An Empirical Study of Macanese Gastronomy “Galinha à Africana” as a Possible Food Tourism Attraction

After centuries of cohabitation in a small fisher village by the Pearl River Delta, a unique ethnic group “Macanese People” has been formed in Macao, by consisting of a mixture predominantly ancestry of local Cantonese together with the diaspora of Portuguese, Indian, Malay, Sinhalese and other people. As a part of lifestyles and cultural representation, Macanese Cuisine is not only a significance for its ethnic communities, but it demonstrated the uniqueness as a cultural factor which can be an attraction for gastronomy tourists. The incorporation of the “Creative City of Gastronomy” as Creativity City Network (UCCN) in 2017 by UNESCO marks the universal identification of Macao in culinary value, which would be an irreplaceable attraction for food tourists. This study explores a symbolic Macanese cuisine dish of “Galinha à Africana” as a food tourism attraction for the UCCN Gastronomy City of Macao. To the finding, a series of empirical methods have been adopted with textual analysis, semi-structured interview as well as on-site experiential observation, this study demonstrated the shared elements between Asian–Portuguese fusion and African–Portuguese fusion and illustrates the transformation of this creativity. Through the field measurement and consultative interview methods, this study clarified the ingredients of the original recipe, as well as the spread of recipe of the mentioned dish as a “Must try” for visitors. As a gastronomic creation purely from local but Africa, Galinha à Africana reveals the contribution as a multiculturalism factor in Macao, which demonstrated as the result for the culinary cultural conservation as well as the food tourism attraction for this UCCN Gastronomy City. This research highlights the profound potential of gastronomy in fostering socio-economic development, enhancing cultural preservation, and promoting sustainable tourism.