Cha Gordo Explained

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]

Notes and References

  1. News: Cummings-Yeates . Rosalind . Feasting on Fat Tea in Macau . . 18 August 2015.
  2. News: Loh. Juliana. Cha Gordo: Macau's ' fat tea' a celebration of Macanese cuisine and culture. 7 March 2018. South China Morning Post. 10 April 2015.
  3. Book: Daniels. Maggie. Loveless. Carrie. Wedding Planning and Management: Consultancy for Diverse Clients. 2014. Routledge. 29. Second. 978-1-136-16055-4 . 7 March 2018.
  4. News: Templer. Robert. As It Exits Macau, Portugal Will Leave a Legacy to Savor. 7 March 2018 . The Wall Street Journal. 4 June 1999.
  5. Book: Albala . Ken. Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia. 25 May 2011 . 232. Abc-Clio . 978-0-313-37627-6 . 7 March 2018.
  6. News: Cabral. Carlos. 節日的盛筵肥茶 (A holiday feast: Cha Gordo). 7 March 2018. Macao Daily News. 1 January 2018. Chinese. https://web.archive.org/web/20180308231533/http://www.macaodaily.com/html/2018-01/01/content_1233883.htm. 8 March 2018. dead.