Macau Almond Cake

Though named for almond, the Macau almond cake is in fact made mostly of mung-bean flour, mixed with sugar, oil and ground almonds, pressed into rounds in a wooden mould and slow-roasted over charcoal until golden; it is crumbly and crisp, richly scented with almond, and Macau's most representative souvenir cake.

The almond cake is said to have originated in Zhongshan and was brought to Macau in the Portuguese era, where local bakeries made it their own; old houses such as Choi Heong Yuen fixed the charcoal-roasted method and made it the leading Macau souvenir, today standing alongside the egg tart as a taste every visitor carries home.

Usually sold in gift tins and best enjoyed with tea, a sip and a bite letting the crumbly cake dissolve on the tongue; mini individually wrapped pieces make it easy to carry.

The wooden-mould round shape, the faint char of charcoal roasting and the distinctive crumbly melt of mung-bean flour are the hallmarks of the Macau almond cake.