African Chicken: Macau's Signature Macanese Dish
How African chicken, Macau's famous coconut-peanut-chili chicken, got its name, what it tastes like and where to try it in Coloane and Taipa.
African Chicken: A Dish With a Mixed Heritage
African chicken, or galinha à africana, is one of the best-known dishes of Macanese cuisine, the blended cooking style that developed among Macau's Portuguese-descended community. It is grilled or roasted chicken in a thick, spicy sauce made from chili, garlic, coconut milk, peanuts and spices, served with rice or potatoes. The chicken is smoky and juicy, and the sauce is rich and warming, with a gentle heat that builds rather than burns.
Despite the name, the dish has no direct African origin that is easy to trace. It is generally believed to reflect the flavors Portuguese sailors picked up on their trade routes through Africa, India and Southeast Asia, brought together in Macau's kitchens. The result is a good illustration of how Macanese food is a fusion of Portuguese, Chinese, African and Southeast Asian ingredients, which is what makes it so different from the cooking of nearby Hong Kong or Guangzhou.
How to Order African Chicken
| Step | What to Do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ask for it with rice or Portuguese potatoes, the usual accompaniments |
| 2 | Share a whole or half chicken, since the portions are generous |
| 3 | Try it with a cold beer or a Portuguese vinho verde to cut through the spice |
| 4 | Mop up the sauce with bread and finish with a Portuguese custard or a serradura dessert |
Where to Try Them
Small Macanese restaurants in Taipa Village and Coloane are the best places to find the dish, and several family-run spots near Hac Sa Beach are known for it. Some resort restaurants also serve versions, but they tend to be pricier and less distinctive. A half chicken with sides usually costs a modest amount, and it is easily shared between two people.
Do not judge it by the first bite. The sauce builds heat slowly, so wait before adding extra chili, and ask staff how spicy a particular kitchen's version is.
