{"id":47183,"date":"2026-04-25T01:39:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:39:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=47183"},"modified":"2026-04-25T01:39:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:39:48","slug":"macau-puts-creative-fusion-on-the-menu-at-2026-international-gastronomy-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=47183","title":{"rendered":"Macau puts \u2018creative fusion\u2019 on the menu at 2026 International Gastronomy Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Macau\u2019s status as the home of Macanese cuisine \u2013 the world\u2019s first \u201cfusion food\u201d, which reflects Portugal\u2019s rich maritime trading history by combining culinary influences and ingredients sourced from Europe, Asia and Africa \u2013 led to it being recognised by Unesco as a Creative City of Gastronomy in 2017.<\/p>\n

Last month, the city strengthened its ties with its fellow Creative Cities of Gastronomy by welcoming chefs, content creators, academics and tourism leaders from around the world to the International Gastronomy Forum, Macao.<\/p>\n

The event \u2013 which examined how food can intersect with design, digital media, youth culture and sustainable tourism to shape the cities of tomorrow, under the theme \u201cCreative Fusion: Reimagining Gastronomy Beyond the Plate\u201d \u2013 was held at Macau Fisherman\u2019s Wharf Convention and Exhibition Centre and was organised by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), with the South China Morning Post (SCMP) as the collaborative partner.<\/p>\n

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\"Maria<\/div>
Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of Macao Government Tourism Office, introduces the theme of the International Gastronomy Forum during her opening speech.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In her welcome remarks, Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of MGTO, said the forum formed part of Macau\u2019s diverse range of gastronomic initiatives introduced since being named as a Creative City of Gastronomy \u201cin active support of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, [while] garnering a lot of positive feedback along the way\u201d.<\/p>\n

The forum, as one of these major initiatives, was held in tandem with the International Cities of Gastronomy Fest, which brought together delegates from 38 Unesco Creative Cities of Gastronomy and 10 Creative Cities of other fields \u201cto navigate creative paths towards gastronomic preservation, innovation and exchange\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n

As next year will mark the 10th anniversary of Macau\u2019s Creative City of Gastronomy designation, \u201cthere will be active participation on the way to demonstrate our fruitful development and also our diverse capabilities to the world\u201d, she added.<\/p>\n

The forum included a \u201cChinese Creative Showcase\u201d for seven cities from mainland China that are members of the Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN). They are Jingdezhen, Suzhou and Weifang, Creative Cities of Crafts and Folk Art, Changsha, Creative City of Media Arts, Qingdao, Creative City of Film, Wuhan, Creative City of Design, and Wuxi, Creative City of Music.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Denise<\/div>
Denise Bax, secretary of the Unesco Creative Cities Network, praises Macau during the forum for showing how gastronomy can be a powerful enabler of sustainable urban development.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In another speech, Denise Bax, secretary of the UCCN, praised Macau\u2019s efforts since joining the network \u2013 created in 2004 and comprising 408 member cities across eight creative fields \u2013 which supports \u201ccities that recognise culture and creativity as strategic drivers for sustainable urban development\u201d.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cSince joining the UCCN, Macau has been an active and committed member, consistently demonstrating how gastronomy can serve as a powerful enabler of sustainable urban development at both the local and international levels.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe [forum\u2019s] theme shines a spotlight on opportunities arising from cross\u2011disciplinary collaborations between gastronomy and other creative fields. Indeed, it encourages us to rethink gastronomy beyond the plate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bax also announced a dedicated research project that would \u201cdocument, analyse and showcase Macau\u2019s journey as a Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy\u201d, with it serving as a case study of how designation could be translated into concrete and tangible results at a city level.<\/p>\n

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\"Qin<\/div>
Qin Changwei, secretary general of the Chinese National Commission for Unesco, praised Macau\u2019s initiatives as a Creative City of Gastronomy, in a speech delivered via video.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In a speech via video, Qin Changwei, secretary general of the Chinese National Commission for Unesco, emphasised the importance of food as a \u201cmajor connector that brings people together and deepens mutual understanding and solidarity among peoples from different regions and cultural backgrounds\u201d.<\/p>\n

He also highlighted Macau\u2019s initiatives as a Creative City of Gastronomy, particularly through events such as the forum. \u201cSince joining the network, Macau has been committed to steering its development forward as a Creative City of Gastronomy,\u201d Qin said. \u201cIts international influence and appeal continue to grow, making significant contributions to Macau\u2019s economic diversification.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"Ni<\/div>
Ni Qiaobo, a UCCN project officer, outlines how its programme enables creative fusion across disciplines and development areas such as sustainability and social inclusion.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In the forum\u2019s first keynote speech, Ni Qiaobo, project officer for the UCCN programme, outlined how \u201ccreative fusion\u201d was more than just a culinary buzzword. The network now covered eight fields \u2013 \u201carchitecture, crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, music and media\u201d \u2013 and cities were increasingly exploring these intersections across creative sectors, rather than treating them in isolation, he said.<\/p>\n

Ni highlighted two contemporary forms of creative fusion \u2013 the first when innovative fields interacted and collaborated to generate new culture and economic value, the second embracing development dimensions, where culture was connected with economic development, social inclusion, environmental sustainability, education and digital information.<\/p>\n

