Macanese culinary is one of the highlights of the “Experience Macao – Portugal” mega promotion launched this week by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO). Macanese chefs cooking demonstrations and a food truck presenting Macanese delicacies at Lisbon Travel Market (BTL, from its Portuguese acronym) are among the activities organized to showcase the destination’s east-meets-west gastronomic culture and the designation of Macao as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.

Two chefs from Macanese Gastronomic Brotherhood, Antonieta Manhão (“Neta”) and Carlos Cabral (“Calito”), where invited by MGTO to conduct cooking demonstrations in Lisbon and Porto. With the facilitation of the Institute for Tourism Studies, the Macanese chefs prepared typical dishes at the Estoril Higher Institute for Tourism and Hotel Studies on Tuesday (March 12), and at the School of Hospitality and Tourism of Porto today (March 15). Visiting chefs cooked their traditional recipes of “capela” (meat loaf) and Portuguese chicken, while introducing to tourism students the story behind the names, the ingredients and cooking techniques of Macanese cuisine.

As part of the Macao promotion, chef Neta also made a television appearance at a popular program of a national Portuguese channel (program “Você na TV” of TVi channel). The Macanese chef presented live the preparation of a feast of Macanese delicacies, sharing the stories behind the different dishes along with the characteristics of Macanese gastronomy, part of Macao’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Macanese food is also among the highlights of MGTO’s participation at BTL, running until Sunday (March 17) at the Portuguese capital. Aside from a Macao booth, MGTO has also set up a food truck at Portugal’s most important tourism fair, with Macanese chefs preparing on site minchi, pork “bafassá”, among other Macanese dishes, for BTL participants to taste and learn more about the city’s unique gastronomic culture.

The Macanese gastronomy showcase and exchange initiatives are part of the string of activities of the mega promotion “Experience Macao – Portugal” conducted this week in tandem with BTL, where Macao is in the spotlight as this year’s International Guest Destination, and in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Macao Special Administrative Region.