In order to promote and pass on Macanese gastronomy, an intangible cultural heritage item, the Cultural Affairs Bureau publishes a revised edition of “The Cuisine of Macao From My Grandfather’s House” in Chinese version and a bilingual Portuguese-English version, allowing a broader range of readers to get to know Macao’s unique gastronomic techniques.

In the beginning of the 16th century, during the Discoveries, the Portuguese sailed from Europe to the East, gradually combining ways of life, customs and dishes from different regions in Africa and Asia, from different peoples and different cultures, developing each place’s cuisine and largely enriching their original gastronomy. Macanese cuisine became an important gastronomic culture throughout hundreds of years, also being an historical product of the Portuguese maritime culture. The techniques of Macanese gastronomy were inscribed in the Macao’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2012.

Graça Pacheco Jorge, the book’s author, belongs to an ancient Macanese family and has spared no efforts to promote the Macanese gastronomy, continuing to organize and publicize related activities, including lectures, workshops and training courses, as well as participating in documentaries on local gastronomy produced in Portugal, Japan and Hong Kong. In 1992, the Macao Cultural Institute (now the Cultural Affairs Bureau) published a Portuguese edition of “The Cuisine of Macao From My Grandfather’s House”. After more than twenty years, Graça Pacheco Jorge revised the original recipes and added new dishes. In order to allow even more foreign readers to comprehend the unique Macanese culture as well as its life customs through its cuisine, the Cultural Affairs Bureau commissioned the book’s translation, now launching a version in Chinese and a bilingual Portuguese-English version.

The Chinese version of “The Cuisine of Macao From My Grandfather’s House” is available for sale at MOP170 and the Portuguese-English bilingual version at MOP250 and MOP170 for the hardback and paperback editions, respectively, at the Macao Cultural Plaza, Lda., Seng Kwong Bookstore, Portuguese Bookstore, the Macao Historical Archives, the Kun Iam Ecumenical Centre and the Public Information Centre at the Rua do Campo. For enquiries, please call 8399 6699 during office hours.