In the world of taste, there is a taste, it seems to be gentle soothing, through the tip of the tongue to give people comfort, this is the sweetness. Walk! Let's go to Macau together and look for sweet tastes.
01
Portuguese egg tarts
In everyone's heart, there is a list of "Macau must-punch" delicacies, and the indispensable one must be a Portuguese egg tart.
"Tart", derived from the transliteration, refers to the pie with the filling exposed. The Portuguese love desserts and are most fond of egg tarts. In the nineteenth century, the nuns of the monastery needed to use a large amount of egg white to sizing their clothes, and the remaining egg yolks could not be wasted, thus making this cream puff pastry that would later become popular throughout Europe.
The prestigious Portuguese egg tart was actually created by the Englishman Andrew. According to Andrew's daughter Ou Di, there were many Portuguese in Macau at that time, and his father thought that these people must miss his hometown, so he began to try to make Portuguese egg tarts. After borrowing from Cantonese milk stews and British desserts, Andrew improved the ratio of flour, egg wash and cream to create the unique Egg Tart in Macau, also known as The Portuguese Tart.
Freshly baked tarts are aromatic, and layers of crisp tarts wrap around the caramelized golden egg paste, and take a bite, sweet but not greasy.
02
Portuguese sweet rice
Portuguese sweet rice is a classic Portuguese dessert.
Traditional Portuguese sweet rice, smooth in taste, need to add a lot of milk to cook. In Macau, chef Lu Zicheng has improved this classic. He innovatively adds sugar-free almond butter to blend the creaminess of the milk, resulting in a novel taste experience.
Butter, sugar and egg yolks work together to add a mellow texture to the sweet rice. Because the amount of milk used is reduced, the sweet smell is sharpened, and the sweetness of the almonds amplifies the rice aroma. This Portuguese sweet rice, unique to Macao, has both oriental charm and retains the essence of Portuguese cuisine.
03
Dragon's whisker candy
Dragon's whisker candy is a traditional Chinese folk dim sum made from maltose and flour and filled with peanuts, nuts and sesame seeds. In 2020, the dragon whisker candy making technique was included in Macao's list of intangible cultural heritage.
Yuji Dragon Whisker Candy is a well-known long-established brand in Macau, which has now been passed down to the second generation. Although the ingredients required are simple, every step of the way to make dragon's whisker candy is interlinked.
Ruan Yinzhao, a descendant of Dragon Whiskers Sugar, said that the feel of sugar production is very important. Since sugar is affected by temperature and humidity, sugar masters must carefully observe and feel the changes in the sugar filaments. How to transform the thick sugar glue ball from one into a thousand strands of silver wire as thin as a hair, in fact, all depends on the long-term experience accumulated by the sugar master.
When a small ball of dragon's whisker sugar is sent to the mouth, the sugar shreds and mellow fillings that flutter in the mouth bring joy and sweetness to people.
People like to associate happiness and good feelings with sweetness. Sweets are a sweet soothing at work and a small indulgence in a life of moderation. Generations of craftsmen who make all kinds of sweets have worked hard to make this happy taste last forever.
Source: Voices of the Greater Bay Area