrew suffered a recurrence of his old illness and died in Macau at the age of 51. Although he has passed away, his Portuguese tarts have had a profound influence in Macau and even the world. Today, Portuguese tarts have become a key word in the city of Macau.
After Andrew's death, the bakery was taken over by Andrew's sister and her daughter. The two adhere to Andrew's craftsmanship spirit, carefully prepare every Portuguese tart, and have opened many branches in Macau.
Some people say that Andrew was very angry when he learned that Margaret sold the formula to KFC. However, we have no way of knowing what the truth is. After the divorce, Andrew would still often go to Margaret's Egg Tart Shop to taste it, so I feel that Andrew is peaceful and determined in his heart. Portuguese tarts and Margaret are both his stories, no matter what happens to them later. , Andrew wanted to know.