Wonton Noodles
Wonton noodles are an integral part of Hong Kong's food culture. Wonton is a kind of wonton. The earliest wontons were made of whole pork, so they were called "clean meat wontons".
In ancient times, wontons were very delicate, they had to be fat, three lean, seven, made into minced meat, and the authentic ones were cut first and then chopped. Nowadays, most of the wonton noodles we usually eat are made of fresh shrimp wontons, which are made of wonton skin, fresh shrimp and pork.
Wonton noodle with wonton and noodles and boiled soup made of wonton lubrication, elasticity of the noodle in the mouth, let people taste, the noodle is more elastic with chewy, and wonton has a wealth of protein, starch and other nutrients.
Macao Statue of God Carving
More than 400 years ago, the fishing industry was the mainstay of Macao's economy. Before fishing, fishermen would worship their ancestors on their boats, but since most of them were illiterate, they used small statues of gods to replace the names of their ancestors. At the same time, fishermen would encounter unpredictable risks when they went out to fish, so they would place statues of gods and god medals on the bow of their boats to ensure safety, and the statue carving industry came into being, and the statue stores, commonly known as "kong chai stores", became a market, and flourished for a while.
The carving of statues of Macau gods and goddesses is an excellent folk art of Macau, and it is an industry that requires a very high level of craftsmanship and technology. Its production process includes designing, selecting materials, carving, splicing, polishing, plastering, applying linen, priming, creating lacquer lines, applying gold foil and coloring, etc. Each step of the process has high technical requirements and requires specialized skills and experience.
Macao idol carving product types are extensive, the finished product has its own characteristics, technicians strictly in accordance with the styling characteristics and requirements of various types of idols carving and production.
1. Fishermen's belief in idols
In the past, fishermen were illiterate, so they had to use images to represent words, and used intuitive wooden idols for worship and sacrifice. The size and height of the statues used for ancestor worship represent the seniority of the generation. There is a wide variety of fishermen's deities made in Macau, some of which are the same as those of Buddhism, Taoism and folk beliefs.
Each fishing boat enshrines the Nine Great Deities, the Family Deity and the Bow Deity. The deities in front of the Nine Great Deities Plaque are Tin Hau, Hung Shing, Golden Flower, Wah Kwong, Kwun Yum, Pak Tai, Kwun Tai, Chan Wong, and Choi Pao; if Zhu Da Xian is enshrined, it is usually placed next to the Great Deities Plaque; those in front of the Family Deities Plaque are the Family Immortals, which include the Siang Siang Plaque, the Riding Dragon and Tiger, the Single Horse, and Riding the Crane, etc.; and those placed in front of the Bow Plaque are the Deities of Facing the River, and Looking at the Sea.
2. Taoist and Folk Belief Deities
The Taoist and folk belief deities in Macao generally include: Ancestor Lu, Taishang Laojun, Jade Emperor, Doumu, Kuixing, Zhenwu, Huaguang, A-Ma, Kwan Sheng Di Jun, Wang Lingguan, the Eight Immortals, Chenghuang, Tu, Zhong Kui, Jigong, Nazha, Luban, Hua Tuo, Lady Golden Flower, Sixty Years Old, etc.
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3. Buddhist statues
Buddhist statues of many kinds, such as: the Three Treasure Buddha, Hua Yan three saints, the three saints of the Saha, the three saints of the West, Guanyin and its attendants Golden Boy and Jade Maiden, Shakyamuni, Manjushri, Pushyun, Dizang, Jyoti, Galang, Supervisor of Jaizai, Lohan, Maitreya, Void Sky Zang, the stopping of all the obstacles, and the Lord of the Vajra; twenty-four heavenly: such as Da Brahma Heaven, the Emperor's release of the sky, Weidao, and so on.
In 2008, the sculpture of Macau deities was selected as one of the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage protection projects.
Water Crab Congee
Macau is situated at the junction of salt and fresh water, producing crabs with delicious characteristics.
