Macau, China's casino city, is known as a land of bullets.
But if you only know macau's paper drunk fans, it is too ignorant of it. It is the third Chinese city to receive the title of "City of Gastronomy" after Chengdu and Shunde.
Although it is only 32.9 square kilometers, it has the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, with more than a dozen Michelin-starred restaurants and dozens of Michelin-recommended restaurants.
From exquisite French cuisine to Chinese tea houses to street food. Moreover, behind these delicacies is a special story of historical and cultural integration...
Picture 2, popular Internet celebrities - Andrew Egg Tart Shop. Photo/Sheep Vigorous
Cities with multicultural collisions are more diverse.
Macau is such a typical city. Among them, the most deeply affected is the Portuguese culture of 400 years ago.
Although people often talk about Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, Macau is not as sharp as the other two places. Because, the city has always been quiet.
Macau Metropolitan Area. Photo/Oasis Living Guide
The city often stayed in the south.
There are many people around who will follow TVB to find Hong Kong's fishing villages, but in fact, Macao has also developed from small fishing villages; some people will go to Taiwan to find literary and artistic atmosphere, but forget that Macao is also a temple of art.
As you walk through Taipa's Old Town, you'll find that the alleys in this small district hide some of the hustle and bustle of the city, hiding a very different world from the nearby casinos:
The taste of Macau's past, with the spirit of old Macau.
Macau's new and old.
01
Portuguese cuisine in Macau: lesser-known cuisine
400 years of culture and history
Chinese cuisine, the world's reputation.
If you talk about how many cuisines there are, you can't count them.
Among so many cuisines, for Macau Portuguese cuisine, it may be the first cuisine to be fused from two places and become a local flavor.
Portuguese cuisine is a unique combination of Portuguese cuisine and Chinese cuisine more than 400 years ago. The history of cooking dates back to the 16th century when Macau was leased to Portugal as a trading post.
The boom in maritime trade helped turn Macau, then a small fishing village, into a thriving port.
In this case, the interaction of food cultures inevitably occurs. At that time, Portuguese people often ate in Chinese restaurants, and Chinese also often ate in Portuguese restaurants.
At that time, Macau was full of small restaurants, because many people would confuse the two together to make delicious food.
Based on the Portuguese cooking style, Southeast Asian condiments and so on are added. It allows local residents to get used to tradition while maintaining the flavor of Portuguese cuisine.
Macau cuisine, pork bone stew with glutinous rice wine.
Due to the long-term influence of Portuguese culture, small Macau has a strong exotic atmosphere and unique cultural atmosphere.
Especially not to be missed is the Portuguese cuisine of Macau.
Portuguese-style mushroom beef and "African chicken".
Macau's first Portuguese restaurant, Riquexó, has been open in Macau for 36 years.
Palmer, the owner, said that her 103-year-old mother, Jessus, was a pioneer in the development of Portuguese cuisine, "She opened the first Portuguese cuisine restaurant in Macau, known as the godmother of Portuguese cuisine in Macau." ”
Before opening riquexó, Portuguese cuisine was just a common home-cooked dish for local residents.
Over the years, Portuguese cuisine became a truly formal "cuisine" before it was discovered by gourmet food.
Last year, a food documentary called "Macau Food Light" was launched.
However, unlike the first two "Cities of Gastronomy", Macao's cuisine relies on the convergence of Chinese and Western cultures, making it such a "bright pearl".
Foodie Cai Lan said, "The most authentic and delicious Portuguese dish is the great white boil."
The meaning of "烚" in Cantonese is boiled meat in boiling water. This dish is quite a Portuguese version of "Northeast Stew".
Through the indigenous materials of the Macanese, Chinese sausages, bacon, duck, Yunnan ham and white radish were used to replace the Portuguese ingredients that originally needed to cross the ocean, becoming the highlight of the table.
Located on Director Peter's Street, Nine Fish Shop is an excellent place to eat large white boils.
The head of the restaurant is called, Cheng Brother.
He is the only top chef in Macau to receive the Culinary Arts Medal and the Tourism Contribution Medal. His killer skill, "Macanese", is the "Macanese cuisine", which is rich in flavor and ingredients, and is the Chinese New Year's Eve choice of many Macao families.
The signature dish of the Elegant Garden Restaurant is a portuguese roast suckling pig with a rich aroma of oil.
Marinated with olive oil, wine, carrots and other ingredients.
Keep turning and roasting for half an hour, brushing the oil and then turning the baking, with these ingredients made of suckling pig, the meat is delicious, and the texture is clearly layered.
A skilled knife maker who can cut into evenly cut steaks. It is then laid with green vegetable leaves, and the greasy roast suckling pig is neatly plated, which makes people eat their fingers.
The fat part bites out of the gravy; the lean part, crispy and tender, has an endless aftertaste.
We can see the changes in The Macau diet from Portuguese cuisine.
Among them, there is an ace dish - "Ma Jiexiu".
