Custard tarts were introduced in Hong Kong in the 1940s by cha chaan tengs. Which was derived from the original "pastel de nata" ( Portuguese egg tarts ).[citation needed] Egg tarts evolved from the very similar Portuguese egg tart pastries, known as pastel de nata, traveling to Hong Kong via the Portuguese colony of Macau. Hong Kong egg tarts are an adaptation of English custard tarts.[1] Canton (modern Guangdong) had more frequent contact with the West, in particular Britain, than the rest of China. Also, as a former British colony, Hong Kong adopted some British cuisine.