400 Years of Fusion

Many people set the buffet table with flowers and candles. At a Macanese potluck, flags are added.

When Barbara and Delano Pereira had 16 Macanese American friends over for lunch on a recent Sunday, they ran out of room on the table. Searching for space amid the jigsaw of platters, tureens, bowls and plates, the hostess finally removed the candles. The flags--red for Portugal and periwinkle blue for Macao--were more important.

Macao, about 43 miles (a 50-minute jet-foil ride) from Hong Kong, is the oldest European settlement on the South China coast. The Macanese are descendants of Portuguese sailors and traders who went to Asia and eventually married Indonesians, Malaysians, Chinese, Indians, Filipinas and Thais.

In recent decades, the Macanese have become a tiny minority in Macao. Of a population of 400,000, only 9,000 are Macanese; almost all the rest are Chinese. Few Macanese, and practically none among the younger generation, still understand the Macanese patois, a dialect of Portuguese.

Meanwhile, Macanese have scattered around the world, not only to Portugal and Brazil but to Toronto, Vancouver--and California. Delano Pereira, president of the Southern California chapter of the United Macau Assn., estimates that there are about 260 Macanese in Los Angeles and about 860 in Northern California. Members of his group maintain contact with other chapters through newsletters, an Internet site and reunions in Macao sponsored by the colony’s government.

As the time approaches for China to take control of Macao on Dec. 20, 1999, in accord with a 1987 agreement between Lisbon and Beijing, these expatriate Macanese are experiencing a heightened sentimentality for the Macanese food, culture and lifestyle of their youth.

“Most of us no longer own land there, and our relatives have died,” says Pereira. “There was a mass exodus in the ‘50s for political reasons. Then the economic refugees in the ‘60s wanted a better life.”

At the Pereiras’ potluck, guests swapped travel plans and tales of past visits. “Eating was a big reason we attended the reunion last October,” explained Pereira, referring to their trip to Macao to participate in the government-organized event. Many intend to go to the next reunion of overseas Macanese in April 1998, and some plan to return to witness the hand-over ceremonies in 1999.

Since, at least to Pereira’s knowledge, there are no Macanese restaurants in the United States, the only way to experience the sort of food being served at this potluck is by invitation to a home.

Macanese food is 400-year-old fusion cuisine. Although it began as Portuguese, it changed radically when Chinese amahs (maids) took over the cooking and began substituting local ingredients for the hard-to-get European imports. The result: Chinese staples such as congee (rice porridge) and dim sum share the Macanese table with Portuguese wine and Portugal’s eggy custards, sardines and beloved codfish.

The Macanese larder borrows from the former Portuguese colonies: sweet potatoes, peanuts, kidney beans and fruits from Brazil, fiery piri-piri peppers from Mozambique, saffron and spices from Indian enclaves such as Goa. Much of the food is rich and heavy, labor-intensive and hardly slimming, especially the dairy-rich baked goods.

“Can you believe this cake?” asked 82-year-old Ismalia Perpetuo, Barbara Pereira’s mother, as she gestured toward her bo^lo menino (baby cake), which she had made the day before. “The recipe calls for 10 yolks. And that’s the smallest recipe I could find.”

It is in savory dishes that you see the signs of culinary fusion, say Barbara Pereira and Gloria Sequeira. Dishes are flavored with soy sauce and enriched with olive oil and dairy products. The cuisine also features Chinese herbs, greens (especially bok choy and gaai laan), barbecued meats, Chinese ham, sausage and seafood, Portugal’s codfish (bacalhau) and an odoriferous Southeast Asian dried shrimp paste, balicha~o that makes your nose twitch.

Instead of chopsticks, Macanese use cutlery. Although Chinese eat rice without sauce, usually at the end of a meal, Macanese flavor it with sauce and use it as a base of a meal. A typical morning in Macao may begin with congee and dim sum and finish with curried crab, vaca stofada (beef roast), Portuguese wine and mango pudding.

The savory empanada-like turnovers on Pereira’s buffet, tempra chilicotte, were filled with ground meat and turnips. Pereira pointed out that the use of won ton wrappers, green onions and (often) soy sauce makes them Macanese.

What looked like a plate of yellow cotton candy turned out to be fo^fo, strands of fried codfish flavored and colored with saffron. A bitter squash soup with ground pork got its sour, salty edge from balicha~o. (Although some cooks still make their own balicha~o, Pereira and her friends buy it from Asian markets and doctor it to suit their tastes.) A shrimp curry was enriched with unsweetened coconut milk and fresh okra.

The drink of the day, chilled Portuguese vinho verde (a tart young wine with a fruity zing), stood up well to the spicy sausages and fatty meats of Macanese cooking. Vinho verde is hard to find in Los Angeles; Delano Pereira bought it through a Portuguese friend in Artesia. Portuguese cheese, breads, coconut tarts and sausages are available from Portazil Pastry, a Portuguese and Brazilian store in Artesia.

Some think this is an endangered cuisine. “Young Macanese these days would rather make pasta or do a stir-fry for dinner than slave over stews and sausage casseroles,” says Gloria Sequeira, a mother of seven who lives in Downey. “My kids aren’t interested in these recipes.”

Her contributions to the buffet at the Pereiras’ included galinha a portugue^sa (chicken braised with chourico sausage and olives), a sticky coconut rice pudding (thicker than the Thai style) and genete, a melt-in-the-mouth cookie made from cornstarch instead of flour.

But the Macanese love of their food may yet preserve it. “This is what Macanese do best,” said Alexandre C. Sales, ladling caldo verde, a potato-thickened kale soup, into a bowl. “Everything revolves around food. We love to eat.”

