Aida de Jesus, one of the most recognizable figures of the Macanese community passed away last week at the age of 105, leaving behind a legacy and the earned title of “Godmother of Macanese Cuisine.”
Commencing her cooking life in the kitchens of Hotel Lisboa and the Sintra Hotel, Dona Aida, as she was widely known in Macau, put herself to the task of keeping local roots alive through food when she founded the restaurant Riquexó in the 1980s.
Besides keeping Macanese traditional values alive through the original flavors of Macanese cuisine, Dona Aida was also keen to retain her heritage through communication. She has kept the Macanese dialect “Patuá” alive by speaking it and supporting the activities of those who were striving to preserve it.
Miguel Senna Fernandes, lawyer, and leader of the Patuá theatre group “Dóci Papiaçám di Macau” said, “She was a housewife who influenced Macanese cuisine, to the point of it becoming her symbol.” He believes that at 105, Dona Aida departed from this world “satisfied, because she left a handful of talented people with the tough task of continuing [the tradition of] Macanese gastronomy.”
Dona Aida passed away last Wednesday from natural causes at the Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre.
She is survived by her daughters Sónia Palmer and Carolina de Jesus and her son Manuel António de Jesus, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
A funeral mass will be held today at 8 p.m. at the Casa Mortuária Diocesana de Macau in her memory.
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