At that time, they brought the "national dish" - cod. Portugal has an area of only 92,200 square kilometers, which is about the same size as Zhejiang Province, but has a population of just over 10 million. Compared to any Western country, Portugal is not a big country, but it is one of the largest cod eaters in the world.
They call cod "their most loyal friend", and cod and turkey are essential foods on the table every festive season.
Fried cod fillet salad.
The Portuguese, who came to Macau from afar, missed their hometown dishes, so they brought cod with them.
After catching cod at the beach, the fish is buried directly in a salt pile and transported to Macau after more than a few months of sailing time. At that time, the fish had been marinated to the point of saltiness, and it had to be soaked in water for two days before it could be used for cooking. Such cod, the Portuguese called it "Ma Jie Xiu".
Nowadays in Macao, Ma Jie Xiu potato soup, Ma Hot garlic olive oil roast ma jie xiu, white braised ma jie xiu, fresh shi vegetable braised ma jie xiu, spinach juice braised ma jie xiu, crispy fried ma jie xiu ball...
It is a must-try dish in Macau.
Ma Jiexiu has many ways to eat, can be fried, burned, roasted, boiled...
In Khun Kee, which has been operating in Macau for 100 years, the signature dish is a modified version of Ma JieXiu, which is more suitable for the tastes of Chinese. The soft mashed potatoes, wrapped in tight and delicate fresh fish, transform into KunJi's unique signature dish.
The owner of The Portuguese House always makes a familiar taste of hometown.
There were a lot of dishes that he dared to make as long as he had seen them once. I also talk to diners a lot, and eating here is like eating at home.
The classic Portuguese seafood risotto, unlike the Spanish seafood risotto that is often eaten, is softer and juicier.
Portuguese cuisine is always full of Southeast Asian flavors, which is because the Portuguese people mix the spices collected and brought by the voyage when making Portuguese cuisine.
For example, curry, vanilla, salted shrimp, cloves, fragrant leaves, turmeric powder, etc. Among them, the "salted shrimp paste" made of salted shrimp has the most profound impact on Portuguese cuisine.
The origin of salted shrimp paste is in the Strait of Malacca, thousands of miles away. Local fishermen used to marinate silver shrimp with bay leaves, cloves, salt, black peppercorns and wine to season their meals.
Salted shrimp paste is usually made with a little chili pepper and pepper.
Salted shrimp paste with any ingredient can be blended and complementary, which can not only maintain the taste of the ingredients, but also bring out a unique Nanyang flavor.
After being improved, it has become one of the most popular flavors in Portuguese cuisine. In addition to being able to taste, stir-frying in oil is a dish of flavorful dipping sauce.
Portuguese restaurants like Riquexó in Macau are often opened in small two- or three-story colorful buildings in alleys.
Decorated with medieval lamps, the dishes are all modified Portuguese dishes, such as Portuguese crab curry, fried ma jiexiu ball, Portuguese chicken, or roasted salted pork hands, Portuguese stir-fried clams...
Order some, paired with two glasses of wine, sitting in the alley blowing the night wind, it was very comfortable.
Macau cuisine. Photo/ JUST Living Lab
02
Streets and alleys
Hidden in the taste and spirit of old Macau
Macau, like Hong Kong, is also a snack paradise.
Authentic local cuisine is hidden in the laneways. It may not look particularly delicate, but the ingredients and texture are often sincere.
Macau shrimp noodles with flower branches chicken.
For example, the endorsement of Macau cuisine - Portuguese egg tarts.
It was after the British brought Portuguese egg tarts to Macau and switched to English cream filling to reduce the amount of sugar used, which evolved into the world-famous Macao cuisine.
Freshly baked Portuguese tarts. Photo/Sheep Vigorous
Among them, the most well-known is the egg tart of Andrew's Bakery.
Egg tart skins made of vegetable butter, freshly baked tarts are crispy and fragrant, and you can definitely enjoy the thrill of a unique soul-destroying bite of the tender egg tart filling.
Even if the store is remote, it can't stop the hungry foodies.
Many foodies came to eat an egg tart from Andrew's Bakery, and you can imagine how delicious this egg tart is.
Andrew's café. Photo/Oasis Living Guide
In Macau, an Andrew tart is comparable to margaret tarts.
The two egg tart shops have deep roots, and the owners were originally a couple, but later divorced. So, his wife Margaret started a new stove, and since then she has had two of the most famous egg tart shops in Macau.
Market food, usually not too elaborate decoration, most of it is a tattered storefront.
Lun Kee Soft Smooth Intestinal Powder is known as "Macau's No. 1 Intestinal Powder".
Every day, the front of the store is lined up with tourists from all over the world. The store is not large, seven or eight squares, two or three tables and chairs, and the intestine flour is made to order.
Lunji is famous for its brachu powder, which is delicate and smooth, smooth in the mouth, and the soup is delicious. In addition to Macau's first sausage powder, there is also Macau's first duck porridge!
