The 15th Macau Literary Festival – The Script Road kicked off on Thursday in Casa Garden, with a wide-ranging programme of literature, films, art and music until this Sunday.
Chefs and food advocates gathered yesterday afternoon to discuss “Recipes with a Hope”, a collaborative Chinese-English-language cookbook celebrating the Macanese community’s culinary heritage, during a session at the festival.
The session featured chefs and contributors including André Lai, Sónia Palmer, Daniel Lai (黎浩然) and Florita Alves, who shared their experiences in cooking and preserving Macanese cuisine*. The project was initiated by the Association of Rehabilitation of Dependencies of Macau (ARTM) President Augusto Nogueira and brings together recipes designed to be accessible for home cooks and students.
André Lai said the book was the result of a “meaningful collaboration” among chefs who share a commitment to community engagement. “It was a great collaboration,” he said, noting that the initiative also involved activities where students were invited to practise recipes and learn culinary skills.
Meanwhile, Alves, who participated in the collaboration, highlighted the community aspect of the cookbook. “It’s a very interesting project, with recipes from several chefs that students can make at home,” she said.
Moreover, Palmer reflected on decades of experience in Chinese and Macanese cuisine and the importance of passing knowledge to younger generations. “Many people ask for my mother’s (Dona Aida, the late doyenne of Macanese cookery) recipes, and I always like to teach those who show interest,” she said, adding that she hopes Macanese cuisine will continue to grow and endure.
In addition, Daniel Lai noted that hotels mainly serve international visitors, which influences the types of dishes offered. “Most hotel customers are non-locals, so naturally the menus focus on what they expect,” he said, adding that if hotels opened too many restaurants serving local cuisine, “it wouldn’t be fair to local restaurants and could affect their business”.
The chefs agreed that promoting Macanese cuisine requires collaboration, education and storytelling.
* Macanese cuisine is a unique centuries-old fusion of Portuguese, Malay, Cantonese and other culinary traditions, such as from Africa and India, reflecting Macau’s history as an entrepôt. It is considered by food writers to be one of the world’s oldest existing Eurasian fusion cuisines. – MPD
Chef André Lai (second from left) addresses yesterday’s “Recipes with a Hope” talk session during the 15th Macau Literary Festival – The Script Road in Casa Garden, alongside chefs (from left to right) Sónia Palmer, Florita Alves and Daniel Lai (黎浩然). – Photo: Khalel Vallo
This image downloaded from the International Institute of Macau (IIM) yesterday shows its “Recipes with a Hope” book cover.
