Portuguese premium products tour Macau

Salt block demonstration

Premium Products for Exclusive Markets”, the program supported by the Portuguese government and the European Union as a way to promote the internationalization of SMEs in the gastronomy, wine and tourism sectors, has arrived in Macau.
Presented yesterday evening at the Military Club, the session organized by the Association for the Promotion of Food, Wine, Regional Products and Biodiversity (AGAVI) in collaboration with local association, the Portuguese and Lusophone Countries Gastronomy Promotion Association (Symbiosis) had the purpose of showcasing quality products, classified as “premium.”
The products on display and available for tasting at the event ranged from well-known canned foods and wines to teas, herbs and even salt blocks.
Representing AGAVI, António Souza-Cardoso explained that the association brings together small producers.  “We did a selection based on the markets that we are trying to reach and of the characteristics of the products from these producers,” he said.
“Markets that are ‘mature’ from the point of view of consumption are the ideal markets since there is [already] a propensity to acquire such products,” he said, noting that the exceptional quality of such products makes them more likely to compete well with others in the market.
The project, which will travel around the world with different producers and products according to the targeted markets, will bring new brands of products already established, as well as other new and emerging products.
The goal is to bring “globalization to small producers; a more participative globalization and fairer commerce” in which Macau represents, as it did in the past, the gateway to the Greater China markets.
The president of Symbiosis, André Sá Correia, remarked on the work that is being undertaken by the association. “Symbiosis’ work is not only to promote the products but also gastronomy and food education, [… and] focus on bringing together all of these products from Portuguese-speaking countries,”Correia said.
During the event an agreement was also signed that has the purpose of promoting AGAVI’s presence in the Portuguese-speaking world.
According to Correia, who is also a well-known chef, the upcoming year will be “a very good year for Portuguese and Portuguese-speaking world gastronomy. […] We are going to have Portugal more present in world capitals,” he said, adding “this will be [in culinary terms] a revolutionary year.”