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH SAUSAGE AND OLIVES (Galinha a Portugue^sa)

This dish shows the elements that have fused in Macanese cuisine. It’s a chicken curry enriched with olives, Portuguese sausage and coconut milk. In Macao, Chinese ham and sausage are often substituted for European ham and the spicy Portuguese sausage chourico. This recipe comes from Gloria Sequeira.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces

1 cup chopped onions

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound boiling potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large tomato, seeded and minced

1/4 cup flour

1 tablespoon bottled curry paste or 2 tablespoons curry powder

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons catsup

3 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup chopped cooked ham

1/2 pound chourico (Portuguese pork sausage) or hot Italian sausage, cut into 1/4-inch rounds

1/2 cup pitted green olives, chopped

1/2 cup thick coconut milk or canned unsweetened coconut milk

Salt, pepper

Heat oil in kettle or Dutch oven over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken in batches and remove.

Add onions, garlic, potatoes and tomato to fat and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour and cook mixture 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Stir in curry paste, Worcestershire sauce, catsup, broth, ham, sausage, olives, coconut milk, salt and pepper to taste. Return chicken and any juices to pan. Bring liquid to boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings:

644 calories; 1,064 mg sodium; 126 mg cholesterol; 45 grams fat; 23 grams carbohydrates; 37 grams protein; 1.15 gram fiber.

GROUND MEAT WITH FRIED POTATOES (Minchi Com Batata Frita)

In the United States, we make sloppy Joes. In Macao, every housewife has a version of minchi and a secret ingredient or trick that makes hers truly special. Few restaurants in Macao dare to serve this dish because it’s so plain and homey. Besides, most customers would complain that their mother’s version is better. This recipe comes from Cintia Sales. Her secret, she says, is brown sugar.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pepper

Salt

1 cup vegetable oil

3 large red or white potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch or smaller dice

Salt

Heat olive oil in skillet and saute onion and garlic, about 5 minutes. Add beef and pork and cook until browned and cooked through.

Combine soy sauces with sugar and cornstarch and add to meat mixture. Add pepper to taste and mix well.

Fry potatoes in small batches in hot vegetable oil in separate skillet until golden. Drain and salt.

Before serving, add potatoes to meat and mix well. Serve immediately.

8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings:

383 calories; 404 mg sodium; 48 mg cholesterol; 33 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 14 grams protein; 0.22 gram fiber.

BABY CAKE (Bo^lo Menino)

Named for the Baby Jesus, this cake is reserved for such special occasions as birthdays, christenings and showers. The ingredients are expensive and the cake is very rich, with a grainy texture and subtle almond flavor. This recipe comes from Barbara Pereira’s 83-year-old mother, Ismalia Perpetuo.

1 1/2 cups ( 1/2 pound) desiccated coconut

1/2 pound (1 cup) whole pine nuts

1/4 pound ( 3/4 cup) whole almonds

5 egg whites

10 egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup white bread crumbs

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Toast coconut, pine nuts and almonds in skillet until slightly brown, about 5 minutes. Cool. Crush pine nuts and almonds.

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add egg yolks to whites and beat until foamy and light.

Grease 9-inch springform pan with butter. Add sugar and coconut mixture to eggs. Fold in bread crumbs.

Bake at 325 degrees until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool.

Before serving, sift 2 tablespoons powdered sugar over top of cake.

10 to 14 servings. Each of 14 servings:

336 calories; 84 mg sodium; 195 mg cholesterol; 23 grams fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 1.35 gram fiber.

PORTUGUESE EMPANADAS (Tempra Chilicotte)

The Macanese touches in this Portuguese classic are the green onions in the filling and the use of won ton skins instead of pastry dough. Depending on taste, the filling can be seasoned with hot pepper sauce or saffron. The recipe comes from Barbara Pereira.

6 green onions

1 tablespoon corn oil, plus extra for frying

1 pound lean ground pork

3 pounds white turnips, peeled, shredded

Salt, pepper

2 packages won ton skins

Rinse and finely chop onions. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and saute onions over medium heat until limp. Add pork and cook until meat is browned and thoroughly cooked, about 8 minutes. Add turnips and stir until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cool.

Fill won ton skin with 1 tablespoon of filling. Moisten ends of won ton skin and fold over, pressing to seal. Repeat process until all filling is used.

Heat about 3 inches oil in pan. Fry in small batches until golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately.

7 dozen. Each empanada:

21 calories; 17 mg sodium; 3 mg cholesterol; 1 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.15 gram fiber.

CORNSTARCH COOKIES (Genete)

These cookies are also called bicho-bicho (“caterpillars”) because that’s what they look like when they are piped from the pastry bag. This recipe comes from Gloria Sequeira.

6 egg yolks

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 pound (3 cups) cornstarch or more if needed

1/2 cup flour, if needed

Beat egg yolks and sugar until light and creamy. Add vanilla and baking powder and mix well. Add butter and beat 1 minute. Fold in cornstarch by hand or with dough hook. (Note: If batter is sticky, add more cornstarch as needed or up to 1/2 cup flour.)

Fill pastry bag with batter. Using star tip, pipe S-shape about two inches long onto lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees until lightly brown and slightly cracked, 12 to 15 minutes. Do not over-bake.

2 1/2 dozen. Each cookie:

139 calories; 25 mg sodium; 71 mg cholesterol; 7 grams fat; 18 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.02 gram fiber.

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Kitchen Tips

Many Macanese dessert recipes call for desiccated coconut (also called coconut powder), which is shredded coconut with the moisture extracted. It is dry, finer in texture, less sweet and stronger in flavor than the traditional flake-style coconut sold in supermarkets. Either can be used in Macanese recipes, but the desiccated coconut will produce a less sweet and finer-textured product. It is available in Indian food shops and health food stores.