Indonesian Food
Halal Food Guide: Indonesian Embassy - Authentic Indonesian Dishes
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 9 views • 4 hours ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing hosted its annual Indonesian cultural festival on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. The visit records traditional performances, crafts, Indonesian coffee, and halal Indonesian dishes served at the event.
August 17 is Indonesia's Independence Day, and the Indonesian Embassy in China held its annual Indonesian Cultural Festival. There were displays of traditional Indonesian songs, dances, clothing, and crafts, and I also drank some dark-roasted Indonesian coffee.
This is our third year attending, and the crowds get bigger every year. As usual, we bought Indonesian steamed dumplings (siomay) and beef ball noodle soup (mie bakso) at the Ella's Kitchen stall.
Indonesian siomay comes from the siomay of southern China. It was first adapted by the Sundanese people of West Java, who replaced the pork filling with fish. It is served with cabbage, tofu, potatoes, boiled eggs, and stuffed bitter melon, then topped with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce. It is now a classic street snack across Indonesia.
The bakso balls are made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making them very firm. The finished balls are usually placed in beef broth and served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
We also bought some Javanese-style fermented soybean cakes (tempeh) to slice, marinate, and fry at home. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a fungus that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves.
We also bought traditional Indonesian fried fish crackers (kerupuk ikan). Kerupuk was originally an onomatopoeic word in Javanese for the sound of chewing crunchy food, and it later came to mean fried crackers. Kerupuk can be made from shrimp, fish, or squid. The fried fish version is mainly made from wahoo or skipjack tuna mixed with tapioca or sago flour. The shape of these fried fish crackers varies across Indonesia. In West Java and South Sumatra, they are usually made into flat fish cakes, while in the coastal regions of Borneo, they are typically cylindrical.
We bought some Minangkabau steamed rice (nasi kapau). Nasi kapau is similar to the common Padang rice (nasi padang) found throughout Indonesia, but it features some unique side dishes. Our version came with beef rendang, long bean curry, boiled eggs, and chili sauce. Beef rendang likely originated from curries brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then evolved through the local diet of the Minangkabau people. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long voyages, the dish is slow-cooked until it becomes rich and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Then we bought some Indonesian rice cakes (arem arem). Arem arem is most common on Java. It is made by cooking rice in coconut milk, stuffing it with meat and vegetables, shaping it into a cylinder, and wrapping it in banana leaves.
We drank a Javanese mixed drink (es teler), which contains jackfruit, avocado, longan, and coconut meat mixed with condensed milk and syrup. In 1981, an Indonesian housewife named Murniati Widjaja won a television competition with her es teler. The following year, she opened a specialty food shop in Jakarta called Es Teler 77, which has now grown into a massive food chain. view all
Summary: The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing hosted its annual Indonesian cultural festival on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. The visit records traditional performances, crafts, Indonesian coffee, and halal Indonesian dishes served at the event.
August 17 is Indonesia's Independence Day, and the Indonesian Embassy in China held its annual Indonesian Cultural Festival. There were displays of traditional Indonesian songs, dances, clothing, and crafts, and I also drank some dark-roasted Indonesian coffee.
This is our third year attending, and the crowds get bigger every year. As usual, we bought Indonesian steamed dumplings (siomay) and beef ball noodle soup (mie bakso) at the Ella's Kitchen stall.
Indonesian siomay comes from the siomay of southern China. It was first adapted by the Sundanese people of West Java, who replaced the pork filling with fish. It is served with cabbage, tofu, potatoes, boiled eggs, and stuffed bitter melon, then topped with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce. It is now a classic street snack across Indonesia.
The bakso balls are made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making them very firm. The finished balls are usually placed in beef broth and served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
We also bought some Javanese-style fermented soybean cakes (tempeh) to slice, marinate, and fry at home. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a fungus that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves.
We also bought traditional Indonesian fried fish crackers (kerupuk ikan). Kerupuk was originally an onomatopoeic word in Javanese for the sound of chewing crunchy food, and it later came to mean fried crackers. Kerupuk can be made from shrimp, fish, or squid. The fried fish version is mainly made from wahoo or skipjack tuna mixed with tapioca or sago flour. The shape of these fried fish crackers varies across Indonesia. In West Java and South Sumatra, they are usually made into flat fish cakes, while in the coastal regions of Borneo, they are typically cylindrical.
We bought some Minangkabau steamed rice (nasi kapau). Nasi kapau is similar to the common Padang rice (nasi padang) found throughout Indonesia, but it features some unique side dishes. Our version came with beef rendang, long bean curry, boiled eggs, and chili sauce. Beef rendang likely originated from curries brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then evolved through the local diet of the Minangkabau people. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long voyages, the dish is slow-cooked until it becomes rich and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Then we bought some Indonesian rice cakes (arem arem). Arem arem is most common on Java. It is made by cooking rice in coconut milk, stuffing it with meat and vegetables, shaping it into a cylinder, and wrapping it in banana leaves.
We drank a Javanese mixed drink (es teler), which contains jackfruit, avocado, longan, and coconut meat mixed with condensed milk and syrup. In 1981, an Indonesian housewife named Murniati Widjaja won a television competition with her es teler. The following year, she opened a specialty food shop in Jakarta called Es Teler 77, which has now grown into a massive food chain. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing hosted its annual Indonesian cultural festival on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. The visit records traditional performances, crafts, Indonesian coffee, and halal Indonesian dishes served at the event.
August 17 is Indonesia's Independence Day, and the Indonesian Embassy in China held its annual Indonesian Cultural Festival. There were displays of traditional Indonesian songs, dances, clothing, and crafts, and I also drank some dark-roasted Indonesian coffee.
This is our third year attending, and the crowds get bigger every year. As usual, we bought Indonesian steamed dumplings (siomay) and beef ball noodle soup (mie bakso) at the Ella's Kitchen stall.
Indonesian siomay comes from the siomay of southern China. It was first adapted by the Sundanese people of West Java, who replaced the pork filling with fish. It is served with cabbage, tofu, potatoes, boiled eggs, and stuffed bitter melon, then topped with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce. It is now a classic street snack across Indonesia.
The bakso balls are made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making them very firm. The finished balls are usually placed in beef broth and served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
We also bought some Javanese-style fermented soybean cakes (tempeh) to slice, marinate, and fry at home. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a fungus that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves.
We also bought traditional Indonesian fried fish crackers (kerupuk ikan). Kerupuk was originally an onomatopoeic word in Javanese for the sound of chewing crunchy food, and it later came to mean fried crackers. Kerupuk can be made from shrimp, fish, or squid. The fried fish version is mainly made from wahoo or skipjack tuna mixed with tapioca or sago flour. The shape of these fried fish crackers varies across Indonesia. In West Java and South Sumatra, they are usually made into flat fish cakes, while in the coastal regions of Borneo, they are typically cylindrical.
We bought some Minangkabau steamed rice (nasi kapau). Nasi kapau is similar to the common Padang rice (nasi padang) found throughout Indonesia, but it features some unique side dishes. Our version came with beef rendang, long bean curry, boiled eggs, and chili sauce. Beef rendang likely originated from curries brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then evolved through the local diet of the Minangkabau people. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long voyages, the dish is slow-cooked until it becomes rich and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Then we bought some Indonesian rice cakes (arem arem). Arem arem is most common on Java. It is made by cooking rice in coconut milk, stuffing it with meat and vegetables, shaping it into a cylinder, and wrapping it in banana leaves.
We drank a Javanese mixed drink (es teler), which contains jackfruit, avocado, longan, and coconut meat mixed with condensed milk and syrup. In 1981, an Indonesian housewife named Murniati Widjaja won a television competition with her es teler. The following year, she opened a specialty food shop in Jakarta called Es Teler 77, which has now grown into a massive food chain.
Summary: The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing hosted its annual Indonesian cultural festival on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. The visit records traditional performances, crafts, Indonesian coffee, and halal Indonesian dishes served at the event.
August 17 is Indonesia's Independence Day, and the Indonesian Embassy in China held its annual Indonesian Cultural Festival. There were displays of traditional Indonesian songs, dances, clothing, and crafts, and I also drank some dark-roasted Indonesian coffee.
This is our third year attending, and the crowds get bigger every year. As usual, we bought Indonesian steamed dumplings (siomay) and beef ball noodle soup (mie bakso) at the Ella's Kitchen stall.
Indonesian siomay comes from the siomay of southern China. It was first adapted by the Sundanese people of West Java, who replaced the pork filling with fish. It is served with cabbage, tofu, potatoes, boiled eggs, and stuffed bitter melon, then topped with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce. It is now a classic street snack across Indonesia.
The bakso balls are made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making them very firm. The finished balls are usually placed in beef broth and served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
We also bought some Javanese-style fermented soybean cakes (tempeh) to slice, marinate, and fry at home. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a fungus that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves.
We also bought traditional Indonesian fried fish crackers (kerupuk ikan). Kerupuk was originally an onomatopoeic word in Javanese for the sound of chewing crunchy food, and it later came to mean fried crackers. Kerupuk can be made from shrimp, fish, or squid. The fried fish version is mainly made from wahoo or skipjack tuna mixed with tapioca or sago flour. The shape of these fried fish crackers varies across Indonesia. In West Java and South Sumatra, they are usually made into flat fish cakes, while in the coastal regions of Borneo, they are typically cylindrical.
We bought some Minangkabau steamed rice (nasi kapau). Nasi kapau is similar to the common Padang rice (nasi padang) found throughout Indonesia, but it features some unique side dishes. Our version came with beef rendang, long bean curry, boiled eggs, and chili sauce. Beef rendang likely originated from curries brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then evolved through the local diet of the Minangkabau people. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long voyages, the dish is slow-cooked until it becomes rich and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Then we bought some Indonesian rice cakes (arem arem). Arem arem is most common on Java. It is made by cooking rice in coconut milk, stuffing it with meat and vegetables, shaping it into a cylinder, and wrapping it in banana leaves.