The crab congee is made by taking the essence of three kinds of crabs, namely water crab, paste crab and meat crab, and adding specially made oyster congee. All the crabs are local crabs, because the crabs in Macau grow at the junction of fresh and salty water, which makes the crab flavor sweet and the meat rich and refreshing. The crabs in the congee are chopped into large pieces to prevent the crab shells from being mixed into the congee, which would affect the taste and be unsafe. As soon as the freshly baked crab congee is served, you will be attracted by its fragrant flavor and yellow appearance, which will make your mouth water. The congee is not too thick or too thin, rich crab yolk, fresh crab meat, full of crab flavor.
Ruins of St. Paul's
Macau has many Western-style Catholic churches, of which St. Paul's is the oldest and most famous, and is often referred to as "St. Paul's". The Ruins of St. Paul's are a combination of European Renaissance and Oriental architectural styles, reflecting the fusion of Eastern and Western arts, with fine carvings and magnificent architecture. From three to five layers constitute a triangular pyramid, whether it is the towering cross at the top of the Ruins, or the statue of the Holy Child under the bronze dove and the statue of the Virgin Mary surrounded by angels and flowers, are full of a rich religious atmosphere, giving people the enjoyment of beauty. The various statues on the plaque are so vivid that they are called "three-dimensional Bible".
The Ruins of St. Paul's is one of the most representative of the "Eight Views of Macao", located at the foot of the Fortress Hill, to the left of the Macao Museum and the Fortress attractions, for the Mother of God Church (i.e., St. Paul's Church), the site of the front wall, was reborn by fire. The building combines European Renaissance and Oriental architectural styles, reflecting the fusion of Eastern and Western art, with fine carvings and magnificent architecture.
In 2005, the Chinese government successfully declared the Ruins of St. Paul's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Ruins of St. Paul's became part of the Historic Centre of Macau. Although the Ruins of St. Paul's has lost its actual function as a church, it is closely related to the lives of the people of Macau. Various cultural events are held here from time to time, and the long staircase in front of the Ruins becomes a natural seating area, transforming the Ruins into a huge set with a natural stage.
Alishan Alpine Tea
Walking in the mountainous region of Alishan on the large and small highways, as far as the eye can see are all the green tea plantation scenery, in recent years, tea has become the largest economic crop in the Alishan region. The tea is mainly Oolong and Jinxuan.
Alishan high mountain tea grows at an average altitude of more than 1,000 meters above sea level in the low-temperature mountain slopes, year-round clouds, abundant water, sunshine, water quality, clean and excellent, coupled with advanced tea technology, can be said to be the "spirit of the earth and people"; its tea is not only the texture of the pure, sweet and mellow in the mouth and resistant to bubbling, can be called the top of the tea. Local tea farmers can grasp the characteristics of Alishan tea, semi-fermented tea to play its high mountain tea characteristics, so that it is generally favored by the tea industry.
Alishan's high mountain tea is most famous for its Chulu tea from Shizhuo and Longzhu tea from Ruili. The tea broth of Chulu tea is clear golden yellow in color, fragrant, sweet and pure in the mouth, which is highly praised; Longzhu tea not only has the pure quality of high mountain tea, but also has excellent tea-making technology and successful production and marketing channels, which makes it one of the representatives of Alishan's high mountain teas.
Pineapple pastry
Pineapple pastry is available all over Taiwan, and Taichung's pineapple pastry is famous for its pineapple filling, which is made from fresh pineapple, and is sold on the spot every day, which attracts a lot of foreigners to patronize it. The outer skin is fluffy and has a natural creamy flavor, while the inner filling is chewy, sweet and has a natural pineapple flavor.
The origin of pineapple pastry, there is a joke that explains the origin of pineapple pastry, chocolate and pineapple fight who lost who won, the answer is chocolate, because the chocolate bar, pineapple lost, so it is also called "pineapple pastry". Of course, this is just a joke to make you laugh.
Generally heard is rumored to be in the Three Kingdoms era (220-280 AD), that Liu Bei to marry Sun Quan's sister, and the engagement gift cake will be filled with pineapple made of cake. Taiwan's wedding customs, engagement cake *** six flavors represent six gifts, one of the pineapple Taiwanese pronunciation is also known as "Wanglai", symbolizing the meaning of the children and grandchildren Wangwanglai, loved by the public. In the early days, the pineapple gift cake was too big for the general public to consume. Nearly a hundred years ago, a pastry chef in Taichung County named Yan Bottle used to carry his own "dragon and phoenix cake" on a stretcher to Taichung to sell it. The first "dragon cakes" were large round cakes filled with meat, while the "phoenix cakes" of the same size were filled with pineapple. "Because of its auspicious meaning, the dragon and phoenix cake was considered to be a must-have for engagements and marriages. Later on, after Yan's improvement, the phoenix cake was reduced to a small, delicate cake of about 25 to 100 grams each, and the pineapple cake was born.
