Penang has a sizable Eurasian populace (people of mixed European and Asian ancestry) similar to the former Portuguese colonies of Goa (India), Malacca (Malaysia) and Macau (China). Besides the dominant Portuguese-Eurasian community, Penang also has significant British- and French-Eurasians, descended from refugees fleeing religious persecution in Siam and Burma to British-ruled Penang in the late-18th century. But, by and large, what’s defined as Eurasian cuisine in Malaysia and Singapore inevitably has strong Portuguese-Goan-Malaccan characteristics.
The Creolised cuisines of Goan-Portuguese, Malaccan-Portuguese and Macanese-Portuguese have been influencing and counter-influencing each other over the centuries, even adopting African influences - from Portuguese colonies like Mozambique and Angola. Goa was a Portuguese colony from 1510 to 1961, Malacca from 1511 to 1641 (when the Dutch supplanted the Portuguese) and Macau from 1897 to 1976.
The annual Eurasian Food Fiesta 2023 was held yesterday, Sunday Aug 13, at the main hall of Saint Xavier’s Institution, with about ten different food stalls offering various Eurasian eats.
We zeroed in on a stall run by Amelleia Chamin, who specialised in Goan curries, as we know she’s one of the best around - her stall’s continuously busy as her many fans recognized her.
What we stuffed ourselves with:
𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙖𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡, a spiced, coconut milk-enriched Goan chicken dish believed to have originated in the former Portuguese African colonies of Mozambique and Angola, where 𝙘𝙖𝙛𝙧𝙚 refers to the inhabitants of Cafraria (or “Kaffraria”), derived from “kafir”, a term Arabs used on the non-Muslim inhabitants of the Swahili coast. “À Cafreal” means “in the way of the Cafres”.
It was spicy, but the coconut milk tempered the heat of the chilis (introduced by the Portuguese to India in the 1500s).
𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙑𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙤 - another popular Goan staple, derived from the Portuguese 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘢 𝘥’𝘢𝘭𝘩𝘰𝘴, literally “meat in garlic marinade”. It was cooked using fatty chunks of pork belly, and was perfect with steamed white rice.
𝘾𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝘿𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙡 - a very spicy chicken-ham bone-bacon curry, flavoured with candlenuts, galangal, mustard seed and vinegar from Malacca’s Eurasian Kristang (Cristão) culinary tradition. Traditionally made with leftovers from a Christmas dinner, the dish had long superceded that purpose, and can now be found at any Eurasian dinner party or fiesta.
𝙂𝙤𝙖𝙣 𝙈𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝘾𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙮 - this was my favourite dish of the evening. The coconut-infused, gently-spiced sauce was milder than the other options on the table.
𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙞 - Eurasian sweet potato buns with spiced meat filling. This was a retro tea-time or party snack which used to be so common in 1960s/70s Singapore and Malaysia, but which has become so rare nowadays, with the advent of Japanese and French-style bakeries everywhere. The version here really took me back to my childhood years.
𝙎𝙚𝙝 𝘽𝙖𝙠 - soy-braised pork loin, pig’s ears. Another of my old-time favourites.
Assortment of apple pies, chicken pies and curry puffs.
Also got a cookbook on sale there, but not sure if I’ll cook from it. 