We drank a Javanese mixed drink (es teler), which contains jackfruit, avocado, longan, and coconut meat mixed with condensed milk and syrup. In 1981, an Indonesian housewife named Murniati Widjaja won a television competition with her es teler. The following year, she opened a specialty food shop in Jakarta called Es Teler 77, which has now grown into a massive food chain.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 8)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 11 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated plants are usually grown from cuttings or young shoots, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated plants are usually grown from cuttings or young shoots, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated plants are usually grown from cuttings or young shoots, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated plants are usually grown from cuttings or young shoots, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 5)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 10 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 2)
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Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History
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Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
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Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 8A)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 16 views • 1 days ago
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Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
I also had a serving of green coconut rice scented with pandan leaves. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
I also had a serving of green coconut rice scented with pandan leaves. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
I also had a serving of green coconut rice scented with pandan leaves.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
I also had a serving of green coconut rice scented with pandan leaves.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 8B)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
My friend beside me ordered turmeric coconut rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic Indonesian coconut rice dishes. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
My friend beside me ordered turmeric coconut rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic Indonesian coconut rice dishes. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
My friend beside me ordered turmeric coconut rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic Indonesian coconut rice dishes.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
My friend beside me ordered turmeric coconut rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic Indonesian coconut rice dishes.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 8C)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan comes from Indonesia's Maluku Islands. Today, farmers usually grow it by taking pieces from an existing plant, and it is common across Southeast and South Asia. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan comes from Indonesia's Maluku Islands. Today, farmers usually grow it by taking pieces from an existing plant, and it is common across Southeast and South Asia. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan comes from Indonesia's Maluku Islands. Today, farmers usually grow it by taking pieces from an existing plant, and it is common across Southeast and South Asia.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan comes from Indonesia's Maluku Islands. Today, farmers usually grow it by taking pieces from an existing plant, and it is common across Southeast and South Asia.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 9)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 7)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 15 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 6)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 5)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 15 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 4)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 15 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 3)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 2)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 16 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 1)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 15 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
Halal Travel Guide: Jakarta — Indonesian Food, Mosques and Muslim Heritage
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 16 views • 2 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Jakarta — Indonesian Food, Mosques and Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The account keeps its focus on Jakarta Travel, Indonesian Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Ciputra Commercial Center
I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The hotel was quite good, and there was a big shopping mall right inside the building. Jakarta has many large malls like this, but most are in the new city to the south. This one is relatively close to the airport, the bus station, and the old town.
There are many different restaurants inside the mall, and I chose two to eat at. At the first place, I had sour fish soup (Sop Ikan Asam Pedas) and fish rolls (Lumpia Ikan). The sour soup used pineapple for flavor and was delicious; I ate a whole fish by myself.
At the second place, I had garlic water spinach (Kangkung Bawang Putih), squid stir-fried in Padang sauce (Cumi Saus Padang), and a large crab in black pepper sauce (Kepiting Jantan Saus Lada Hitam). The advantage of this restaurant is that they post photos of all their dishes on the wall. There is a small card in front of each photo, so you just take the card and give it to the front desk. It is very simple.
Jakarta Old Town
Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua Jakarta), also called Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), was the most important Dutch colonial site in Southeast Asia. From the 17th to the 19th century, it served as the headquarters for the Dutch East India Company.
Old Batavia was founded in 1619. When I visited in 2019, it was exactly 400 years old.
Batavia in 1682, drawn by Weduwe van Jacob van Meurs.
Old Batavia in 1931. The building on the left is the same one shown in the picture above.
Old Batavia in the 19th century, painted by Johannes Weissenbruch.
Today, the old town is very lively, just like a temple fair. You can find people taking photos, reading palms, singing, getting henna tattoos, and drawing portraits.
Jakarta History Museum.
The center of Old Batavia is Fatahillah Square, and the most important building there is the Jakarta History Museum. The Jakarta History Museum was built in 1710 and was once the Batavia City Hall.
The museum courtyard has a small area serving local Betawi snacks. I ate a spicy omelet (kerak telor) and a cold drink (selendang mayang). I really regret not knowing that these snacks are hard to find elsewhere, otherwise I would have tried every single one.
Kerak telor is made with sticky rice and eggs, topped with fried shredded coconut, fried shallots, and dried shrimp. During the colonial era, this food was only served at gatherings for the Dutch or wealthy Betawi merchants, and it was invented to improve the texture of sticky rice. Selendang mayang is rare today. It is a historic Batavian cold drink made from rice flour, vanilla powder, pandan leaves, red sugar syrup, and coconut milk.
The Betawi people are a unique ethnic group that formed in Jakarta. Here is a brief introduction to their origins:
In 1619, the Dutch leveled Jakarta, which was under the rule of the Banten Sultanate, and renamed it Batavia to serve as the trade and administrative center for the Dutch East India Company.
Because they feared attacks from the Banten Sultanate, the city of Batavia initially banned local Javanese people from living inside. Besides the Dutch and their slaves, most people living in the city were Chinese and Mardijker people, along with a small number of Arab and Indian merchants. The Mardijker people came from Portuguese slaves in India, Africa, and the Malay Peninsula. After the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company freed them and brought them to Indonesia. Most of these people spoke Portuguese and practiced Catholicism.
Since almost no Dutch women moved to Batavia, most Dutch men in the city chose to have local women as partners, but they almost never married them. These women also had no right to return to the Netherlands with the Dutch men. This social pattern led to many mixed-race children in Batavia. Most of the boys from these mixed-race families chose to go to Europe, while the girls had to stay in Batavia.
A 1699 census shows that Batavia had 3,679 Chinese, 2,407 Mardijkers, 1,783 Europeans, 670 people of mixed heritage, and 867 others.
After the Dutch East India Company and the Sultanate of Banten made peace in 1659, many people from the East Indies began moving to the outskirts of Batavia. The Dutch East India Company signed a formal peace treaty with the Sultanate of Banten in 1684. This allowed for the clearing of swamps around Batavia, and more people began living outside the city walls, including Malays, Sundanese, Javanese, Minangkabau, and Bugis people.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the different ethnic groups living in Batavia began to blend. After a hundred years, they finally formed the Betawi people by the early 20th century.
The Betawi people speak a version of Malay mixed with many words from Hokkien Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch, known as Betawi Malay. It is the only Malay-speaking area on the northern coast of Java. Betawi food is strongly influenced by the cuisines of Indonesian Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, and local Sundanese and Javanese people.
Wayang Museum
The Wayang Museum is on the west side of the square. It was originally a Dutch church built in 1640. The current building was built in 1912 in a Neo-Renaissance style. It was renovated in 1938 in a Dutch colonial style, then bought by the Batavia Society of Arts and Sciences. It opened as the Old Batavia Museum in 1939 and officially opened as the Wayang Museum in 1975.
The Wayang Museum hosts a shadow puppet (wayang) show every Sunday morning and afternoon. They invite a different troupe each week. When I visited, it was a shadow puppet team from Yogyakarta, but I had already seen them in Yogyakarta, so I did not go.
Old Town Food
I had grilled chicken rice at Bangi Kopitiam, a restaurant next to the Wayang Museum. Bangi Kopitiam is an Indonesian, Malay, and Singaporean restaurant chain that specializes in Indonesian and Peranakan food. The restaurant is inside a historic Dutch building. The atmosphere is nice, the servers are friendly, and you can even pet cats while you eat.
I ate wax apples (jambu air) and fried fish sticks at the night market on the street north of Fatahillah Square (Batavia City Square). The spicy sauce on the wax apples was very fragrant but extremely hot. I had to drink a lot of water to cool down.
Seaside
There is a seaside boardwalk on the northeast side of the Old Town of Batavia, and the view is beautiful at sunset. Once the most important trading port for the Dutch East India Company, it is now a place where people go for evening walks. Back then, the Dutch trapped inside the castle by Zheng Chenggong desperately hoped for warships to sail from here to rescue them. view all
Summary: Jakarta — Indonesian Food, Mosques and Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The account keeps its focus on Jakarta Travel, Indonesian Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Ciputra Commercial Center
I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The hotel was quite good, and there was a big shopping mall right inside the building. Jakarta has many large malls like this, but most are in the new city to the south. This one is relatively close to the airport, the bus station, and the old town.
There are many different restaurants inside the mall, and I chose two to eat at. At the first place, I had sour fish soup (Sop Ikan Asam Pedas) and fish rolls (Lumpia Ikan). The sour soup used pineapple for flavor and was delicious; I ate a whole fish by myself.
At the second place, I had garlic water spinach (Kangkung Bawang Putih), squid stir-fried in Padang sauce (Cumi Saus Padang), and a large crab in black pepper sauce (Kepiting Jantan Saus Lada Hitam). The advantage of this restaurant is that they post photos of all their dishes on the wall. There is a small card in front of each photo, so you just take the card and give it to the front desk. It is very simple.
Jakarta Old Town
Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua Jakarta), also called Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), was the most important Dutch colonial site in Southeast Asia. From the 17th to the 19th century, it served as the headquarters for the Dutch East India Company.
Old Batavia was founded in 1619. When I visited in 2019, it was exactly 400 years old.
Batavia in 1682, drawn by Weduwe van Jacob van Meurs.
Old Batavia in 1931. The building on the left is the same one shown in the picture above.
Old Batavia in the 19th century, painted by Johannes Weissenbruch.
Today, the old town is very lively, just like a temple fair. You can find people taking photos, reading palms, singing, getting henna tattoos, and drawing portraits.
Jakarta History Museum.
The center of Old Batavia is Fatahillah Square, and the most important building there is the Jakarta History Museum. The Jakarta History Museum was built in 1710 and was once the Batavia City Hall.
The museum courtyard has a small area serving local Betawi snacks. I ate a spicy omelet (kerak telor) and a cold drink (selendang mayang). I really regret not knowing that these snacks are hard to find elsewhere, otherwise I would have tried every single one.
Kerak telor is made with sticky rice and eggs, topped with fried shredded coconut, fried shallots, and dried shrimp. During the colonial era, this food was only served at gatherings for the Dutch or wealthy Betawi merchants, and it was invented to improve the texture of sticky rice. Selendang mayang is rare today. It is a historic Batavian cold drink made from rice flour, vanilla powder, pandan leaves, red sugar syrup, and coconut milk.
The Betawi people are a unique ethnic group that formed in Jakarta. Here is a brief introduction to their origins:
In 1619, the Dutch leveled Jakarta, which was under the rule of the Banten Sultanate, and renamed it Batavia to serve as the trade and administrative center for the Dutch East India Company.
Because they feared attacks from the Banten Sultanate, the city of Batavia initially banned local Javanese people from living inside. Besides the Dutch and their slaves, most people living in the city were Chinese and Mardijker people, along with a small number of Arab and Indian merchants. The Mardijker people came from Portuguese slaves in India, Africa, and the Malay Peninsula. After the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company freed them and brought them to Indonesia. Most of these people spoke Portuguese and practiced Catholicism.
Since almost no Dutch women moved to Batavia, most Dutch men in the city chose to have local women as partners, but they almost never married them. These women also had no right to return to the Netherlands with the Dutch men. This social pattern led to many mixed-race children in Batavia. Most of the boys from these mixed-race families chose to go to Europe, while the girls had to stay in Batavia.
A 1699 census shows that Batavia had 3,679 Chinese, 2,407 Mardijkers, 1,783 Europeans, 670 people of mixed heritage, and 867 others.
