Macanese Cuisine: A Fusion of Past and Present
- By Katherine Fernelius
- Feb 01, 2010
Macau has cuisine that is as eclectic as its surroundings. A former Portuguese colony, Portuguese dishes have a tantalizing presence alongside Cantonese, French, American, Brazilian and Italian cuisine. Restaurants in Macau are in abundance for diners on any budget to enjoy.
Although the cosmopolitan region has many cuisines to offer, Macanese is the traditional food and is a fusion of Portuguese and Chinese flavors with hints of Indian, Malayan and Brazilian influences, creating a cuisine unlike any in the world.
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This unique cuisine was born out of the rural recipes and bold spices the Portuguese brought from its Brazilian and African colonies to Macau in the 16th century. These recipes and spices can be tasted in many of Macau’s most popular dishes like African chicken and piquant prawns, which are baked or gilled with peppers and chilies.
Macanese cuisine is relatively healthy with many of its dishes prepared with fresh ingredients grown or caught from the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea. Some of the most used spices and ingredients include Piri-Piri/chili pepper, curry and soy sauce. Most of the dishes include local produce like African chicken, duck, pigeon, prawns, quail, sole and many fresh vegetables. Very few foreign ingredients are used in traditional Macanese dishes, but imports do include Portuguese sausage and sardines.
Along with the food, Macanese cuisine offers affordable and quality wine. Dão, Borba and Ribatejo are popular red wines, whereas João Pires is a popular white wine. Macanese restaurants also serve Vinho Verde (green wine), which is most commonly paired with seafood dishes. Vinho Verde comes from Minho in the North of Portugal, and the name comes from its sparkling crisp taste, not its color.
After wining and dining, pastries and coffee are a must. Macau has a vast selection of fine coffees to choose from, and the most popular Macanese desserts are traditional Portuguese egg tarts, almond cookies and coconut cake.
If you decide to get adventurous and want to experience traditional Macanese cuisine a few restaurants to try are Litoral, Café Nga Tim, Dom Galo Restaurant, Restaurant Platao and Pinocchio’s. However, if you’re not sure about Macanese, but you want other Asian cuisines, Macau’s Portuguese, Chinese and Cantonese restaurants also offer spectacular meals specializing in dim sum and other authentic Asian dishes and atmosphere.
Regardless of where you choose to eat while visiting Macau, you are in for a treat. Macau offers a unique blend of global influences unlike any other cuisine.
The food has followed Macau through its rich multicultural heritage to the cosmopolitan region it is today.
This article originally appeared in the February 2010 issue of Recharger.