Cha Gordo (literally Fat Tea [1]) is a culinary tradition amongst the Macanese community in Macau that is likened to high tea. [1]
History
Historically, families with Portuguese heritage in Macau would host a Cha Gordo for a number of occasions, including Catholic holidays, christening, or birthdays, but it can be held for any reason. [2] Some families, historically, would even host one on a weekly basis. [1]
A Cha Gordo would take place following a Macanese wedding, instead of the elaborate banquet seen in Chinese weddings. [3]
Composition
Cha Gordos are noted to be elaborate, [4] consisting of 12 dishes or more. [1] Cha Gordos typically start in the mid- afternoon, in order to allow the children to eat, and allow the adults to continue on with the entertainment, as the children go to bed. [2]
Some of the dishes included in a Cha Gordo include Bolinhos de bacalhau, Minchi, Sopa de lacassá, and Tacho. [1] [2] [5]
Present day
Due to cramped living conditions in modern-day Macau, Cha Gordo has become a much rarer affair, [6] but they have been held as community events on a regular basis (such as on Christmas), in an effort to preserve Macanese culture. [6]
References
- ^ a b c d e Cummings-Yeates, Rosalind (18 August 2015). "Feasting on Fat Tea in Macau". TravelPulse.
- ^ a b c Loh, Juliana (10 April 2015). "Cha Gordo: Macau's ' fat tea' a celebration of Macanese cuisine and culture". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ Daniels, Maggie; Loveless, Carrie (2014). Wedding Planning and Management: Consultancy for Diverse Clients (Second ed.). Routledge. p. 29. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ Templer, Robert (4 June 1999). "As It Exits Macau, Portugal Will Leave a Legacy to Savor". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ Albala, Ken (ed.). Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia. p. 232. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
- ^ a b Cabral, Carlos (1 January 2018). "節日的盛筵肥茶 (A holiday feast: Cha Gordo)". Macao Daily News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 8 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.