Sweet SOUVENIRS

Lucky in gambling, unlucky in love,” states my companion Chen as I sit in the turbojet staring out at the gentle ripples of the Pearl River Delta in southern China. “So, instead of letting the roulette rule your stay in Macau, let the food be the raison d’être of your visit,” smiles the 48-year-old Australian resident who originally hails from Macau and is paying her family a visit.And sure enough, as Chen talks about her childhood spent in this historic state-city, it’s difficult not to let the magic of this place envelop you in its folds. “We take food very seriously and could well have been the first to come up with fusion cuisine – with Chinese and Portuguese flavours adding to make Macanese cuisine as we know it today,” she says.
So, if Hong Kong that lies across the Pearl River Delta enjoys its moniker of being a gourmet paradise, Macau too is not far behind. And there’s enough to tempt the serious foodies from across the globe, be it Lebanese, Mexican and, of course, Indian. Just a little over an hour later, Chen waves me goodbye with her list of must-dos, vis-à-vis food, in this region. “Just remember not to fly back without having a taste of our edible icon – the egg tart.” Needless to say, we’re determined to do just that to kickstart our journey.
Taking in the crisp morning air, enjoying the artistic high-rises, we drive towards the sleepy Coloane Village that houses, as our host Jenny Kou lets on, the Lord Stow’s Bakery. Even as you take a walk along its greater bay area, that unveils views of China and Hong Kong in the far distance, the distinct smell of its famous egg tarts wafts across the street towards us. As we move towards Coloane’s famous landmark, Jenny offers a peek into its fascinating history here. In fact, this story might seem incomplete without it.
BACK TO THE S-TART
It all started in 1979 when an Englishman called Andrew Stow landed in Macau not to work as a chef but as an industrial pharmacist. Five years later, Lord Stow set up a tropical health foods enterprise and started importing baking products from Europe to make bread. And they soon set up the Lord Stow’s Bakery that offered European cakes and bread. But what Stow was particularly keen on was introducing the Portuguese Egg Tart or the Pastel de Nata in Macao. Unable to get the essential ingredients across for some reason, he started experimenting with what was locally available, and several trials later, managed to create the egg tart that, as experts say, is Portuguese in style but has an English-influenced filling. And so goes the story of the iconic egg tart of Macau.
NOT FOR CALORIE CONSCIOUS
The next day, after having a bird’s eye view from the 338-metre-high Macau Tower, we walk past the buzzing Rua do Cunha in the Taipa area, taking in the colours and flavours of this narrow street named after the Portuguese explorer Tristão da Cunha. A buzzing centre for foodies, we stop at the Pasteleria Fong Kei, a 100-year-old patisserie that is famous for its almond cakes and cookies and phoenix egg rolls besides a variety of cookies that, as the shopkeeper here tells us, are must-carry-back-home food souvenirs. Moving ahead, we pick up the Blue Mountain Coffee Pudding and some serradurra cake that too boast distinct Macau flavours. And not to forget the slices of bitter-sweet Portuguese goodies and pork jerky and pork loin with garlic that seem to be a big hit with the local crowd.
With the lights of the city’s sky scrapers twinkling in the distance, we sit in its cosy environs as the charming chef smiles, “The food culture is very special in Macau – it’s a mix of our Chinese roots and Portuguese influences that came in about 400 years ago.” Enjoying rounds of homemade sardine sauce with French toast, fruits with pork jerky and Portuguese beer jelly and the shrimp roe noodles in chorizo style, one thing we all concede on is that food here is not for those counting their calories! And we certainly weren’t!
Plan a food tour, hopping across dessert bars and dessert cafes that have mushroomed all over the “Las Vegas of Asia”
Did you know?
Many unique dishes in Macanese food resulted from the spice blends that the wives of Portuguese sailors used in an attempt to replicate European dishes. Broadly, it consists of a blend of southern Chinese and Portuguese cuisines, with significant influences from Southeast Asia and the Lusophone world.