Macanese cuisine ( zh, 澳門土生葡菜, pt, culinária macaense) is mainly influenced by

Chinese cuisine Chinese cuisine encompasses the numerous cuisines originating from China, as well as overseas cuisines created by the Chinese diaspora. Because of the Chinese diaspora and historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has influenced many o ...

, especially

Cantonese cuisine Cantonese or Guangdong cuisine, also known as Yue cuisine ( or ) is the cuisine of Guangdong province of China, particularly the provincial capital Guangzhou, and the surrounding regions in the Pearl River Delta including Hong Kong and Macau.H ...

and

European cuisine European cuisine comprises the cuisines of Europe "European Cuisine."Portuguese cuisine The oldest known book on Portuguese cuisine, entitled ''Livro de Cozinha da Infanta D. Maria de Portugal'', from the 16th century, describes many popular dishes of meat, fish, poultry and others. ''Culinária Portuguesa'', by António-Maria De O ...

and influences from

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainland ...

and the Lusophone world, due to Macau's past as a Portuguese colony and long history of being an international tourist gambling centre. ''Minchi'', egg tarts, pork chop buns, ginger milk and almond cakes are some of the region's most common delicacies. Common cooking methods make use of various spices such as

turmeric Turmeric () is a flowering plant, ''Curcuma longa'' (), of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae, the rhizomes of which are used in cooking. The plant is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast ...

coconut milk Coconut milk is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk are due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat. Coconut milk is a traditional food ...

, and

cinnamon Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus '' Cinnamomum''. Cinnamon is used mainly as an aromatic condiment and flavouring additive in a wide variety of cuisines, sweet and savoury dishes, breakf ...

to give dishes an extra kick of aroma and enhancement of taste. Many routinely consumed dishes in Macau belong to a subclass ( Heungshan) of Cantonese cuisine. Many Macanese dishes resulted from the spice blends that the wives of Portuguese sailors used in an attempt to replicate European dishes with local Chinese ingredients and seasonings. Typically, Macanese food is seasoned with various spices including

, and

, and dried cod (''

bacalhau () is the Portuguese word for cod and—in a culinary context—dried and salted cod. Fresh (unsalted) cod is referred to as (fresh cod). Portuguese and other cuisines dishes are common in Portugal, and also in former Portuguese colonies ...

''), giving special aromas and tastes. Popular dishes include ''

galinha à Portuguesa Portuguese chicken ( zh, t=葡國雞, s=葡国鸡, first=t), also known as Portuguese-style chicken or galinha à portuguesa () is a dish found in Macanese cuisine. Despite its name, Portuguese chicken did not originate from Portugal, but from it ...

'', '' galinha à Africana'' (African chicken), ''

'' (traditional Portuguese salt cod), '' pato de cabidela'', Macanese chili shrimps, ''

minchi Minchee, or minchi, is a Macanese dish based on minced or ground meat. It is made with beef or pork and diced onions that is flavoured with Worcestershire sauce, molasses and soy sauce with cubed potatoes slightly stir-fried. When served wit ...

'', stir-fried curry crab; pig's ear and papaya salad, and rabbit stewed in wine, cinnamon and star anise. ''Cha Gordo'' (literally "Fat Tea") is a culinary tradition amongst the Macanese community in

Macau Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

that is likened to

afternoon tea Tea (in reference to food, rather than the drink) has long been used as an umbrella term for several different meals. English writer Isabella Beeton, whose books on home economics were widely read in the 19th century, describes meals of va ...

. Historically, families with Portuguese heritage in Macau would host a ''Cha Gordo'' for a number of occasions, including

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

holidays, christening, or birthdays, but they can be held for any reason. Historically, some families would even host one on a weekly basis. A ''Cha Gordo'' would take place following a Macanese

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

, instead of the elaborate

banquet A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...

seen in Chinese weddings.

Macanese dishes and desserts

Non-Macanese Macau snacks

Select bibliography

* Ferreira Lamas, João António (1995). ''A culinária dos macaenses''. Oporto: Lello & Irmão. * Gomes, Maria Margarida (1984). ''A cozinha macaense''. Macau: Imprensa Nacional. * Senna, Maria Celestina de Mello e (1998). ''Cozinha de Macau''. Lisbon: Vega

References

External links

A Guide to Macanese Food: What happens when China, Portugal, and Las Vegas come together.

Some Macau dishes, incarnating Portuguese influences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macanese Cuisine Cantonese cuisine Chinese cuisine East Asian cuisine

Macanese dishes and desserts

Non-Macanese Macau snacks

See also

Select bibliography

References

External links