Because it is too famous, if you come late, you can't taste it.
The fish steak bun of Xinyingji has been recommended by Michelin street food, but it is still little known.
New English. Photo/ Grizzlies Travel HuiXiongTour
Come here, be sure to try the fish steak and coffee here, the fish steak meat is firm, the taste is crispy with a little crisp, the coffee is refreshing, and it is most suitable to eat with the fish steak.
This shop is run by only one elderly couple. One makes a bag and one collects money, one washes dishes and one wipes the table, like the slow life of Macau City.
Fish steak buns and coffee. Photo/ Grizzlies Travel HuiXiongTour
At night, there will be a sugar stall called "Qinji" on the street.
The boss is a pair of good brothers, from the father to take over this sugar water stall, to now more than 30 years.
Qin Ji only sells five kinds of sugar water, red bean paste, mung bean paste, sesame paste, tangyuan and humus bamboo sugar water.
Among them, the daily freshly made Ma Rong tangyuan is the most famous.
The outer skin, sticky and soft texture, and the filling, made of sesame peanuts slowly stir-fried and mixed with lard, taste like quicksand, which is the most familiar taste for Macao people.
Old Macau
Humanistic customs hidden outside of luxury
Macau people are most familiar with the old town here. Taipa's old district, formerly a fishing village, is located in the most historic area of Taipa.
If you go to Macau, Chengcheng recommends that you must go here to see.
Macau's cultural roots have always been preserved, whether it is the diverse cultural background or the architectural style of the fusion of East and West, it is a good place to reflect the authentic and authentic Macao style.
The Old City of Macau and the "bowl of white porridge" of The People of Macau. Photo/Oasis Living Guide
Architecture is frozen in time and history. In the old town of Taipa, Macau, there are many unique buildings, which are the result of the two-way exchange and integration of Chinese and Western cultures.
They are speaking silently about the changes in Macau's history.
With its gravel streets set against a backdrop of Portuguese architecture, Taipa's Old Town is worth exploring and reminiscing.
Taipa Old Town. Photo/Fun World
There is a sentence in the Cantonese ballad:
"Tai Turn, Chrysanthemum Garden." Fried rice cakes, glutinous rice balls. "Speaking of Taipa food.
Taipa's Old Town cuisine is all-encompassing, ranging from traditional bakeries, street food, authentic Chinese cuisine to Portuguese and Spanish cuisine.
A good place for locals to drink morning tea, Longhua Tea House. Photo/Oasis Living Guide
Among them, the most famous food street is the most popular - Guanye Street.
The streets are lined with long-established gourmet shops, and the whole street is filled with the aroma of food, egg tarts, almond cakes, durian ice cream, pork chop buns, crispy suckling pig buns, caramel egg pudding...
Stop and go, eat and see, from the end of the street, you can eat contented.
The Sect Leader Mikando, which only stands out after sunset, only sells the same - black char siu.
In addition to authentic cuisine, the "Portuguese Carnival" is held every year around October.
Through the rich content of song and dance performances, stalls, food and games with the characteristics of Portuguese-speaking countries, Macao's Portuguese-speaking culture was displayed, and enthusiastic carnival activities were brought to everyone.
This year's event is scheduled to take place from October 16 to October 18, and it is the first major event since the Macau switch this year, and countless people are looking forward to it.
Last year's Macau "Portuguese Carnival". Photo/ East Weekly Network
You see, although Macao is not big, it will work together through food and culture to compose its own best future.
In this land, flavor and culture are on the tip of the tongue, forming a story and history that is unique to the ups and downs of this place.
In this way, it continues to burst out with an incomparably vivid vitality and urban flavor.
Attach a copy to you at the end
Michelin Guide Macau 2020
Three Michelin stars
Yu Longxuan
Robuchon au Dôme French restaurant
8 restaurants
Two Michelin stars
Alain Ducasse at Morpheus
Flavor house
Kyo Hana-hsien
Hong (Macau Store)
Imperial dining room
Chuan Jiang Yue New
Wynn Xuan ascended
One Michelin star
Emperor Building
Li Xuan
8 1/2 Eight and a half
Resources:
1. Macau cuisine, please don't order it! It really grows meat! ,Official account "CTSSHA Shanghai"
2. What else is the "Macanese" inventing Macau cuisine besides egg tarts? Public account "National Humanities and History"
3. Macau Taipa Old Town 丨Humanism hidden outside the luxury fans, the public account "Fun in the World"
4. Human touch on the tip of the tongue, Macau food list, public number "Grizzly Travel HuiXiongTour"
5. Celebrate the New Year with the aroma of food in "Macau Food Light"! , the official account "Very Beijing"
Copyright Notice:
Some of the pictures in this article are from @Oasis Life Guide, @Yang Dali, Macau Food Light and the Internet, and the copyright belongs to the original author
Author / City
· END ·