In 2027, Macao will celebrate 10 years as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy – and foodie travellers are being urged to visit to sample its diverse dining scene.
Located on the western bank of China’s Pearl River Delta, the coastal special administrative region is famed for dishes influenced by Portuguese and Chinese flavours.
Combining eastern and western cultures, Macanese cuisine is considered one of the earliest examples of fusion cooking. It was designated as intangible heritage by the local government in 2012.
“2027 is a very special year,” Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director at the Macao Government Tourism Office, told Euronews Travel at World Travel Market in London.
“That will be the 10th anniversary of our designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. So definitely a lot of food events happening next year.”
As part of Macao’s upcoming “big celebration of food” visitors can explore 21 dining spots which boast between one and three Michelin stars, while another 13 hold Bib Gourmand distinctions.
“But on the other side, there is also the street food level – a lot of other restaurants [on] offer,” de Senna Fernandes added.
One example of somewhere offering traditional cuisine is the quaint Ng Teng Kei, which has been serving up red bean cakes made from scratch since 1949. Seasonally, from October until May, it offers the regional favourite “martabak manis” – a sweet snack of chocolate sandwiched in between a fluffy sponge.
De Senna Fernandes also revealed that food accounts for as much as a quarter of visitor receipts.
“Macanese food on one side is very very important to our whole food scene,” she said. “But at the same time we also have Cantonese food.”
She added that Macao has also created a database on Macanese food. Working with academics, associations, practitioners, youth and overseas Macanese communities, the initiative aims to safeguard this element of local culture and raise awareness of its more than 400-year-long history. A similar database on Cantonese cuisine is also in the pipeline.
“The community also offers a lot of interesting food to eat as well as other things to explore,” she added.
Local communities and less crowded spots
Among Macao’s best-known attractions is the bustling Senado Square. Surrounded by pastel neo-classical buildings, it is a venue of choice for public events and celebrations.
Visitors can also explore the destination’s museums, flower gardens, fortresses and historic churches – many of which date back to the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th-century and remain architectural marvels.
Well known for being a resort and entertainment destination, Macao is, however, working to encourage visitors to see less crowded spots.
“We are now trying to make the community areas easily accessible by offering free buses, either from the resorts or from the more crowded, or I would say the most central tourism areas, to bring our visitors to a more quiet atmosphere into our community areas,” de Senna Fernandes said.
The Macao government is also helping small businesses improve their visibility to potential tourists.
“On one side we’re trying to help these small businesses promote themselves better utilising social media,” she said. “On the other side there is another government department working hand in hand with us offering subsidies to help them upgrade their facilities as well.
“We are also looking at different festivities to bring into the community areas to make them more festive and also make them able to appeal to a broader group of visitors.”