InTheMakingofMacau’sFusionCuisine:FromFamilyTabletoWorldStage,AnnabelJacksonarguesthatMacanesecuisinecannotbeseenasauniqueproductofPortuguesecolonialisminsouthernChina.Instead,itneedstobeunderstoodinthecontextofPortugal’sculinaryfootprintinAsiaandbeyond.ShecontendsthattheculinaryculturesofotherPortuguesecoloniesinAsiaandAfricaalsoinfluencedthecuisineinMacau.MacanesecuisineplaysaroleinevokingasenseofMacaneseidentitywithinMacauaswellasintheMacanesediaspora.AstheMacanesehaveincreasinglydefinedthemselvesasanethnicallyandculturallydistinctgroup,theircuisinehasgrowinglybeenseenasacriticalidentifierofcohesionanddifference.ThebookshowshowMacanesecuisineismovingfrombeinganeverydayproductionoffoodinadomesticsettingtosomethingmoresymbolicandceremonial.Italsoarguesthatthepracticeofrecipesharing,historicallycontroversialamongtheMacanese,isnowviewedasanimportantprocess.
Drawingoninformationgatheredthroughinterviewsandsurveys,thebookisafascinatingstudyofthehistoryanddevelopmentofMacanesecuisine,oneoftheoldestfusioncuisinesinAsia.
