Macanese Cuisine

Macau is one of the great food destinations of Asia, and its most distinctive cuisine, Macanese, is often called the world's first fusion food, born over four centuries as Portuguese traders and their families blended the flavours of Portugal, Cantonese China, Africa, India and Southeast Asia. Signature dishes include African chicken, grilled or roasted in a rich, spicy peri-peri-and-coconut sauce, minchi, a comforting hash of minced meat, potato and egg, Portuguese-style baked bacalhau, and hearty stews. Above all, Macau is beloved for its egg tarts, with their caramelised, flaky pastry, and it also boasts a superb Cantonese dining scene and famous pork chop buns.

What you actually see

• African chicken - the spicy coconut-and-peri-peri roast chicken.
• Minchi - the comforting minced meat, potato and egg hash.
• The egg tarts - the beloved caramelised, flaky pastry tarts.
• The Cantonese food - the superb dim sum and Cantonese dining.

When to go

Year-round; the food streets of Taipa Village and the historic centre, along with old Macanese restaurants and bakeries, are the place to sample the unique fusion cuisine, from African chicken and minchi to fresh egg tarts. Macau's blend of Macanese, Cantonese and Portuguese food makes it a genuine culinary destination.

Honest expectations

Truly authentic Macanese home-style cooking is increasingly rare, kept alive by a handful of old restaurants, so seeking these out rewards, while the egg tarts and Cantonese food are everywhere and excellent; popular spots and bakeries can be crowded. As the world's original fusion cuisine, though, a genuinely unique blend of Portuguese, Chinese, African and Asian flavours found nowhere else, alongside superb Cantonese food and the beloved egg tart, Macanese cuisine makes Macau a real highlight for food lovers.

Nearby

Taipa Village's food street and the historic centre's restaurants are the places.