Did Portuguese breads and pastries shape Hong Kong’s most iconic baked goods?

Francisco Oliveira, the Portuguese founder of bakery brand Santa Nata, was reminded of home when he tried Hong Kong’s iconic pineapple bun for the first time. “When I ate the pineapple bun, I immediately thought of the pao de deus,” he says, referring to a popular Portuguese baked treat he has eaten since childhood. Translated as “bread of God”, pao de deus is a brioche found in pastry shops across Portugal. It is generously slathered with sugar and coconut before baking to create a golden,...