After the Dutch East India Company and the Sultanate of Banten made peace in 1659, many people from the East Indies began moving to the outskirts of Batavia. The Dutch East India Company signed a formal peace treaty with the Sultanate of Banten in 1684. This allowed for the clearing of swamps around Batavia, and more people began living outside the city walls, including Malays, Sundanese, Javanese, Minangkabau, and Bugis people.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the different ethnic groups living in Batavia began to blend. After a hundred years, they finally formed the Betawi people by the early 20th century.
The Betawi people speak a version of Malay mixed with many words from Hokkien Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch, known as Betawi Malay. It is the only Malay-speaking area on the northern coast of Java. Betawi food is strongly influenced by the cuisines of Indonesian Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, and local Sundanese and Javanese people.
Wayang Museum
The Wayang Museum is on the west side of the square. It was originally a Dutch church built in 1640. The current building was built in 1912 in a Neo-Renaissance style. It was renovated in 1938 in a Dutch colonial style, then bought by the Batavia Society of Arts and Sciences. It opened as the Old Batavia Museum in 1939 and officially opened as the Wayang Museum in 1975.
The Wayang Museum hosts a shadow puppet (wayang) show every Sunday morning and afternoon. They invite a different troupe each week. When I visited, it was a shadow puppet team from Yogyakarta, but I had already seen them in Yogyakarta, so I did not go.
Old Town Food
I had grilled chicken rice at Bangi Kopitiam, a restaurant next to the Wayang Museum. Bangi Kopitiam is an Indonesian, Malay, and Singaporean restaurant chain that specializes in Indonesian and Peranakan food. The restaurant is inside a historic Dutch building. The atmosphere is nice, the servers are friendly, and you can even pet cats while you eat.
I ate wax apples (jambu air) and fried fish sticks at the night market on the street north of Fatahillah Square (Batavia City Square). The spicy sauce on the wax apples was very fragrant but extremely hot. I had to drink a lot of water to cool down.
Seaside
There is a seaside boardwalk on the northeast side of the Old Town of Batavia, and the view is beautiful at sunset. Once the most important trading port for the Dutch East India Company, it is now a place where people go for evening walks. Back then, the Dutch trapped inside the castle by Zheng Chenggong desperately hoped for warships to sail from here to rescue them. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Jakarta — Indonesian Food, Mosques and Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The account keeps its focus on Jakarta Travel, Indonesian Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Ciputra Commercial Center
I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The hotel was quite good, and there was a big shopping mall right inside the building. Jakarta has many large malls like this, but most are in the new city to the south. This one is relatively close to the airport, the bus station, and the old town.
There are many different restaurants inside the mall, and I chose two to eat at. At the first place, I had sour fish soup (Sop Ikan Asam Pedas) and fish rolls (Lumpia Ikan). The sour soup used pineapple for flavor and was delicious; I ate a whole fish by myself.
At the second place, I had garlic water spinach (Kangkung Bawang Putih), squid stir-fried in Padang sauce (Cumi Saus Padang), and a large crab in black pepper sauce (Kepiting Jantan Saus Lada Hitam). The advantage of this restaurant is that they post photos of all their dishes on the wall. There is a small card in front of each photo, so you just take the card and give it to the front desk. It is very simple.
Jakarta Old Town
Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua Jakarta), also called Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), was the most important Dutch colonial site in Southeast Asia. From the 17th to the 19th century, it served as the headquarters for the Dutch East India Company.
Old Batavia was founded in 1619. When I visited in 2019, it was exactly 400 years old.
Batavia in 1682, drawn by Weduwe van Jacob van Meurs.
Old Batavia in 1931. The building on the left is the same one shown in the picture above.
Old Batavia in the 19th century, painted by Johannes Weissenbruch.
Today, the old town is very lively, just like a temple fair. You can find people taking photos, reading palms, singing, getting henna tattoos, and drawing portraits.
Jakarta History Museum.
The center of Old Batavia is Fatahillah Square, and the most important building there is the Jakarta History Museum. The Jakarta History Museum was built in 1710 and was once the Batavia City Hall.
The museum courtyard has a small area serving local Betawi snacks. I ate a spicy omelet (kerak telor) and a cold drink (selendang mayang). I really regret not knowing that these snacks are hard to find elsewhere, otherwise I would have tried every single one.
Kerak telor is made with sticky rice and eggs, topped with fried shredded coconut, fried shallots, and dried shrimp. During the colonial era, this food was only served at gatherings for the Dutch or wealthy Betawi merchants, and it was invented to improve the texture of sticky rice. Selendang mayang is rare today. It is a historic Batavian cold drink made from rice flour, vanilla powder, pandan leaves, red sugar syrup, and coconut milk.
The Betawi people are a unique ethnic group that formed in Jakarta. Here is a brief introduction to their origins:
In 1619, the Dutch leveled Jakarta, which was under the rule of the Banten Sultanate, and renamed it Batavia to serve as the trade and administrative center for the Dutch East India Company.
Because they feared attacks from the Banten Sultanate, the city of Batavia initially banned local Javanese people from living inside. Besides the Dutch and their slaves, most people living in the city were Chinese and Mardijker people, along with a small number of Arab and Indian merchants. The Mardijker people came from Portuguese slaves in India, Africa, and the Malay Peninsula. After the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company freed them and brought them to Indonesia. Most of these people spoke Portuguese and practiced Catholicism.
Since almost no Dutch women moved to Batavia, most Dutch men in the city chose to have local women as partners, but they almost never married them. These women also had no right to return to the Netherlands with the Dutch men. This social pattern led to many mixed-race children in Batavia. Most of the boys from these mixed-race families chose to go to Europe, while the girls had to stay in Batavia.
A 1699 census shows that Batavia had 3,679 Chinese, 2,407 Mardijkers, 1,783 Europeans, 670 people of mixed heritage, and 867 others.
After the Dutch East India Company and the Sultanate of Banten made peace in 1659, many people from the East Indies began moving to the outskirts of Batavia. The Dutch East India Company signed a formal peace treaty with the Sultanate of Banten in 1684. This allowed for the clearing of swamps around Batavia, and more people began living outside the city walls, including Malays, Sundanese, Javanese, Minangkabau, and Bugis people.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the different ethnic groups living in Batavia began to blend. After a hundred years, they finally formed the Betawi people by the early 20th century.
The Betawi people speak a version of Malay mixed with many words from Hokkien Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch, known as Betawi Malay. It is the only Malay-speaking area on the northern coast of Java. Betawi food is strongly influenced by the cuisines of Indonesian Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, and local Sundanese and Javanese people.
Wayang Museum
The Wayang Museum is on the west side of the square. It was originally a Dutch church built in 1640. The current building was built in 1912 in a Neo-Renaissance style. It was renovated in 1938 in a Dutch colonial style, then bought by the Batavia Society of Arts and Sciences. It opened as the Old Batavia Museum in 1939 and officially opened as the Wayang Museum in 1975.
The Wayang Museum hosts a shadow puppet (wayang) show every Sunday morning and afternoon. They invite a different troupe each week. When I visited, it was a shadow puppet team from Yogyakarta, but I had already seen them in Yogyakarta, so I did not go.
Old Town Food
I had grilled chicken rice at Bangi Kopitiam, a restaurant next to the Wayang Museum. Bangi Kopitiam is an Indonesian, Malay, and Singaporean restaurant chain that specializes in Indonesian and Peranakan food. The restaurant is inside a historic Dutch building. The atmosphere is nice, the servers are friendly, and you can even pet cats while you eat.
I ate wax apples (jambu air) and fried fish sticks at the night market on the street north of Fatahillah Square (Batavia City Square). The spicy sauce on the wax apples was very fragrant but extremely hot. I had to drink a lot of water to cool down.
Seaside
There is a seaside boardwalk on the northeast side of the Old Town of Batavia, and the view is beautiful at sunset. Once the most important trading port for the Dutch East India Company, it is now a place where people go for evening walks. Back then, the Dutch trapped inside the castle by Zheng Chenggong desperately hoped for warships to sail from here to rescue them.
Summary: Jakarta — Indonesian Food, Mosques and Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The account keeps its focus on Jakarta Travel, Indonesian Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Ciputra Commercial Center
I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The hotel was quite good, and there was a big shopping mall right inside the building. Jakarta has many large malls like this, but most are in the new city to the south. This one is relatively close to the airport, the bus station, and the old town.
There are many different restaurants inside the mall, and I chose two to eat at. At the first place, I had sour fish soup (Sop Ikan Asam Pedas) and fish rolls (Lumpia Ikan). The sour soup used pineapple for flavor and was delicious; I ate a whole fish by myself.
At the second place, I had garlic water spinach (Kangkung Bawang Putih), squid stir-fried in Padang sauce (Cumi Saus Padang), and a large crab in black pepper sauce (Kepiting Jantan Saus Lada Hitam). The advantage of this restaurant is that they post photos of all their dishes on the wall. There is a small card in front of each photo, so you just take the card and give it to the front desk. It is very simple.
Jakarta Old Town
Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua Jakarta), also called Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), was the most important Dutch colonial site in Southeast Asia. From the 17th to the 19th century, it served as the headquarters for the Dutch East India Company.
Old Batavia was founded in 1619. When I visited in 2019, it was exactly 400 years old.
Batavia in 1682, drawn by Weduwe van Jacob van Meurs.
Old Batavia in 1931. The building on the left is the same one shown in the picture above.
Old Batavia in the 19th century, painted by Johannes Weissenbruch.
Today, the old town is very lively, just like a temple fair. You can find people taking photos, reading palms, singing, getting henna tattoos, and drawing portraits.
Jakarta History Museum.
The center of Old Batavia is Fatahillah Square, and the most important building there is the Jakarta History Museum. The Jakarta History Museum was built in 1710 and was once the Batavia City Hall.
The museum courtyard has a small area serving local Betawi snacks. I ate a spicy omelet (kerak telor) and a cold drink (selendang mayang). I really regret not knowing that these snacks are hard to find elsewhere, otherwise I would have tried every single one.
Kerak telor is made with sticky rice and eggs, topped with fried shredded coconut, fried shallots, and dried shrimp. During the colonial era, this food was only served at gatherings for the Dutch or wealthy Betawi merchants, and it was invented to improve the texture of sticky rice. Selendang mayang is rare today. It is a historic Batavian cold drink made from rice flour, vanilla powder, pandan leaves, red sugar syrup, and coconut milk.
The Betawi people are a unique ethnic group that formed in Jakarta. Here is a brief introduction to their origins:
In 1619, the Dutch leveled Jakarta, which was under the rule of the Banten Sultanate, and renamed it Batavia to serve as the trade and administrative center for the Dutch East India Company.
Because they feared attacks from the Banten Sultanate, the city of Batavia initially banned local Javanese people from living inside. Besides the Dutch and their slaves, most people living in the city were Chinese and Mardijker people, along with a small number of Arab and Indian merchants. The Mardijker people came from Portuguese slaves in India, Africa, and the Malay Peninsula. After the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company freed them and brought them to Indonesia. Most of these people spoke Portuguese and practiced Catholicism.
