Preserving Macao's fusion cuisine with recipes passed down generations

MACAO (AP) — A crack of fire under a sprawling wok, a dab of soy sauce and a splash of Chinese rice wine. Bursts of aroma from spices sourced from around the world sizzle as a chef prepares Minchi, a dish of fried minced meat with diced potatoes topped with a sunny-side-up egg. This is one of the most iconic comfort foods for the Macanese.

Restaurateur Manuela Sales da Silva Ferreira’s hopes to ensure her grandmother’s version of dishes like Minchi are not forgotten, using recipes passed down through generations at her eatery, Restaurante Litoral.

In the 25 years since Portugal returned its trading outpost to China, Macau has become known for its glittering, luxurious casinos and nightlife. But as the city evolves, old restaurant owners retire and outlets close and some people fear Macanese traditions and authentic cuisine could disappear.

Macanese food is a mix of Portuguese and Chinese cooking, combined with flavors and ingredients that Portugal imported from its other colonies, from Brazil to Mozambique, Goa to East Timor. UNESCO called Macao “home of the first ‘fusion food,'” blending Western and Eastern cuisine.

Ferreira’s paternal ancestors arrived from Portugal more than 400 years ago. She decided to pack her bags and leave in 1995, just four years before the Portuguese administration would end. But a sudden fear that Macanese cuisine could be lost pulled her back to her home city.

“At that time, I was already married with children and even my children didn’t ask what Macanese cooking is,” she said. “If I don’t do anything, Macanese cooking will be lost.”

That was when she opened her own restaurant.

Ferreira said she believes her family recipes derive from home cooking after centuries of Portuguese wives tried...