In April, the UTM Library hosted a series of activities as part of Macao’s city-wide ‘Library Week’. One of the main events was a sharing session by UTM faculty members discussing the characteristics of Macanese cuisine
The dish names ‘African Chicken’ and ‘Portuguese Chicken’ may bring blank looks if mentioned to people in either of those places. They are actually icons of Macanese cuisine, often dubbed the “world’s first fusion gastronomy”. It blends influences from Europe, Africa, India, Southeast Asia, and South China.
Macanese cuisine took centre stage at a sharing session at the UTM Library on the Taipa Campus. The event was part of a series of activities organised by the University’s Library, as part of ‘Macao Library Week’, coinciding with World Book Day on 23 April.
The two speakers at the “Discover Macanese Cuisine” sharing session were UTM faculty members Ubaldino Sequeira Couto and Carolina Nogueira. Both are researching Macanese culture and are also founding members of the Macanese Culture Research Association (MACRA), which supported this event.
In 2021, UTM was appointed the Macao protection unit for Macanese cuisine, following the gastronomy’s addition to the National List of Representative Elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Since then, the University has implemented a series of initiatives to promote and protect this unique cuisine, including creating special reference material ‘corners’ at both UTM Libraries on the Mong-Há Campus and Taipa Campus.
The “Discover Macanese Cuisine” sharing session was well received by both local and non-local students, many of whom attended to learn more about Macanese food, a cuisine they are accustomed to and a regular choice on their dining habits. During the event, the speakers outlined the origins of selected dishes, as well as the history and evolution of Macanese cuisine.
“We have come to realise that not many people know about Macanese culture,” explained Ubaldino Couto, highlighting the event’s relevance. “It is also important for us to trace back the origins of this culture.”
The Macanese have a distinct social and cultural identity, alongside the development of the creole Patuá. Over the centuries, Macanese cuisine has blended Southern Chinese and Portuguese flavours with exotic new ingredients introduced by Portuguese travellers on the way from Europe to China.
Carolina Nogueira explained during the sharing session that Macanese cuisine’s origins are believed to be linked to mostly male Portuguese – sailors and merchants – settling in Macao. Many of those men married local women. “As the men missed home, they would ask their wives to prepare traditional Portuguese dishes. However, that was not easy as the women could not find the same ingredients in Macao. So, they tried to follow the same recipes used in Portugal, but replaced hard-to-get ingredients with local substitutes,” she said. And so, Macanese cuisine was born.
According to the scholars, UTM – in its role as the protection unit for Macanese cuisine – is “focused on researching” this gastronomy. The Macao Government Tourism Office leads promotional efforts, while the Cultural Affairs Bureau oversees data collection. Together, these three institutions are helping to preserve Macanese cuisine, the speakers said.
Ubaldino Couto acknowledged that collecting data on Macanese cuisine, particularly recipes, was challenging. “Much of Macanese history has been transmitted orally, and versions sometimes differ from family to family,” he noted.
Carolina Nogueira said she remained hopeful some ostensibly lost historical records on Macanese cuisine were yet to be rediscovered. “I believe there are books or other references waiting for us to explore; we just need time to find them.”
At the conclusion of the sharing session, attendees were invited to sample Macanese snacks prepared by the UTM Educational Restaurant, known for its contemporary take on traditional Macanese dishes.
“This represents a different approach for the Library to engage users,” remarked Ubaldino Couto regarding the sharing session. “In the past, we used to think that libraries were quiet places, but nowadays they can host talks and other interesting events like this one.”
Editor: UTM Public Relations Team