Since almost no Dutch women moved to Batavia, most Dutch men in the city chose to have local women as partners, but they almost never married them. These women also had no right to return to the Netherlands with the Dutch men. This social pattern led to many mixed-race children in Batavia. Most of the boys from these mixed-race families chose to go to Europe, while the girls had to stay in Batavia.
A 1699 census shows that Batavia had 3,679 Chinese, 2,407 Mardijkers, 1,783 Europeans, 670 people of mixed heritage, and 867 others.
After the Dutch East India Company and the Sultanate of Banten made peace in 1659, many people from the East Indies began moving to the outskirts of Batavia. The Dutch East India Company signed a formal peace treaty with the Sultanate of Banten in 1684. This allowed for the clearing of swamps around Batavia, and more people began living outside the city walls, including Malays, Sundanese, Javanese, Minangkabau, and Bugis people.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the different ethnic groups living in Batavia began to blend. After a hundred years, they finally formed the Betawi people by the early 20th century.
The Betawi people speak a version of Malay mixed with many words from Hokkien Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch, known as Betawi Malay. It is the only Malay-speaking area on the northern coast of Java. Betawi food is strongly influenced by the cuisines of Indonesian Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, and local Sundanese and Javanese people.
Wayang Museum
The Wayang Museum is on the west side of the square. It was originally a Dutch church built in 1640. The current building was built in 1912 in a Neo-Renaissance style. It was renovated in 1938 in a Dutch colonial style, then bought by the Batavia Society of Arts and Sciences. It opened as the Old Batavia Museum in 1939 and officially opened as the Wayang Museum in 1975.
The Wayang Museum hosts a shadow puppet (wayang) show every Sunday morning and afternoon. They invite a different troupe each week. When I visited, it was a shadow puppet team from Yogyakarta, but I had already seen them in Yogyakarta, so I did not go.
Old Town Food
I had grilled chicken rice at Bangi Kopitiam, a restaurant next to the Wayang Museum. Bangi Kopitiam is an Indonesian, Malay, and Singaporean restaurant chain that specializes in Indonesian and Peranakan food. The restaurant is inside a historic Dutch building. The atmosphere is nice, the servers are friendly, and you can even pet cats while you eat.
I ate wax apples (jambu air) and fried fish sticks at the night market on the street north of Fatahillah Square (Batavia City Square). The spicy sauce on the wax apples was very fragrant but extremely hot. I had to drink a lot of water to cool down.
Seaside
There is a seaside boardwalk on the northeast side of the Old Town of Batavia, and the view is beautiful at sunset. Once the most important trading port for the Dutch East India Company, it is now a place where people go for evening walks. Back then, the Dutch trapped inside the castle by Zheng Chenggong desperately hoped for warships to sail from here to rescue them.
Halal Food Guide: Indonesian Embassy - Authentic Indonesian Dishes
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 9 views • 4 hours ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing hosted its annual Indonesian cultural festival on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. The visit records traditional performances, crafts, Indonesian coffee, and halal Indonesian dishes served at the event.
August 17 is Indonesia's Independence Day, and the Indonesian Embassy in China held its annual Indonesian Cultural Festival. There were displays of traditional Indonesian songs, dances, clothing, and crafts, and I also drank some dark-roasted Indonesian coffee.
This is our third year attending, and the crowds get bigger every year. As usual, we bought Indonesian steamed dumplings (siomay) and beef ball noodle soup (mie bakso) at the Ella's Kitchen stall.
Indonesian siomay comes from the siomay of southern China. It was first adapted by the Sundanese people of West Java, who replaced the pork filling with fish. It is served with cabbage, tofu, potatoes, boiled eggs, and stuffed bitter melon, then topped with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce. It is now a classic street snack across Indonesia.
The bakso balls are made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making them very firm. The finished balls are usually placed in beef broth and served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
We also bought some Javanese-style fermented soybean cakes (tempeh) to slice, marinate, and fry at home. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a fungus that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves.
We also bought traditional Indonesian fried fish crackers (kerupuk ikan). Kerupuk was originally an onomatopoeic word in Javanese for the sound of chewing crunchy food, and it later came to mean fried crackers. Kerupuk can be made from shrimp, fish, or squid. The fried fish version is mainly made from wahoo or skipjack tuna mixed with tapioca or sago flour. The shape of these fried fish crackers varies across Indonesia. In West Java and South Sumatra, they are usually made into flat fish cakes, while in the coastal regions of Borneo, they are typically cylindrical.
We bought some Minangkabau steamed rice (nasi kapau). Nasi kapau is similar to the common Padang rice (nasi padang) found throughout Indonesia, but it features some unique side dishes. Our version came with beef rendang, long bean curry, boiled eggs, and chili sauce. Beef rendang likely originated from curries brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then evolved through the local diet of the Minangkabau people. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long voyages, the dish is slow-cooked until it becomes rich and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Then we bought some Indonesian rice cakes (arem arem). Arem arem is most common on Java. It is made by cooking rice in coconut milk, stuffing it with meat and vegetables, shaping it into a cylinder, and wrapping it in banana leaves.
We drank a Javanese mixed drink (es teler), which contains jackfruit, avocado, longan, and coconut meat mixed with condensed milk and syrup. In 1981, an Indonesian housewife named Murniati Widjaja won a television competition with her es teler. The following year, she opened a specialty food shop in Jakarta called Es Teler 77, which has now grown into a massive food chain. view all
Summary: The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing hosted its annual Indonesian cultural festival on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. The visit records traditional performances, crafts, Indonesian coffee, and halal Indonesian dishes served at the event.
August 17 is Indonesia's Independence Day, and the Indonesian Embassy in China held its annual Indonesian Cultural Festival. There were displays of traditional Indonesian songs, dances, clothing, and crafts, and I also drank some dark-roasted Indonesian coffee.
This is our third year attending, and the crowds get bigger every year. As usual, we bought Indonesian steamed dumplings (siomay) and beef ball noodle soup (mie bakso) at the Ella's Kitchen stall.
Indonesian siomay comes from the siomay of southern China. It was first adapted by the Sundanese people of West Java, who replaced the pork filling with fish. It is served with cabbage, tofu, potatoes, boiled eggs, and stuffed bitter melon, then topped with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce. It is now a classic street snack across Indonesia.
The bakso balls are made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making them very firm. The finished balls are usually placed in beef broth and served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
We also bought some Javanese-style fermented soybean cakes (tempeh) to slice, marinate, and fry at home. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a fungus that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves.
We also bought traditional Indonesian fried fish crackers (kerupuk ikan). Kerupuk was originally an onomatopoeic word in Javanese for the sound of chewing crunchy food, and it later came to mean fried crackers. Kerupuk can be made from shrimp, fish, or squid. The fried fish version is mainly made from wahoo or skipjack tuna mixed with tapioca or sago flour. The shape of these fried fish crackers varies across Indonesia. In West Java and South Sumatra, they are usually made into flat fish cakes, while in the coastal regions of Borneo, they are typically cylindrical.
We bought some Minangkabau steamed rice (nasi kapau). Nasi kapau is similar to the common Padang rice (nasi padang) found throughout Indonesia, but it features some unique side dishes. Our version came with beef rendang, long bean curry, boiled eggs, and chili sauce. Beef rendang likely originated from curries brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then evolved through the local diet of the Minangkabau people. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long voyages, the dish is slow-cooked until it becomes rich and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Then we bought some Indonesian rice cakes (arem arem). Arem arem is most common on Java. It is made by cooking rice in coconut milk, stuffing it with meat and vegetables, shaping it into a cylinder, and wrapping it in banana leaves.
We drank a Javanese mixed drink (es teler), which contains jackfruit, avocado, longan, and coconut meat mixed with condensed milk and syrup. In 1981, an Indonesian housewife named Murniati Widjaja won a television competition with her es teler. The following year, she opened a specialty food shop in Jakarta called Es Teler 77, which has now grown into a massive food chain. view all
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Summary: The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing hosted its annual Indonesian cultural festival on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. The visit records traditional performances, crafts, Indonesian coffee, and halal Indonesian dishes served at the event.
August 17 is Indonesia's Independence Day, and the Indonesian Embassy in China held its annual Indonesian Cultural Festival. There were displays of traditional Indonesian songs, dances, clothing, and crafts, and I also drank some dark-roasted Indonesian coffee.
This is our third year attending, and the crowds get bigger every year. As usual, we bought Indonesian steamed dumplings (siomay) and beef ball noodle soup (mie bakso) at the Ella's Kitchen stall.
Indonesian siomay comes from the siomay of southern China. It was first adapted by the Sundanese people of West Java, who replaced the pork filling with fish. It is served with cabbage, tofu, potatoes, boiled eggs, and stuffed bitter melon, then topped with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce. It is now a classic street snack across Indonesia.
The bakso balls are made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making them very firm. The finished balls are usually placed in beef broth and served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
We also bought some Javanese-style fermented soybean cakes (tempeh) to slice, marinate, and fry at home. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a fungus that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves.
We also bought traditional Indonesian fried fish crackers (kerupuk ikan). Kerupuk was originally an onomatopoeic word in Javanese for the sound of chewing crunchy food, and it later came to mean fried crackers. Kerupuk can be made from shrimp, fish, or squid. The fried fish version is mainly made from wahoo or skipjack tuna mixed with tapioca or sago flour. The shape of these fried fish crackers varies across Indonesia. In West Java and South Sumatra, they are usually made into flat fish cakes, while in the coastal regions of Borneo, they are typically cylindrical.
We bought some Minangkabau steamed rice (nasi kapau). Nasi kapau is similar to the common Padang rice (nasi padang) found throughout Indonesia, but it features some unique side dishes. Our version came with beef rendang, long bean curry, boiled eggs, and chili sauce. Beef rendang likely originated from curries brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then evolved through the local diet of the Minangkabau people. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long voyages, the dish is slow-cooked until it becomes rich and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Then we bought some Indonesian rice cakes (arem arem). Arem arem is most common on Java. It is made by cooking rice in coconut milk, stuffing it with meat and vegetables, shaping it into a cylinder, and wrapping it in banana leaves.
We drank a Javanese mixed drink (es teler), which contains jackfruit, avocado, longan, and coconut meat mixed with condensed milk and syrup. In 1981, an Indonesian housewife named Murniati Widjaja won a television competition with her es teler. The following year, she opened a specialty food shop in Jakarta called Es Teler 77, which has now grown into a massive food chain.
Summary: The Indonesian Embassy in Beijing hosted its annual Indonesian cultural festival on August 17, Indonesia's Independence Day. The visit records traditional performances, crafts, Indonesian coffee, and halal Indonesian dishes served at the event.
