‘1ªs Jornadas de Gastronomia de Portimão’ focuses on regional products and resource sustainability
A new gastronomic event will take place in Alvor (Portimão) on Friday, March 25, aimed at promoting regional products and resource sustainability.
The ‘1ªs Jornadas de Gastronomia de Portimão’ (First Portimão Gastronomy Rounds) will be held at the Alvor Community Centre and will begin with an optional morning walk along the Alvor estuary at 8.30am.
The round-table discussions will begin at the community centre at 10am, with a panel of specialists providing their take on how regional products must be valued and protected.
Meanwhile, two dishes will be prepared live during the talks in what is being described as a “combination of culinary ancestry and modernity”. One will be made by Diamantina, an Alvor resident who will make ‘milhos aferventados’, a typical Christmas dish made with corn and sausages using ashes; while the other will be made by Michelin-star chef João Oliveira from Vista restaurant (Praia da Rocha), who will be showing how to use algae in dishes.
The event is organised by chef and gastronomic consultant Óscar Cabral and SOMAR.BIO, an Algarve association focusing on environmental preservation and education.
“Communities’ food heritage must be urgently valued, which is why these events aim to debate the ecosystem of gastronomy and their impact on the territory and on the region’s tourism assets,” said Óscar Cabral.
He added that the events will shine a spotlight on local producers, restaurants, chefs and scholars and create “platforms of cooperation so that gastronomy continues to be celebrated the way it deserves.”
Meanwhile, Carolina Fontinha from SOMAR.BIO said an event of this kind will allow organisers to raise awareness about environmental sustainability and the preservation of ecosystems, which, she stresses, is linked to how we eat.
Hopes are that the event will help create short supply chains, linking consumers to producers and reducing the ecological footprint of the process, whilst also promoting the responsible use of maritime resources such as bivalves and algae.
The event is free but limited to 50 people. Prior registration is required and should be done by Wednesday, March 23 (https://tinyurl.com/4mzrarn8).
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