What is Progressive Macanese Cuisine

Macanese cuisine in itself has been in constant progress during the last 500 years. Thus, five centuries ago Macau cuisine was very different compared to 300 years ago and again in comparison with 100 years ago. In the last few years, there has been a considerable effort by Macanese chefs to preserve the Macanese gastronomic heritage , which is why it is so important for us to maintain Macanese culinary traditions too. Simultaneously, and paradoxically, Macanese food itself has continued to evolve with stronger influences from southern Chinese gastronomy. 

Therefore, at Macau Kitchen, we preserve key elements of tradition whilst continuing to evolve. We have kept traditional dishes on our fixed menu, respecting our cuisine’s heritage and by doing so we are keeping alive these incredible recipes.

Concurrently, we have a selection of changing menus every night on our progressive Macanese menu.

These dishes are made with seasonal, and local ingredients where possible, and cooked with traditional Macanese flavours. Our progressive Macanese cuisine focuses on the five tastes and five textures of Chinese cuisine’s influence on Macanese cuisine. 

Scotland has such a wealth of delicious ingredients which are not native of Macau. Therefore, we strive to show our respect for the Scottish produce by incorporating it into our progressive Macanese cuisine and its flavours and influences from Macau’s heritage gastronomy.

Five Tastes:

Salty
Salt coming from the ocean, is a fundamental taste that helps to create multiple flavours and a pinch of Flor de Sal truly changes one’s dish experience
- Salty food includes salt and soy sauce, with soy sauce being the most popular of the two

Sour
Sour taste Is truly fascinating and enables an unique reaction on the palate sour Is a natural agent of taste and a flavour that enables various essences
- Sour food includes lemon, rice vinegar, dry wine, and cranberries tamarind

Sweet
This is the most important of the five tastes because almost everything we eat has a little sweetness to it.
- Sweet food includes bell peppers, coconut, hoisin sauce, sweet soy sauce pineapples, and grapes.

Bitter
Bitter flavours balance out spicy flavours and promote salivation.
Bitterness is never alone and almost always paired with another flavour
- Bitter food includes garlic, mustard powder, star anise, and bitter melon

Spicy
In traditional Chinese medicine Usually helps to warm the body. Coldness is pushed out of the body by spiciness.
- Spicy food includes ginger, cinnamon, chilies, black pepper.

Five Textures:

1.⁠ ⁠Crispy
2.⁠ ⁠Tender
3.⁠ ⁠Slippery (especially for the thinly sliced meat with starch and fast stir fried)
4.⁠ ⁠Crunchy (usually for fried food)
5.⁠ ⁠Soft (for stewed food)