August 17 is Indonesia's Independence Day, and the Indonesian Embassy in China held its annual Indonesian Cultural Festival. There were displays of traditional Indonesian songs, dances, clothing, and crafts, and I also drank some dark-roasted Indonesian coffee.
This is our third year attending, and the crowds get bigger every year. As usual, we bought Indonesian steamed dumplings (siomay) and beef ball noodle soup (mie bakso) at the Ella's Kitchen stall.
Indonesian siomay comes from the siomay of southern China. It was first adapted by the Sundanese people of West Java, who replaced the pork filling with fish. It is served with cabbage, tofu, potatoes, boiled eggs, and stuffed bitter melon, then topped with peanut sauce and sweet soy sauce. It is now a classic street snack across Indonesia.
The bakso balls are made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making them very firm. The finished balls are usually placed in beef broth and served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
We also bought some Javanese-style fermented soybean cakes (tempeh) to slice, marinate, and fry at home. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a fungus that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves.
We also bought traditional Indonesian fried fish crackers (kerupuk ikan). Kerupuk was originally an onomatopoeic word in Javanese for the sound of chewing crunchy food, and it later came to mean fried crackers. Kerupuk can be made from shrimp, fish, or squid. The fried fish version is mainly made from wahoo or skipjack tuna mixed with tapioca or sago flour. The shape of these fried fish crackers varies across Indonesia. In West Java and South Sumatra, they are usually made into flat fish cakes, while in the coastal regions of Borneo, they are typically cylindrical.
We bought some Minangkabau steamed rice (nasi kapau). Nasi kapau is similar to the common Padang rice (nasi padang) found throughout Indonesia, but it features some unique side dishes. Our version came with beef rendang, long bean curry, boiled eggs, and chili sauce. Beef rendang likely originated from curries brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then evolved through the local diet of the Minangkabau people. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long voyages, the dish is slow-cooked until it becomes rich and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Then we bought some Indonesian rice cakes (arem arem). Arem arem is most common on Java. It is made by cooking rice in coconut milk, stuffing it with meat and vegetables, shaping it into a cylinder, and wrapping it in banana leaves.
We drank a Javanese mixed drink (es teler), which contains jackfruit, avocado, longan, and coconut meat mixed with condensed milk and syrup. In 1981, an Indonesian housewife named Murniati Widjaja won a television competition with her es teler. The following year, she opened a specialty food shop in Jakarta called Es Teler 77, which has now grown into a massive food chain.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 8)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 11 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated plants are usually grown from cuttings or young shoots, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated plants are usually grown from cuttings or young shoots, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated plants are usually grown from cuttings or young shoots, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated plants are usually grown from cuttings or young shoots, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 5)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 10 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 2)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 10 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History
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Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
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Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family was poor, she dropped out of school at 14 and went to work at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, 16-year-old Sunardi came to Hong Kong to work as a nanny. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
For the main course, I ordered pandan rice (nasi pandan), and my friend Dosti next to me ordered yellow turmeric rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic types of Indonesian coconut rice. Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan originally came from the Maluku Islands (Spice Islands) in Indonesia. Modern cultivated crops can only be propagated through cuttings or suckers, and they are very common in Southeast and South Asia.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented using a type of mycelium that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 8A)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 16 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
I also had a serving of green coconut rice scented with pandan leaves. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
I also had a serving of green coconut rice scented with pandan leaves. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
I also had a serving of green coconut rice scented with pandan leaves.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
I also had a serving of green coconut rice scented with pandan leaves.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 8B)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
My friend beside me ordered turmeric coconut rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic Indonesian coconut rice dishes. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
My friend beside me ordered turmeric coconut rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic Indonesian coconut rice dishes. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
My friend beside me ordered turmeric coconut rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic Indonesian coconut rice dishes.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
My friend beside me ordered turmeric coconut rice (nasi kuning). Both are classic Indonesian coconut rice dishes.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 8C)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan comes from Indonesia's Maluku Islands. Today, farmers usually grow it by taking pieces from an existing plant, and it is common across Southeast and South Asia. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan comes from Indonesia's Maluku Islands. Today, farmers usually grow it by taking pieces from an existing plant, and it is common across Southeast and South Asia. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan comes from Indonesia's Maluku Islands. Today, farmers usually grow it by taking pieces from an existing plant, and it is common across Southeast and South Asia.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Pandan is also called fragrant orchid or seven-leaf orchid. Wild pandan comes from Indonesia's Maluku Islands. Today, farmers usually grow it by taking pieces from an existing plant, and it is common across Southeast and South Asia.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 9)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
The word for Javanese fermented soybean cake (tempeh) is said to come from the Old Javanese word 'tumpi'. This soybean cake, made by pressing fermented soybeans, originated in central and eastern Java. It is fermented with a natural mold culture that grows on teak and hibiscus leaves. The relationship between tempeh and Chinese tofu is still unclear, as tempeh is rarely mentioned in ancient Javanese texts. This food has always been a staple for ordinary people.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 7)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 15 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
For side dishes, I ordered Terong penyet ikan asin. In this dish, 'terong' means eggplant, and 'penyet ikan asin' is Javanese fried small salted fish, where 'penyet' is the Javanese word for 'pressed'. It also came with Javanese-style fermented soybean cake (tempeh), fried tofu (tahu goreng) brought by Indonesian Chinese, and spicy stink bean paste (sambal petai). Stink beans are a common bean in Southeast Asia. They have a unique smell that might be hard for first-timers to get used to.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 6)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Since it was the first day of work after the holiday, some of their ingredients had not arrived yet. I didn't get to eat the Javanese specialty I wanted most, but I still ordered a few dishes I was happy with. First, I ordered the deluxe version of the Javanese coconut milk iced drink, which has avocado, grass jelly, red beans, syrup, and more. The black grass jelly is called cincau hitam in Java, and it is a classic combination when served with coconut milk, syrup, and ice cubes.
Then I ordered the large Indonesian meatball (bakso besar). The word bakso comes from the Hokkien word for "meat crisp" (rousu). It is a classic Indonesian street food made from beef, fish paste, and a small amount of tapioca flour, making it very firm. Finished meatballs are usually placed in beef broth, served with tofu, glass noodles, and various side dishes.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 5)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 15 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to Macau's most famous Indonesian restaurant, Loly Indonesian Food. It is always packed with people, mostly Indonesian friends (dosti), as well as local Macau residents who come for the reputation.
The owner of Loly is Indah Handayani Sunardi, the sister standing in the red shirt in the picture below. She was born in 1984 to a farming family in Banyuwangi, at the easternmost tip of Java. Because her family had little money, she left school at 14 and took a job at a restaurant in Surabaya, the capital of East Java. In 2000, Sunardi went to Hong Kong at 16 to work as a household helper. She moved to Macau in 2003 and met her current husband. In 2013, Sunardi quit her job to focus on making Indonesian food. She started by selling online and finally opened Loly restaurant in 2016. Because it is authentic and delicious, it became the most famous Indonesian restaurant in Macau within a few years. In 2021, it was recognized as a specialty shop by the Macau Economic and Technological Development Bureau.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 4)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 15 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Iced cendol (es cendol) is made by putting sticky rice flour jelly dyed with pandan leaves into ice water, then drizzling it with coconut milk and palm sugar. The origin of cendol is still uncertain. One theory is that it comes from a Javanese snack called dawet, though traditionally dawet does not contain ice.
On the morning of January 24, I ate at an Indonesian family restaurant in Three Lamps (San Zhan Deng) that Imam Ding recommended. Three Lamps is the area in Macau with the most Southeast Asian immigrants and workers, and you can find all kinds of Southeast Asian restaurants there.
This Indonesian restaurant is inside an apartment and has no name. Only Indonesian workers know about it. When I walked in, a young lady was curious about how I found it, but as soon as I said "masjid," they all understood. There is no menu in the restaurant because all the dishes are laid out for you to choose. I picked the sour and spicy fish with some vegetables and tofu puff soup. The sour and spicy fish was very hot. I finished a bottle of mineral water, but it tasted very authentic.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 3)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 14 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
In the afternoon, I went to an Indonesian restaurant called Warung Indonesia near the Ruins of St. Paul's. They are from Semarang, the capital of East Java. In Indonesian, 'Warung' refers to a small convenience store or restaurant, usually converted from the front room of a house. The environment there is very nice, with many young Indonesian men and women coming to eat. Indonesian love songs play on the TV, making it feel a bit like I had traveled to Semarang.
I ordered sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan), chicken satay skewers (sate ayam), beef rendang rice (nasi rendang), and iced cendol (es cendol).
Sticky rice cake (kue lupis ketan) is a local Javanese snack. It is popular in central and eastern Java, but you can find it in other parts of Indonesia too. The word "kue" comes from the Hokkien word for "cake" (kueh), which means rice cake. To make sticky rice cake (lupis), you first soak sticky rice in water with salt and lime juice. After draining it, you wrap it in banana leaves and fold it into triangles, similar to making rice dumplings (zongzi). Once cooked, the sticky rice cake is served in palm sugar syrup and topped with shredded coconut.
Chicken satay skewers (sate ayam) also started on Java island. People say Javanese street vendors in the 18th century developed it by combining local food with Indian grilled skewers brought by Tamil Muslim merchants. The meat skewers are usually marinated in turmeric, sweet soy sauce, or coconut oil before grilling, then dipped in satay sauce when eaten. Satay sauce is mainly made of roasted peanuts, plus coconut milk, turmeric, soy sauce, galangal, garlic, chili, and various spices. After the 19th century, Chinese workers in Southeast Asia brought satay sauce back to Fujian, where it combined with local food to become satay sauce (shacha jiang).
Beef rendang is a curry that originated with the Minangkabau people of Sumatra. It likely started as a curry brought by Indian merchants who came to Sumatra to trade before the 15th century, which then blended with the local Minangkabau diet. After the 16th century, Minangkabau merchants began traveling to Malacca, and rendang spread to other parts of Indonesia. The main ingredients for rendang are meat, coconut milk, chili, and various spices, including ginger, galangal, turmeric, lemongrass, garlic, and shallots. To suit the needs of Minangkabau merchants on long sea voyages, rendang is slow-cooked until it becomes thick and dry, allowing it to be stored for several weeks.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 2)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 16 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
After 1945, the Macau Mosque returned to peace, maintained only by a few elderly Pakistani community members. The mosque was rebuilt in 1973, reaching its current size. After Macau's handover in 1999, many Muslims from countries like Pakistan and Indonesia came to Macau for work, and the number of Muslims in Macau gradually increased.
