The “Macao･Creative City of Gastronomy” work meeting convened today (24 November) and announced the official launch of the Macanese Cuisine Database.
Officials of Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and relevant government entities joined representatives of academia and industry organizations for the “Macao･Creative City of Gastronomy” work meeting held for the third year. MGTO Director and Macao SAR focal point to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, presided over the meeting, which was also attended by MGTO Deputy Directors Cheng Wai Tong and Ricky Hoi, President of the Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM), Fanny Vong, Deputy Director of Economic Bureau, Chan Tze Wai, representatives of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Education and Youth Affairs Bureau, Municipal Affairs Bureau, Labour Affairs Bureau, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Environmental Protection Bureau, and Macau University of Science and Technology, as well as industry delegates in the gastronomy and related fields, among others. The delegates exchanged perspectives on how to advance Macao’s development as a Creative City of Gastronomy.
Co-launch of themed webpage and themed corner of Macanese Cuisine Database
At the meeting, Director Senna Fernandes announced the official launch of the Macanese Cuisine Database, one of the major tasks in pushing forward Macao’s development as a Creative City of Gastronomy. Through MGTO’s collaboration with IFTM, Cultural Affairs Bureau and the International Institute of Macau, among other relevant entities, the webpage of Macanese Cuisine Database is now officially launched for the public and a themed corner of Macanese Cuisine Database is set up at IFTM’s library for education, preservation and promotion of gastronomic culture.
In line with the SAR Government’s electronic administration, the Macanese Cuisine Database is presented in the form of webpage and built into the Gastronomy Website (www.gastronomy.gov.mo). The content is mainly in English. At present, the Database offers relevant information on 26 books and publications about Macanese cuisine, 19 manuscripts (some provided by Cultural Affairs Bureau and others collected by the International Institute of Macau), as well as 297 recipes (originally from Macanese Library Website, IFTM and Macanese people from worldwide). The Gastronomy Website also features eight videos about Macanese cuisine. In the future, MGTO will partner with pertinent institutes and industry organizations to create and launch more Macanese culinary videos to manifest the culinary arts and culture of Macanese cuisine through visual presentations.
The themed corner at IFTM’s library was unveiled in sync to display the original copies of books about Macanese cuisine as well as duplicates of the manuscripts. The public is welcome to read the materials in the themed corner.
Advance Macao’s endeavors as a Creative City of Gastronomy
During the meeting, MGTO shared with delegates of different parties the latest overview of UCCN and a retrospective summary of the work accomplished by MGTO to foster Macao’s development as a Creative City of Gastronomy, as well as future work plans.
Senna Fernandes pointed out that some initiatives and activities scheduled for this year were cancelled because of the pandemic, including “International Gastronomy Forum, Macao” and the UNESCO Creative Cities of Gastronomy cooking show. Nevertheless, other initiatives are moving forward, including the establishment of the Macanese Cuisine Database.
She added that after gaining the designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in 2017, Macao immediately mapped out the four-year action plan to unfold between 2018 and 2021. Next year, Macao will submit the first four-year work report to UNESCO. On the other hand, the SAR Government has tailored a series of effective measures of pandemic prevention for the catering industry and the area of food safety this year. She suggested that the report for submission next year may give an account of these measures as well. Furthermore, the Government will start preparing for the second four-year (2022 – 2025) work plan and call for industry operators to raise relevant suggestions especially in terms of creativity, to contribute ideas and efforts to Macao’s sustainable development as a Creative City of Gastronomy.
At the meeting, officials of various governmental entities also reported on their work progress and accomplishment by far, whereas industry delegates shared their pertinent tasks underway.
Some industry delegates agreed on the importance of pandemic prevention and the Government’s efforts to promote Macao as a safe destination. Others expressed their concerns over preservation and inheritance of gastronomic culture, prospect of local catering businesses, cooperation across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, economic benefits, the history of Macanese cuisine recipes as well as relevant promotion, etc.
Macao, China was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy on 1 November 2017 (local time of announcement: 31 October 2017). Following the designation, the SAR Government unfolded a four-year action plan to develop Macao as a Creative City of Gastronomy with vigorous efforts. Despite the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic this year, MGTO has kept forging ahead with the endeavors as follows: participating in the 3rd UNESCO Creative Cities Beijing Summit, promoting Sustainable Gastronomy Day with the rest of the world, producing introductory videos about Macanese gastronomy and tailoring online learning videos for catering professionals, among other initiatives. The Office also welcomed a delegation from Huai’an last month to share Macao’s experience in applying for its designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
