Sweet smell of 60 years

By Amy, Fung Choi I

It's afternoon in cold winter, you are walking on the street and feeling cold. When you are walking to Largo do Senado, you will first hear some familiar sound "Sa...Sa...Sa..." and smell a familiar scent. It is a shop that will only open in winter - Cheng Kei Chestnut.
Cheng Kei has a history of more than 65 years. It was opened by elderly Mr. Chao in 1940s. He is now retired and passed the business to his son because his legs got
strained after many years of hard work. Chao Chi Veng, the shop owner says, "It
used to have five chestnut shops here, but we are the only remaining chestnut shop in Macao now. Furthermore, there were not as many tourists as now, that's why the competition was great!" Cheng Kei still follows the traditional way to make chestnuts, which gives the unique smell and taste of chestnuts. The traditional way is to use a special paraffin stove, not electronic machines to cook chestnuts.
The chestnuts are cooked in a machine, which looks like a dump truck. Firstly, chestnuts and small stones are put together into the stove to ensure that chestnuts have the same heat. Then, sugar is added for the unique taste and smell. This process takes around 20-30 minutes. Chao says, "This machine is the invention of my father, he used to cook chestnuts manually. He wanted to make the job easier and tried to figure out ways to cook chestnuts more easily. Finally, he got the idea one day when he saw a dump truck passing by."
When chestnuts are ready, they are poured out of the stove. It is dangerous to sell
them at the moment because they are too hot and some may even explode. So, those chestnuts should be kept for a while on the counter before selling.

It is difficult to learn the skill of cooking chestnuts as Cheng Kei uses paraffin as fuel for the stove. Controlling the fire of the stove and adding the right amount of sugar are not an easy job; even Chao's wife who helps in the business does not know these techniques. So, Chao does not really have time to rest during the business hours.
Cheng Kei does not open in the summer, but starts the business after the Mid-
Autumn Festival and continues till the end of winter. The reason is that Mid-Autumn
is the harvest time of chestnuts. Another reason is that few people buy hot chestnuts in the summer.
Max Lee, a form 4 student from Macao Baptist School says, "It will be a pity if Cheng Kei is closed down. This is the only shop that I can buy hot chestnuts now. A bag of chestnuts can also keep my hands warm during cold days. That's why whenever I pass by Cheng Kei, I always want to buy them."