Macau’s culinary diversity is embodied by Macau cuisine, a creative blend of African, Indian, Southeast Asian, Chinese – particularly Cantonese – and Portuguese influences. Recognized by UNESCO as the world’s first fusion cuisine, Macau cuisine reflects the region’s wide-ranging cultural influences, many of which have been shaped by Macau’s position as a trading center. This is achieved through a harmonious combination of spices, techniques and ingredients from East and West, such as the region’s freshest seafood and far-flung spices such as Mediterranean bay leaves and South American chili peppers.
With Macau’s rapidly growing popularity as a foodie destination, now is the perfect time to delve into Macau’s cuisine, where each dish celebrates a flavorful exchange of cultures.
Iconic dishes from Macau
Many visitors to Macau are familiar with the famous egg tarts inspired by Portuguese Pasteis de Nata, but Macau’s cuisine, which is as diverse as it is delicious, has much more to discover.
Florita Morais Alves, chef of Macau’s popular La Famiglia restaurant, grew up eating a variety of Macau snacks and dishes, such as arroz gordo, diabo, fried shrimp stuffed with garlic and cilantro, and minchi, considered Macau’s national dish. Sometimes served with a fried egg, minchi is usually fried minced pork or beef with onions and diced potatoes, seasoned with soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and kecap manis (sweetened soy sauce). Alves also enjoys tacho, a complex, time-consuming dish inspired by the Portuguese dish cozido a portuguesa, which involves simmering meat and vegetables for up to several days.
Another iconic dish is porco balichao tamarindo, which is pork cooked with palm sugar, balichao (a type of shrimp paste often made from krill) and tamarind. Annabel Jackson, an author and expert on Macau cuisine, says the dish is very Southeast Asian and gives off an irresistible aroma when the balichao is cooked. “It’s thick, dark, rich and delicious,” says Jackson, who also highlights chilicotes – small fried dumplings filled with curry-scented pork or beef that evolved from the traditional Portuguese fried shrimp dumplings rissois de camarao.
Tam Wai Kuen, chef of the renowned Portuguese restaurant Guincho a Galera at the Hotel Lisboa Macau, says Portuguese bean and pork stew is one of his favourite Macau dishes as it reminds him of the various Chinese-style versions of braised pig’s feet or shanks, which can be prepared with soy sauce, fermented red bean curd, oyster sauce or pickled plums.
A unique kitchen
Like the city’s famous Portuguese chicken – a delicious creamy oven-baked chicken curry with potatoes, pickled black olives and coconut milk that cannot be found in Portugal itself – Macau cuisine has developed its own distinctive, delicious identity.