In the early 21st century, the Macau Mosque's religious affairs were maintained by Imam Yunus, a Pakistani born in East Timor. After Yunus passed away due to illness in 2013, the Friday prayer (Jumu'ah) at the Macau Mosque could only be led by imams invited temporarily from Hong Kong. It was not until 2018 that Imam Ding Shaojie, originally from Inner Mongolia, was hired as the imam of the Macau Mosque, and the mosque's religious affairs finally got back on track. Imam Ding graduated from the China Islamic Institute and the International Islamic University in Pakistan. He is fluent in Arabic and English, allowing him to communicate smoothly with local Pakistani elders and organize various activities. Every Friday, Imam Ding delivers the sermon (khutbah) in both Arabic and English.
Thanks to Imam Ding's efforts, on February 25, 2023, the Moro Garden will participate in the 'Thousand Miles of Shared Customs: Macau Six Religions Culture and Relics Exhibition' to introduce the history of Islam in Macau to fellow citizens.
Additionally, every Sunday, the Macau Mosque becomes a home for Indonesian female migrant workers. Everyone cleans the courtyard, prepares meals, and sets up the space here. Many bring homemade hometown delicacies to share with others. After lunch, everyone recites the Quran together. At this time, the Macau Mosque truly becomes a spiritual home for these friends (dostani) who are far from home and working abroad.
In 1874, Portugal transferred a regiment from Portuguese India, Goa, to Macau to reinforce the local police force, leading to the construction of a Moorish Barracks (Quartel dos Mouros) near Macau's A-Ma Temple. People say a mosque was also built around the barracks, which was not demolished until the 1940s.
The Moorish Barracks was designed by the Italian Cassuto and features many Islamic-style arches. In the late 19th century, a trend emerged across Europe to use Islamic elements in modern architecture, known as Moorish Revival architecture. In Spain and Portugal, people applied the horseshoe arches and arabesque tiles found in Andalusian Islamic architecture to modern building facades, a style known as Neo-Mudéjar architecture. The term Mudéjar was originally used to refer to Muslims who remained on the Iberian Peninsula after the Reconquista of Andalusia.
In 1905, the Moorish Barracks became the headquarters for the Port Authority and the Marine Police, and it is now the Port Authority Building.
Halal Travel Guide: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History (Part 1)
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 15 views • 1 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999. view all
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
Summary: Macau — Moorish Barracks, Indonesian Food and Muslim History is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. The account keeps its focus on Macau Muslim History, Indonesian Food, Halal Travel while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
During the 2023 Spring Festival holiday, I finally hit the road again, restarting my plan to visit and eat in Muslim communities after a two-year break. This time I started from Macau, then went to Guangzhou, Zhaoqing, Xichang and Miyi in Sichuan, and Xiaguan, Yangbi, Binju, and Yongjian in Dali. This first part starts in Macau.
On the morning of January 23, I took a boat from the Wanzai Port in Zhuhai to Macau.
I originally planned to eat breakfast at an Indonesian Javanese restaurant I had looked up. Because of the situation over the last two years, several Indonesian restaurants in Macau have closed. I couldn't eat there, so I went to a South Asian street food spot on Rua de Silva Mendes called Zaika Curry (ri zhichuan) to buy chicken curry, samosas, and masala tea, which I packed to eat at the nearby Lou Lim Ioc Garden. Qasim, who works at the trading company next to the curry shop, is an elder at the Macau Mosque.
The winter weather in Macau is pleasant and the park is lush. Many Southeast Asian workers use their holidays to bring snacks to the park to eat and chat, which is very relaxing.
At noon, I arrived at the Macau Mosque and happened to run into a group of Pakistani-origin friends from Hong Kong who were there for a gathering (dawah). They made authentic Pakistani food at the mosque, including stir-fried okra, minced meat with potatoes, and flatbread (paratha). They also invited Imam Ding Shaojie and us to eat with them.
In 1841, the British occupied Hong Kong Island and immediately began sending Muslim soldiers from British India to be stationed there. As Hong Kong Island was being built up in the 1840s, South Asian Muslims arrived to work as police, security guards, and sailors, while a few wealthy merchants came to open companies. In 1849, South Asian Muslims built the first mosque on Hong Kong Island, which later became the Jamia Mosque (Shelley Street Mosque). There are now about 30,000 people of Pakistani descent living in Hong Kong, and about 12,000 of them have local status and identify as Hong Kongers.
At the mosque, I ate some Filipino dessert shared by a friend. Every Sunday and on holidays, many Indonesian friends working in Macau come to the Macau Mosque to eat and chat. Everyone brings all kinds of snacks to share while they talk.
Although the Macau Mosque is not large, the environment is excellent. Besides performing worship and learning, you can play ball, use the swings, pick bananas and starfruit, look at the lake view, and pet cats. In the summer, you can even have outdoor barbecues. It is a great place to get away from the noise and relax.
I listened to Imam Ding Shaojie tell the history of the Macau Mosque.
Locals call the Macau Mosque the "Moro Garden" (Mo Luo Yuan). The term "Moro" comes from the Portuguese word "Mouros." It originally came from the name "Mauri," which the Romans used for the Berbers of North Africa under their rule. Later, various versions appeared in European languages, such as "Moro" in Italian and Spanish, and "Maure" in French. After the Age of Discovery, Spain and Portugal called many of the Muslim groups under their rule "Moros." For example, Spain collectively called the Austronesian Muslim groups in the southern Spanish East Indies (now the southern Philippines) "Moros." Portugal called the Arab-descended Muslims in Portuguese Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) "Ceylon Moors," and in Portuguese-occupied Goa, India, local Muslims were called "Moir."
The Portuguese officially occupied Macau in 1557 and began transferring troops from places like Portuguese India, which included some Muslims. According to the Portuguese scholar Luís Morais in his book "Muslims in Macau," a Macanese real estate businessman named Filipi António Osório sold a piece of land to Macau Muslims to build a mosque and a cemetery, which is the current "Moro Garden." Later, more Muslims from other parts of South Asia came to Macau, and after they passed away, they were buried in the Moro Garden.
Today, most of the South Asian Muslim graves in the Moro Garden date from the 19th to the 20th century. The birthplaces include the Indian states of Punjab, West Bengal, and Goa, as well as Peshawar in Pakistan. The oldest tombstone belongs to a friend from Gujarat, India, who died in 1875. The tombstone is written in Persian and Gujarati, serving as an important historical witness for Macau's Muslims.
Gujarati script developed from the ancient Indian Nagari script and is similar to Sanskrit. Gujarati people are good at business and entered Southeast Asia very early, having a major influence on the development of local scripts in parts of Sumatra, Sulawesi, and the Philippines. Some Gujarati people also lived in Portuguese India, and they likely went to Macau to make a living in the 19th century.
In 1937, when the Japanese army invaded Guangzhou, some Hui Muslims were forced to flee to Hong Kong and Macau. Some eventually passed away in Macau and were buried in the Moro Garden, becoming witnesses to those war-torn years.
Among these Guangzhou Hui Muslims buried in the Macau Moro Garden, three are especially worth mentioning. The first is the famous modern Guangzhou religious teacher, Imam Yang Ruisheng (1863-1939). Imam Yang led the religious community in Guangzhou for many years, serving as the head of the Xiaodongying Mosque and the Dongjiao Mosque. On the eve of the Japanese occupation of Guangzhou in 1937, a Japanese spy named Sakuma pretended to be a Muslim to lure Imam Yang into cooperating with the Japanese. To maintain his integrity, Imam Yang resolutely decided to take his descendants to Macau. Even on his deathbed, he insisted on presiding over the religious affairs of the Macau Mosque until he passed away in 1939.
The second person is Mr. Yang You (1882-1944), a diplomat who served as consul in Fukuoka, Japan, and Wonsan, Korea. He came from the Jingxiutang Yang family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong. Several diplomats emerged from this family during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, including Yang You's cousin, Yang Shu, who was once the Qing Dynasty's minister to Japan. Because he was fluent in Japanese and Korean, he faced threats and pressure from the Japanese military. He had to sell his property and flee to Hong Kong. After Hong Kong fell in 1942, he escaped to Macau, where he passed away (returned to Allah) in 1944.
The third person is Bao Tingzhen, the eldest son of Dr. Bao Zongqi, who died in childhood. Dr. Bao Zongqi came from the Qingshantang Bao family, a prominent Hui Muslim family in Guangdong known for generations of dentists. After fleeing to Macau in 1937, he continued working as a dentist and actively provided relief to refugees. Due to a lack of supplies and poor medical conditions, the son and daughter born to Dr. Bao's family in Macau both died young, one of whom was Bao Tingzhen.
After the liberation in 1945, Hui Muslims gradually returned to Hong Kong and Guangzhou from Macau. Dr. Bao Zongqi continued to run his dental clinic in Macau until he moved to Hong Kong in the 1960s, where he passed away in 1999.
Halal Travel Guide: Jakarta — Indonesian Food, Mosques and Muslim Heritage
Articles • ali2007fr posted the article • 0 comments • 16 views • 2 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Jakarta — Indonesian Food, Mosques and Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The account keeps its focus on Jakarta Travel, Indonesian Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Ciputra Commercial Center
I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The hotel was quite good, and there was a big shopping mall right inside the building. Jakarta has many large malls like this, but most are in the new city to the south. This one is relatively close to the airport, the bus station, and the old town.
There are many different restaurants inside the mall, and I chose two to eat at. At the first place, I had sour fish soup (Sop Ikan Asam Pedas) and fish rolls (Lumpia Ikan). The sour soup used pineapple for flavor and was delicious; I ate a whole fish by myself.
At the second place, I had garlic water spinach (Kangkung Bawang Putih), squid stir-fried in Padang sauce (Cumi Saus Padang), and a large crab in black pepper sauce (Kepiting Jantan Saus Lada Hitam). The advantage of this restaurant is that they post photos of all their dishes on the wall. There is a small card in front of each photo, so you just take the card and give it to the front desk. It is very simple.
Jakarta Old Town
Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua Jakarta), also called Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), was the most important Dutch colonial site in Southeast Asia. From the 17th to the 19th century, it served as the headquarters for the Dutch East India Company.
Old Batavia was founded in 1619. When I visited in 2019, it was exactly 400 years old.
Batavia in 1682, drawn by Weduwe van Jacob van Meurs.
Old Batavia in 1931. The building on the left is the same one shown in the picture above.
Old Batavia in the 19th century, painted by Johannes Weissenbruch.
Today, the old town is very lively, just like a temple fair. You can find people taking photos, reading palms, singing, getting henna tattoos, and drawing portraits.
Jakarta History Museum.
The center of Old Batavia is Fatahillah Square, and the most important building there is the Jakarta History Museum. The Jakarta History Museum was built in 1710 and was once the Batavia City Hall.
The museum courtyard has a small area serving local Betawi snacks. I ate a spicy omelet (kerak telor) and a cold drink (selendang mayang). I really regret not knowing that these snacks are hard to find elsewhere, otherwise I would have tried every single one.
