Caldo de Amendoim

Portuguese-Macanese peanut and sweet potato soup

Origin: Macau (Portuguese colonial trading post)

From the journey of Peanut.

Caldo de amendoim is a Portuguese colonial preparation that followed the peanut along the full arc of the empire's trading routes; from Brazil, where the Portuguese first acquired it, westward to Angola and Mozambique, and eastward through Goa to Macau. 'Amendoim': the Portuguese name for the peanut; derives from the Tupi word 'manduí', carried back by traders from the Amazon. In Macau, where Portuguese merchants, Malay and South Asian wives, and Fujian Chinese traders coexisted from the 16th century onward, the peanut soup absorbed the flavours of its setting: ginger and spring onion folded into the colonial base, coconut milk enriching the Portuguese broth tradition. The result is a dish of striking creaminess; ground roasted peanuts dissolving into stock to create a naturally thick, nutty soup, brightened by ginger and finished with sesame oil. Macau's position as the transit point where the peanut passed from the Portuguese Atlantic world to the Chinese interior is documented in Fujian records of the 1560s, which note the arrival of 'the peanut from the Western Ocean.' The soup remains a domestic preparation throughout Macau and southern China's coastal communities today.

Ingredients

Peanut

  • 200 g raw peanuts, shelled (or 180g natural peanut butter, 100% peanuts)

Vegetables

  • 400 g sweet potato (2 medium), peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

Base

  • 1 medium white onion, finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Liquid

  • 1 litre light chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 150 ml coconut milk

Fat

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Finish

  • 1 tsp sesame oil, to finish

Garnish

  • 3 spring onions, thinly sliced, to serve
  • 1 tbsp toasted peanuts, roughly crushed, to serve

Seasoning

  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste

Method

  1. If using raw peanuts: spread them on a baking tray and roast at 180°C for 12–14 minutes until golden. Cool completely, then rub off the papery skins. Transfer to a food processor or blender and grind to a coarse paste, adding 100ml of the stock to loosen. Set aside.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring constantly.
  3. Add the sweet potato and stir to coat in the aromatics. Pour in the remaining stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes until the sweet potato is just tender.
  4. Stir in the ground peanut paste (or peanut butter) and the coconut milk. Stir well to combine; the peanut will emulsify into the broth, thickening it considerably. Simmer gently for a further 10 minutes. Do not boil vigorously once the peanut is added.
  5. Season with salt to taste. Ladle into bowls and finish each with a few drops of sesame oil. Scatter spring onions and crushed roasted peanuts over the top.

Notes

This is a colonial fusion dish: the Portuguese base of ground peanuts in broth, the sweet potato (also a New World introduction carried by the same traders), and the Chinese aromatics of ginger and spring onion all reflect Macau's position at the crossroads of three trading worlds. Some Macanese versions add a small piece of smoked chorizo to the base for depth; if using, add with the onion and remove before serving, or slice into rounds as a garnish.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

Mapping Culinary History

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Journey Point Map Key

Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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