He said collaborations across the network, from European master\u2019s programmes that linked food, design and urban planning, to community\u2011based initiatives built around shared ingredients and traditional markets, were evidence that \u201ccities are not only connecting gastronomy with design, music or media arts, they are also linking culture with economic resilience, environmental sustainability, education and social inclusion\u201d.<\/p>\n

The second keynote speech from Flora Igoe, head of the youth culture and food heritage programme at the UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), focused on young culinary professionals. She explained how the FAO had \u201cmade a deliberate strategic shift, positioning youth alongside gender equality as a cross\u2011cutting priority\u201d.<\/p>\n

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\"Flora<\/div>
Flora Igoe, head of the youth culture and food heritage programme at the UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organization, says young chefs can help to drive change \u201cthrough the fusion of tradition and innovation\u201d.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

She said that through the World Food Forum\u2019s Global Youth Action Initiative, the FAO had engaged with over 30,000 young leaders across more than 60 active national youth chapters in 2025 alone, by connecting them with governments and institutions to help influence agrifood policy and action.<\/p>\n

She focused her talk on the World Food Forum Young Chefs Programme, launched last October, which pairs chefs, aged 18 to 35 from around the world, with mentors, and is structured around three pillars: capacity development, advocacy and local action.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Young Chefs programme positions young people as custodians of traditional knowledge and foodways and as active agents of change in agri\u2011food systems transformation,\u201d Igoe said.<\/p>\n

This model offered Macau and other Creative Cities a blueprint for deeper collaboration, she said. \u201cCreative fusion \u2026 is not only what happens in a dish. It is a model for how change happens through the fusion of tradition and innovation, of local knowledge and global networks, of individual craft and collective action.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"YouTube<\/div>
YouTube creators Ollie Kendal (left) and Josh Carrott tell the forum how food acts as a powerful storytelling tool to connect people across cultures.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The third keynote speech looked beyond kitchens and policy rooms to the screens of mobile phones and computers, where many of today\u2019s food journeys start, as English YouTube creators Josh Carrott and Ollie Kendal, known for their \u201cKorean Englishman\u201d<\/em> and \u201cJolly\u201d content channel, revealed how food had become their most powerful storytelling tool.<\/p>\n

They traced their 13\u2011year journey \u2013 from university food hobbyists to creators with millions of social media subscribers. Kendal said it had been built on \u201ca very simple observation, that food is something that we all share in common, regardless of what country or culture we\u2019re from\u201d. Whether filming with global celebrities or everyday diners, \u201cfood is something that connects us all, we\u2019ve all got to eat, and that\u2019s what makes food an amazing tool for storytelling\u201d, he said.<\/p>\n

The duo\u2019s message was clear, Kendal said. \u201cFirst, recognise the unparalleled power [that] food gives as the ultimate equaliser \u2026 Don\u2019t approach content as a critic, but as a fellow traveller.\u201d He and Carrott said that authenticity was the most valuable currency in today\u2019s media landscape, where digital creators increasingly occupied the space once held by traditional outlets.<\/p>\n

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\"(From<\/div>
(From left) Cat Nelson, editorial director of Specialist Publications at the SCMP, leads the first breakout session, titled \u201cCreative Cities in Dialogue: Blueprints for Creative-led Community Tourism\u201d, with Claudio Cecchinelli, coordinator of the Cities of Gastronomy Subnetwork, and Joana Miranda, coordinator of the Cities of Media Art Subnetwork, both for the UCCN, Nitthakan Khunwatcharakit, director of Thailand\u2019s Suphanburi Provincial Cultural Office, and Li Tao, founder and lead architect of UAO Design.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Away from the main stage, the forum also saw Unesco city representatives, young chefs and digital creators offer insights into how to turn big ideas into actionable collaborations during three new interactive breakout discussions.<\/p>\n

The first examined community-led tourism initiatives which blend local heritage with visitor experiences; the second highlighted culinary leadership and its role in sustainable innovation; while the third outlined content creation strategies for amplifying gastronomic stories online.<\/p>\n

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\"(From<\/div>
(From left) Douglas Parkes, content director for Specialist Publications at the SCMP, leads the breakout session, titled \u201cTradition to Innovation: Cultivating the Future of Culinary Leadership\u201d, with Christy Ng Yee-nee, assistant professor at Macao University of Tourism, Flora Igoe, head of the youth culture and food heritage programme at the UN\u2019s Food and Agriculture Organization, and Daniel Chio, Safa Rodas and Lihle Mahambehlala, the 2026 cohorts of the World Food Forum Young Chefs Programme.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

As Fernandes explained at the forum, Macau aims to \u201cembrace the world of opportunities which is unlocked by gastronomy, and transform them into preservation, into creativity, and also into meaningful exchange\u201d.<\/p>\n

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\"(From<\/div>
(From left) Hong Kong-based comedian Vivek Mahbubani leads YouTube creators Josh Carrott and Ollie Kendal, Jess Menezes, creator of the @thatfoodiejess Instagram account, and Jen Balisi, co-founder of Hong Kong\u2019s Barkada restaurant and creator of the @indulgenteats Instagram account, during the breakout session titled \u201cCulinary Content Creation in Practice: Strategies behind Million Views\u201d.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Such a future looks likely to involve close collaboration, with chefs and youth advocates, digital storytellers and city planners all offering new ways to reimagine gastronomy beyond the plate \u2013 and the use of Macau as a platform for sharing those ideas with the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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