Kerak telor is made with sticky rice and eggs, topped with fried shredded coconut, fried shallots, and dried shrimp. During the colonial era, this food was only served at gatherings for the Dutch or wealthy Betawi merchants, and it was invented to improve the texture of sticky rice. Selendang mayang is rare today. It is a historic Batavian cold drink made from rice flour, vanilla powder, pandan leaves, red sugar syrup, and coconut milk.
The Betawi people are a unique ethnic group that formed in Jakarta. Here is a brief introduction to their origins:
In 1619, the Dutch leveled Jakarta, which was under the rule of the Banten Sultanate, and renamed it Batavia to serve as the trade and administrative center for the Dutch East India Company.
Because they feared attacks from the Banten Sultanate, the city of Batavia initially banned local Javanese people from living inside. Besides the Dutch and their slaves, most people living in the city were Chinese and Mardijker people, along with a small number of Arab and Indian merchants. The Mardijker people came from Portuguese slaves in India, Africa, and the Malay Peninsula. After the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company freed them and brought them to Indonesia. Most of these people spoke Portuguese and practiced Catholicism.
Since almost no Dutch women moved to Batavia, most Dutch men in the city chose to have local women as partners, but they almost never married them. These women also had no right to return to the Netherlands with the Dutch men. This social pattern led to many mixed-race children in Batavia. Most of the boys from these mixed-race families chose to go to Europe, while the girls had to stay in Batavia.
A 1699 census shows that Batavia had 3,679 Chinese, 2,407 Mardijkers, 1,783 Europeans, 670 people of mixed heritage, and 867 others.
After the Dutch East India Company and the Sultanate of Banten made peace in 1659, many people from the East Indies began moving to the outskirts of Batavia. The Dutch East India Company signed a formal peace treaty with the Sultanate of Banten in 1684. This allowed for the clearing of swamps around Batavia, and more people began living outside the city walls, including Malays, Sundanese, Javanese, Minangkabau, and Bugis people.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the different ethnic groups living in Batavia began to blend. After a hundred years, they finally formed the Betawi people by the early 20th century.
The Betawi people speak a version of Malay mixed with many words from Hokkien Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch, known as Betawi Malay. It is the only Malay-speaking area on the northern coast of Java. Betawi food is strongly influenced by the cuisines of Indonesian Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, and local Sundanese and Javanese people.
Wayang Museum
The Wayang Museum is on the west side of the square. It was originally a Dutch church built in 1640. The current building was built in 1912 in a Neo-Renaissance style. It was renovated in 1938 in a Dutch colonial style, then bought by the Batavia Society of Arts and Sciences. It opened as the Old Batavia Museum in 1939 and officially opened as the Wayang Museum in 1975.
The Wayang Museum hosts a shadow puppet (wayang) show every Sunday morning and afternoon. They invite a different troupe each week. When I visited, it was a shadow puppet team from Yogyakarta, but I had already seen them in Yogyakarta, so I did not go.
Old Town Food
I had grilled chicken rice at Bangi Kopitiam, a restaurant next to the Wayang Museum. Bangi Kopitiam is an Indonesian, Malay, and Singaporean restaurant chain that specializes in Indonesian and Peranakan food. The restaurant is inside a historic Dutch building. The atmosphere is nice, the servers are friendly, and you can even pet cats while you eat.
I ate wax apples (jambu air) and fried fish sticks at the night market on the street north of Fatahillah Square (Batavia City Square). The spicy sauce on the wax apples was very fragrant but extremely hot. I had to drink a lot of water to cool down.
Seaside
There is a seaside boardwalk on the northeast side of the Old Town of Batavia, and the view is beautiful at sunset. Once the most important trading port for the Dutch East India Company, it is now a place where people go for evening walks. Back then, the Dutch trapped inside the castle by Zheng Chenggong desperately hoped for warships to sail from here to rescue them. view all
Summary: Jakarta — Indonesian Food, Mosques and Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The account keeps its focus on Jakarta Travel, Indonesian Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Ciputra Commercial Center
I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The hotel was quite good, and there was a big shopping mall right inside the building. Jakarta has many large malls like this, but most are in the new city to the south. This one is relatively close to the airport, the bus station, and the old town.
There are many different restaurants inside the mall, and I chose two to eat at. At the first place, I had sour fish soup (Sop Ikan Asam Pedas) and fish rolls (Lumpia Ikan). The sour soup used pineapple for flavor and was delicious; I ate a whole fish by myself.
At the second place, I had garlic water spinach (Kangkung Bawang Putih), squid stir-fried in Padang sauce (Cumi Saus Padang), and a large crab in black pepper sauce (Kepiting Jantan Saus Lada Hitam). The advantage of this restaurant is that they post photos of all their dishes on the wall. There is a small card in front of each photo, so you just take the card and give it to the front desk. It is very simple.
Jakarta Old Town
Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua Jakarta), also called Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), was the most important Dutch colonial site in Southeast Asia. From the 17th to the 19th century, it served as the headquarters for the Dutch East India Company.
Old Batavia was founded in 1619. When I visited in 2019, it was exactly 400 years old.
Batavia in 1682, drawn by Weduwe van Jacob van Meurs.
Old Batavia in 1931. The building on the left is the same one shown in the picture above.
Old Batavia in the 19th century, painted by Johannes Weissenbruch.
Today, the old town is very lively, just like a temple fair. You can find people taking photos, reading palms, singing, getting henna tattoos, and drawing portraits.
Jakarta History Museum.
The center of Old Batavia is Fatahillah Square, and the most important building there is the Jakarta History Museum. The Jakarta History Museum was built in 1710 and was once the Batavia City Hall.
The museum courtyard has a small area serving local Betawi snacks. I ate a spicy omelet (kerak telor) and a cold drink (selendang mayang). I really regret not knowing that these snacks are hard to find elsewhere, otherwise I would have tried every single one.
Kerak telor is made with sticky rice and eggs, topped with fried shredded coconut, fried shallots, and dried shrimp. During the colonial era, this food was only served at gatherings for the Dutch or wealthy Betawi merchants, and it was invented to improve the texture of sticky rice. Selendang mayang is rare today. It is a historic Batavian cold drink made from rice flour, vanilla powder, pandan leaves, red sugar syrup, and coconut milk.
The Betawi people are a unique ethnic group that formed in Jakarta. Here is a brief introduction to their origins:
In 1619, the Dutch leveled Jakarta, which was under the rule of the Banten Sultanate, and renamed it Batavia to serve as the trade and administrative center for the Dutch East India Company.
Because they feared attacks from the Banten Sultanate, the city of Batavia initially banned local Javanese people from living inside. Besides the Dutch and their slaves, most people living in the city were Chinese and Mardijker people, along with a small number of Arab and Indian merchants. The Mardijker people came from Portuguese slaves in India, Africa, and the Malay Peninsula. After the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company freed them and brought them to Indonesia. Most of these people spoke Portuguese and practiced Catholicism.
Since almost no Dutch women moved to Batavia, most Dutch men in the city chose to have local women as partners, but they almost never married them. These women also had no right to return to the Netherlands with the Dutch men. This social pattern led to many mixed-race children in Batavia. Most of the boys from these mixed-race families chose to go to Europe, while the girls had to stay in Batavia.
A 1699 census shows that Batavia had 3,679 Chinese, 2,407 Mardijkers, 1,783 Europeans, 670 people of mixed heritage, and 867 others.
After the Dutch East India Company and the Sultanate of Banten made peace in 1659, many people from the East Indies began moving to the outskirts of Batavia. The Dutch East India Company signed a formal peace treaty with the Sultanate of Banten in 1684. This allowed for the clearing of swamps around Batavia, and more people began living outside the city walls, including Malays, Sundanese, Javanese, Minangkabau, and Bugis people.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the different ethnic groups living in Batavia began to blend. After a hundred years, they finally formed the Betawi people by the early 20th century.
The Betawi people speak a version of Malay mixed with many words from Hokkien Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch, known as Betawi Malay. It is the only Malay-speaking area on the northern coast of Java. Betawi food is strongly influenced by the cuisines of Indonesian Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, and local Sundanese and Javanese people.
Wayang Museum
The Wayang Museum is on the west side of the square. It was originally a Dutch church built in 1640. The current building was built in 1912 in a Neo-Renaissance style. It was renovated in 1938 in a Dutch colonial style, then bought by the Batavia Society of Arts and Sciences. It opened as the Old Batavia Museum in 1939 and officially opened as the Wayang Museum in 1975.
The Wayang Museum hosts a shadow puppet (wayang) show every Sunday morning and afternoon. They invite a different troupe each week. When I visited, it was a shadow puppet team from Yogyakarta, but I had already seen them in Yogyakarta, so I did not go.
Old Town Food
I had grilled chicken rice at Bangi Kopitiam, a restaurant next to the Wayang Museum. Bangi Kopitiam is an Indonesian, Malay, and Singaporean restaurant chain that specializes in Indonesian and Peranakan food. The restaurant is inside a historic Dutch building. The atmosphere is nice, the servers are friendly, and you can even pet cats while you eat.
I ate wax apples (jambu air) and fried fish sticks at the night market on the street north of Fatahillah Square (Batavia City Square). The spicy sauce on the wax apples was very fragrant but extremely hot. I had to drink a lot of water to cool down.
Seaside
There is a seaside boardwalk on the northeast side of the Old Town of Batavia, and the view is beautiful at sunset. Once the most important trading port for the Dutch East India Company, it is now a place where people go for evening walks. Back then, the Dutch trapped inside the castle by Zheng Chenggong desperately hoped for warships to sail from here to rescue them. view all
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Summary: Jakarta — Indonesian Food, Mosques and Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The account keeps its focus on Jakarta Travel, Indonesian Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Ciputra Commercial Center
I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The hotel was quite good, and there was a big shopping mall right inside the building. Jakarta has many large malls like this, but most are in the new city to the south. This one is relatively close to the airport, the bus station, and the old town.
There are many different restaurants inside the mall, and I chose two to eat at. At the first place, I had sour fish soup (Sop Ikan Asam Pedas) and fish rolls (Lumpia Ikan). The sour soup used pineapple for flavor and was delicious; I ate a whole fish by myself.
At the second place, I had garlic water spinach (Kangkung Bawang Putih), squid stir-fried in Padang sauce (Cumi Saus Padang), and a large crab in black pepper sauce (Kepiting Jantan Saus Lada Hitam). The advantage of this restaurant is that they post photos of all their dishes on the wall. There is a small card in front of each photo, so you just take the card and give it to the front desk. It is very simple.
Jakarta Old Town
Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua Jakarta), also called Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), was the most important Dutch colonial site in Southeast Asia. From the 17th to the 19th century, it served as the headquarters for the Dutch East India Company.
Old Batavia was founded in 1619. When I visited in 2019, it was exactly 400 years old.