Not only is pineapple abundant in Taiwan, but in folklore, pineapple also represents the auspicious significance of "wanglai" (the Southern Chinese word for pineapple), which is why this small snack has been popular in Taiwan for more than a century.
The filling of the pineapple pastry is not just pineapple. For the sake of taste, winter melon is usually added, and this flavor is already a habit for most people. In recent years, the popularity of health, Taipei can be bought on the market added grains, pine nuts, egg yolks, chestnuts and other different flavors of the pineapple pastry; pie crust also added oatmeal and other ingredients, the taste is more diverse. Some companies also use other fruits as fillings, such as melons, plums, and sour plums, etc.
These are the most popular flavors in the world.
Later on, it evolved into a modern "pineapple pastry" made by combining Western-style pie crust with Chinese-style pineapple filling. Because of the crispy and fluffy outer crust and the sweet but not greasy pineapple filling, this kind of combination of Chinese and Western-style pineapple pastry is appreciated by Westerners, and it has gradually become one of the most popular gifts in Taiwan for foreign tourists.
Saltwater Bee Cannon
Saltwater Bee Cannon is a famous local folklore activity during the Lantern Festival in Taiwan. It refers to the large-scale cannon platform composed of many sky cannons, and when lit, ten thousand cannons are fired in unison, just like a swarm of bees coming out of the hive, so it is called "Bee Cannon".
Bee Cannon activities may have started in the Qing dynasty Guangxu 11 years, Yanshui District on the plague epidemic, residents based on folk customs, to the local "Guan Sheng Di Jun" (God of Guan) to pray for peace, and according to the results of divination in the evening of the Lantern Festival, the temple was invited to the Zhou Cang master to do to open the way, behind the temple of Guan Sheng Di Jun, all the way to set off firecrackers around the district one night, and later evolved into a tradition, initially, the whole district in the Lantern Festival before and after three days, later, the firecracker was set off in the evening of the Lantern Festival. At first, the whole district is three days before and after the Lantern Festival firecrackers, and then gradually changed to the form of villages take turns to put firecrackers.
Today, the Yanshui Bee Cannon has become a large-scale event planned, and with the history and tourism will be restored to the streets of the ancient times, in 2006, the city of Tainan will be the Yanshui District of Sanfu Street set up as a street of ancient artillery, tandem with the street merchants to use ancient methods of production of firecrackers, such as bamboo rolled cannons, a single tube of vintage-style pyrotechnics, and so on.
Indigenous Portuguese Cuisine
Indigenous Portuguese cuisine is a food culture based on Portuguese cooking, combining materials and cooking methods used in Africa, India, Malaya, and the local Chinese cuisine, combining the strengths of each region's cuisine, and is a culinary culture that has evolved through centuries of integration, and is an important historical product of the Portuguese maritime culture. It is a culinary culture that has evolved over centuries and is an important historical product of Portuguese maritime culture.
In Macau, Portuguese food is a must. A classic Portuguese meal usually looks like this: the smell of curry wafts from the table before it's served, and the turmeric-powdered chicken is wrapped in potatoes, onions, black olives and Portuguese sausage. Pick up a piece and bring it to your mouth, the chicken is pungent and slightly spicy, rich and flavorful, and the aroma of coconut milk fills your mouth. The blissful flavor contains a sense of disorientation that makes it impossible to describe exactly what country's cuisine it is.
This is the beauty of native Portuguese cuisine.
Fusion is the label. Based on Portuguese cooking, the native Portuguese cuisine is a blend of ingredients and cooking styles used in African, Indian, Malaysian and local Chinese cuisine, and combines the strengths of each region to create a unique form of development, a culinary culture that has evolved over the centuries, and an important historical product of the Portuguese seafaring culture.
Sixteen centuries of Portuguese cuisine have been passed since the beginning of Portuguese cuisine, and the Portuguese cuisine has become the most popular.
