MGM, with the support of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government (DSEDJ) and the Macao University of Tourism (UTM), successfully concluded the “MGM Traditional Macanese Cuisine Program” in the fourth quarter of 2025 and held its graduation ceremony earlier. The program brought together 64 participants, including MGM team members and local secondary school students from 17 schools, for hands-on training in Macanese culinary techniques. Since these cooking traditions were inscribed on the Representative List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2021, MGM has committed to preserving and promoting this distinctive gastronomic tradition, reinforcing Macau’s position as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
Led by renowned Macanese chef Antonieta Fernandes Manhão (Chef Neta), the program was conducted at UTM, where participants received hands-on training in preparing a variety of signature Macanese dishes and desserts. They also gained a deeper insight into the historical and cultural influences that have shaped Macanese cuisine during the training. At the graduation ceremony, participants demonstrated what they had learned by preparing several authentic dishes for guests, while three representatives shared their key takeaways.
Chef Neta said, “Every Macanese dish carries far more than culinary technique—it holds a piece of the city’s cultural memory. I am truly grateful for MGM’s support in helping these memories live on, and delighted to meet a group of students so full of passion and curiosity. I hope they will bring these traditional flavors home, weaving them into the everyday dishes of their own families.”
Program participant Koni Tai, a student from Santa Rosa de Lima English Secondary School and a participant in the DSEDJ’s “Programa de Iniciação de Aprendizagem da Língua Portuguesa”, shared: “Learning to prepare traditional Macanese dishes helped me better understand Macau’s unique blend of Chinese and Portuguese cultures through food. I realized that Macanese cuisine is not a static relic, but a living tradition passed down through generations. I hope to carry forward the memories and warmth embedded in these dishes, turning them into flavors that endure.”
MGM has long been dedicated to preserving Macanese cuisine. Beyond this training program, MGM partnered with Fuhong Society of Macau on a World Mental Health Day initiative, creating a large-scale food artwork inspired by the traditional Macanese dessert “orange cake” to promote public awareness of mental well-being. Internally, MGM also incorporates various Macanese dishes into the daily menu of its employee dining room “Home Base”, and organizes periodic promotional activities, such as inviting Chef Neta to host a “Macanese Cuisine Roadshow” in the backofhouse areas featuring her cookbook Receita Di Casa and traditional delicacies, helping enhance team members’ understanding of this intangible cultural heritage through everyday dining.
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