Batavia in 1682, drawn by Weduwe van Jacob van Meurs.
Old Batavia in 1931. The building on the left is the same one shown in the picture above.
Old Batavia in the 19th century, painted by Johannes Weissenbruch.
Today, the old town is very lively, just like a temple fair. You can find people taking photos, reading palms, singing, getting henna tattoos, and drawing portraits.
Jakarta History Museum.
The center of Old Batavia is Fatahillah Square, and the most important building there is the Jakarta History Museum. The Jakarta History Museum was built in 1710 and was once the Batavia City Hall.
The museum courtyard has a small area serving local Betawi snacks. I ate a spicy omelet (kerak telor) and a cold drink (selendang mayang). I really regret not knowing that these snacks are hard to find elsewhere, otherwise I would have tried every single one.
Kerak telor is made with sticky rice and eggs, topped with fried shredded coconut, fried shallots, and dried shrimp. During the colonial era, this food was only served at gatherings for the Dutch or wealthy Betawi merchants, and it was invented to improve the texture of sticky rice. Selendang mayang is rare today. It is a historic Batavian cold drink made from rice flour, vanilla powder, pandan leaves, red sugar syrup, and coconut milk.
The Betawi people are a unique ethnic group that formed in Jakarta. Here is a brief introduction to their origins:
In 1619, the Dutch leveled Jakarta, which was under the rule of the Banten Sultanate, and renamed it Batavia to serve as the trade and administrative center for the Dutch East India Company.
Because they feared attacks from the Banten Sultanate, the city of Batavia initially banned local Javanese people from living inside. Besides the Dutch and their slaves, most people living in the city were Chinese and Mardijker people, along with a small number of Arab and Indian merchants. The Mardijker people came from Portuguese slaves in India, Africa, and the Malay Peninsula. After the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company freed them and brought them to Indonesia. Most of these people spoke Portuguese and practiced Catholicism.
Since almost no Dutch women moved to Batavia, most Dutch men in the city chose to have local women as partners, but they almost never married them. These women also had no right to return to the Netherlands with the Dutch men. This social pattern led to many mixed-race children in Batavia. Most of the boys from these mixed-race families chose to go to Europe, while the girls had to stay in Batavia.
A 1699 census shows that Batavia had 3,679 Chinese, 2,407 Mardijkers, 1,783 Europeans, 670 people of mixed heritage, and 867 others.
After the Dutch East India Company and the Sultanate of Banten made peace in 1659, many people from the East Indies began moving to the outskirts of Batavia. The Dutch East India Company signed a formal peace treaty with the Sultanate of Banten in 1684. This allowed for the clearing of swamps around Batavia, and more people began living outside the city walls, including Malays, Sundanese, Javanese, Minangkabau, and Bugis people.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the different ethnic groups living in Batavia began to blend. After a hundred years, they finally formed the Betawi people by the early 20th century.
The Betawi people speak a version of Malay mixed with many words from Hokkien Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch, known as Betawi Malay. It is the only Malay-speaking area on the northern coast of Java. Betawi food is strongly influenced by the cuisines of Indonesian Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, and local Sundanese and Javanese people.
Wayang Museum
The Wayang Museum is on the west side of the square. It was originally a Dutch church built in 1640. The current building was built in 1912 in a Neo-Renaissance style. It was renovated in 1938 in a Dutch colonial style, then bought by the Batavia Society of Arts and Sciences. It opened as the Old Batavia Museum in 1939 and officially opened as the Wayang Museum in 1975.
The Wayang Museum hosts a shadow puppet (wayang) show every Sunday morning and afternoon. They invite a different troupe each week. When I visited, it was a shadow puppet team from Yogyakarta, but I had already seen them in Yogyakarta, so I did not go.
Old Town Food
I had grilled chicken rice at Bangi Kopitiam, a restaurant next to the Wayang Museum. Bangi Kopitiam is an Indonesian, Malay, and Singaporean restaurant chain that specializes in Indonesian and Peranakan food. The restaurant is inside a historic Dutch building. The atmosphere is nice, the servers are friendly, and you can even pet cats while you eat.
I ate wax apples (jambu air) and fried fish sticks at the night market on the street north of Fatahillah Square (Batavia City Square). The spicy sauce on the wax apples was very fragrant but extremely hot. I had to drink a lot of water to cool down.
Seaside
There is a seaside boardwalk on the northeast side of the Old Town of Batavia, and the view is beautiful at sunset. Once the most important trading port for the Dutch East India Company, it is now a place where people go for evening walks. Back then, the Dutch trapped inside the castle by Zheng Chenggong desperately hoped for warships to sail from here to rescue them.
Summary: Jakarta — Indonesian Food, Mosques and Muslim Heritage is presented here as a firsthand travel account in clear English, beginning with this scene: I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The account keeps its focus on Jakarta Travel, Indonesian Food, Muslim Heritage while preserving the names, places, food, and historical details from the Chinese source.
Ciputra Commercial Center
I visited Jakarta for the Qingming Festival holiday in 2019 and stayed at a large commercial complex called Ciputra. The hotel was quite good, and there was a big shopping mall right inside the building. Jakarta has many large malls like this, but most are in the new city to the south. This one is relatively close to the airport, the bus station, and the old town.
There are many different restaurants inside the mall, and I chose two to eat at. At the first place, I had sour fish soup (Sop Ikan Asam Pedas) and fish rolls (Lumpia Ikan). The sour soup used pineapple for flavor and was delicious; I ate a whole fish by myself.
At the second place, I had garlic water spinach (Kangkung Bawang Putih), squid stir-fried in Padang sauce (Cumi Saus Padang), and a large crab in black pepper sauce (Kepiting Jantan Saus Lada Hitam). The advantage of this restaurant is that they post photos of all their dishes on the wall. There is a small card in front of each photo, so you just take the card and give it to the front desk. It is very simple.
Jakarta Old Town
Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua Jakarta), also called Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), was the most important Dutch colonial site in Southeast Asia. From the 17th to the 19th century, it served as the headquarters for the Dutch East India Company.
Old Batavia was founded in 1619. When I visited in 2019, it was exactly 400 years old.
Batavia in 1682, drawn by Weduwe van Jacob van Meurs.
Old Batavia in 1931. The building on the left is the same one shown in the picture above.
Old Batavia in the 19th century, painted by Johannes Weissenbruch.
Today, the old town is very lively, just like a temple fair. You can find people taking photos, reading palms, singing, getting henna tattoos, and drawing portraits.
Jakarta History Museum.
The center of Old Batavia is Fatahillah Square, and the most important building there is the Jakarta History Museum. The Jakarta History Museum was built in 1710 and was once the Batavia City Hall.
The museum courtyard has a small area serving local Betawi snacks. I ate a spicy omelet (kerak telor) and a cold drink (selendang mayang). I really regret not knowing that these snacks are hard to find elsewhere, otherwise I would have tried every single one.
Kerak telor is made with sticky rice and eggs, topped with fried shredded coconut, fried shallots, and dried shrimp. During the colonial era, this food was only served at gatherings for the Dutch or wealthy Betawi merchants, and it was invented to improve the texture of sticky rice. Selendang mayang is rare today. It is a historic Batavian cold drink made from rice flour, vanilla powder, pandan leaves, red sugar syrup, and coconut milk.
The Betawi people are a unique ethnic group that formed in Jakarta. Here is a brief introduction to their origins:
In 1619, the Dutch leveled Jakarta, which was under the rule of the Banten Sultanate, and renamed it Batavia to serve as the trade and administrative center for the Dutch East India Company.
Because they feared attacks from the Banten Sultanate, the city of Batavia initially banned local Javanese people from living inside. Besides the Dutch and their slaves, most people living in the city were Chinese and Mardijker people, along with a small number of Arab and Indian merchants. The Mardijker people came from Portuguese slaves in India, Africa, and the Malay Peninsula. After the Dutch defeated the Portuguese in the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company freed them and brought them to Indonesia. Most of these people spoke Portuguese and practiced Catholicism.
Since almost no Dutch women moved to Batavia, most Dutch men in the city chose to have local women as partners, but they almost never married them. These women also had no right to return to the Netherlands with the Dutch men. This social pattern led to many mixed-race children in Batavia. Most of the boys from these mixed-race families chose to go to Europe, while the girls had to stay in Batavia.
A 1699 census shows that Batavia had 3,679 Chinese, 2,407 Mardijkers, 1,783 Europeans, 670 people of mixed heritage, and 867 others.
After the Dutch East India Company and the Sultanate of Banten made peace in 1659, many people from the East Indies began moving to the outskirts of Batavia. The Dutch East India Company signed a formal peace treaty with the Sultanate of Banten in 1684. This allowed for the clearing of swamps around Batavia, and more people began living outside the city walls, including Malays, Sundanese, Javanese, Minangkabau, and Bugis people.
Between the 18th and 19th centuries, the different ethnic groups living in Batavia began to blend. After a hundred years, they finally formed the Betawi people by the early 20th century.
The Betawi people speak a version of Malay mixed with many words from Hokkien Chinese, Arabic, and Dutch, known as Betawi Malay. It is the only Malay-speaking area on the northern coast of Java. Betawi food is strongly influenced by the cuisines of Indonesian Chinese, Arabs, Europeans, and local Sundanese and Javanese people.
Wayang Museum
The Wayang Museum is on the west side of the square. It was originally a Dutch church built in 1640. The current building was built in 1912 in a Neo-Renaissance style. It was renovated in 1938 in a Dutch colonial style, then bought by the Batavia Society of Arts and Sciences. It opened as the Old Batavia Museum in 1939 and officially opened as the Wayang Museum in 1975.
The Wayang Museum hosts a shadow puppet (wayang) show every Sunday morning and afternoon. They invite a different troupe each week. When I visited, it was a shadow puppet team from Yogyakarta, but I had already seen them in Yogyakarta, so I did not go.
Old Town Food
I had grilled chicken rice at Bangi Kopitiam, a restaurant next to the Wayang Museum. Bangi Kopitiam is an Indonesian, Malay, and Singaporean restaurant chain that specializes in Indonesian and Peranakan food. The restaurant is inside a historic Dutch building. The atmosphere is nice, the servers are friendly, and you can even pet cats while you eat.
I ate wax apples (jambu air) and fried fish sticks at the night market on the street north of Fatahillah Square (Batavia City Square). The spicy sauce on the wax apples was very fragrant but extremely hot. I had to drink a lot of water to cool down.
Seaside
There is a seaside boardwalk on the northeast side of the Old Town of Batavia, and the view is beautiful at sunset. Once the most important trading port for the Dutch East India Company, it is now a place where people go for evening walks. Back then, the Dutch trapped inside the castle by Zheng Chenggong desperately hoped for warships to sail from here to rescue them.