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Portuguese came to the east by ship in time for the European "Age of Sail", traveling along the west coast of Africa, around the Cape of Good Hope, through India and Malacca to Macau. In that era when sails were used as the power, during the long sea voyage and anchoring along the coast, the Portuguese gradually combined the lifestyles and food habits of different regions, nationalities and cultures in Africa and Asia, which became part of their daily life. When they settled in Macao, on the coast of the South China Sea, they combined their own European culture with different customs along the way, with the Chinese way of life, and gradually formed the "Native Portuguese Cuisine Culinary Arts".
Spices are the soul. The Portuguese will be added to the food and drink in a variety of condiments collectively referred to as "spices", and the Oriental spices are Europe - the main commodity of the East China Sea trade, for the Portuguese to bring a lot of profit. Therefore, the Portuguese were the first to understand the Oriental spices and trade Europeans. Curry, cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, cloves ...... are important discoveries of the Portuguese in India and Southeast Asia. Using these spices, the Portuguese gradually formed a distinctive cooking method. East and West of the food culture through the fusion, resulting in a colorful, rich flavor, delicious and delicious variety of dishes.
Nowadays, the art of indigenous Portuguese cuisine is widely recognized in Macau and was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Macau in 2012. At the same time, this art has spread around the world with the migration of native Portuguese, becoming one of the gastronomic techniques with international influence and character.
Land Religion
The "Land God", also known as the "God of Fudoshin" and the "God of the Great Uncle", is one of the most popular deities in Chinese folklore. It is one of the most popular deities in Chinese folklore. Believers believe that it is in charge of a piece of land and protects the life, health, and wealth of its inhabitants. On the second day of the second month of the Chinese lunar calendar, the God of the Earth is celebrated as "Tou Yazhou", and some of the temples in Macao hold grand celebrations, including prayers to the God of the Earth, lion dances, performances, and banquets, etc. It is an important worship and festival for the Chinese community in Macao.
"Drunken Dragon Dance" and "Lion Dance"
In the traditional culture of Macao, the "Drunken Dragon and Lion Dance" is held on the second day of the Lunar New Year every year. The Drunken Dragon Dance originates from Shiqi, Zhongshan City. The Drunken Dragon is different from the common Dragon Dance in that it only has a dragon's head and a dragon's tail, but not a dragon's body. Drunken Dragon Dance martial arts masters, dance while being poured wine, so with a few drunkenness, dance boldly. "Wake up the lion" is a new "lion" eye opening, the ceremony is very grand.
Preserved Fruit
Hong Kong is no stranger to many people. From the Hong Kong blockbusters to the star-studded TVB, or the unique Hong Kong flavor on the streets, it's a place you'll never forget. In addition to its reputation as a shopper's paradise, Hong Kong is also often labeled as a gourmet city.
When you come to Hong Kong, in addition to the well-known cafes, wonton stalls and dessert stores, there are also some old shops that you may be interested in. For example, Missy Fung's cold fruits, a flavor that has lasted for half a century.
The streets of Causeway Bay are crowded, and it's not so easy to find the legendary Missy Phoenix, the world's most expensive cold fruit store. In the narrow streets, along the crowded flow of people, a moment of inattention and it will be lost. Turning eyes back, the youngest phoenix of the red signboard openly in the standing. Through the old, rustic door plaque into the store, as if in the 1930s Shanghai old movie. Not a spacious store, placed more than 300 kinds of cold fruits and snacks, arranged neatly, large glass jars labeled with the name and price. A handmade plum, to more than ten dollars, some people jokingly called the Missing Phoenix plum is the snacks of the Porsche.
In the early days of Hong Kong, there was no local brand of cold fruits, most of which were imported from Vietnam, Thailand and other places. The founder of the Missing Fung, Mr. Situ from the neighborhood for the secret recipe for the production of cold fruits, hand-pickled, natural, exclusive formula, to maintain the essence of the "is that taste". Stuart family three generations in charge, the master is also a change of generation after generation, but the Missing Phoenix's handmade cold fruit recipe has not changed. From the selection of fruit, cleaning, air drying to pickling, each process is handcrafted by professional masters. So that each grain, each piece, always the same flavor. Instead of tasting the plums, it is more like savoring a family story.