On a visit to Portugal, Andrew Stow was very taken with the traditional Pastel de Nata and returned to Macau determined to recreate these delicious tarts. Portugal has been the home to the Pastel de Nata since the 18th century. Originally he moved to Macau as a pharmacist, who in later years turned his skills to formulating a winning recipe. In fact he was called Andrew Stow and Lord Stow was a nickname. Macau’s Portuguese egg tarts, sometimes referred to as Macanese egg tarts are the legacy of Lord Stow. If you’re visiting the Peak, there is also one inside the Peak Galleria on the second floor. There are a few of theses bakeries dotted about the city, the one on Lyndhurst Terrace, Central almost always has a queue outside. They have been purveyors of egg tarts since the 1950’s and Chris Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong was a regular customer back in the day. Tai Cheong bakeries are probably Hong Kong’s most famous egg tart bakers. Many bakeries offer them and they are an inexpensive must-try treat if you’re visiting.

Hong Kong has cheerfully adopted and adapted them, the result being the egg tarts we eat today. The Brits have been churning out custard tarts since medieval times and are said to have brought them to this corner of the world in the early 1900’s. The origins are somewhat obscured by the mists of time, so we’ll do our best to untangle them for you. There’s nothing like a bit of friendly rivalry, which is exactly what we have in this corner of the world when it comes to the egg tarts of Hong Kong vs the egg tarts of Macau. Superficially, they are pretty similar, but the devil is in the detail. The Hong Kong egg tart and the Macau egg tart are both famous in their own right. Hong Kong Egg Tart vs Macau Egg Tart January 17, 2020

Portuguese or chinese egg tart