Two-day cooking show event concludes

A UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy Cooking Show in Macau concluded  yesterday after two consecutive days of culinary activities. Featuring young chefs from 20 participating Creative Cities of Gastronomy, the outdoor culinary demonstration was described by organizers as a highlight of the International Gastronomy Forum, Macau 2019.

The weekend kicked off with a ceremony held on Saturday at Anim’Arte Nam Van, counting the attendance of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Alexis Tam, other senior government officials as well as culinary representatives from the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Macao Government Tourism Office’s (MGTO) director Helena de Senna Fernandes, remarked at the opening ceremony, “This is a very special occasion for Macao as a new Creative City of Gastronomy, as for the first time we are staging an opportunity for Creative Cities of Gastronomy from around the world to meet with our residents and visitors.”

“Our event this weekend is a celebration of the diversity of gastronomic culture in the UNESCO Creative Cities Network,” said Senna Fernandes.

“It is about presenting the history and the stories beyond the food of the different cities through the modern creations of traditional flavors by its chefs,” she added. “It is also to showcase the objective that brings us together as a network, of using creativity to develop sustainable and vibrant cities.”

The participating cities invited some of their most talented young chefs to hold cooking shows at the event, according to local organizers, with the aim of projecting traditional culinary arts from different geographies, sometimes with a modern interpretation. The young chefs took turns on stage to prepare starter dishes, main courses and desserts live, sharing with the public their passion for cooking and how they integrate their culture into recipes.

As the host city, aside from one demonstration conducted by local chef Ao Ka Lok, Macau also presented five special cooking performances during the two days, including several from students of the culinary arts at the Institute for Tourism Studies and the Macau University of Science and Technology.

Moreover, three local Cantonese cuisine celebrity chefs prepared specially-crafted creations and shared their professional experiences on site; namely Jacky Lam, Joseph Tse and Tam Kwok Fung.

In addition to the cooking performances, there were also 10 gastronomy booths, some of which presented Macau dishes arranged by local food and beverage industry operators.