Macau casino concessionaire MGM China Holdings Ltd organised in the fourth quarter of 2025 a study course to promote traditional Macanese cuisine, led by renowned chef Antonieta Fernandes Manhão, also known as chef Neta.
Macanese food is recognised by UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation – as the world’s “first ‘fusion food'”.
The MGM China course invited 64 local secondary school students from 17 schools and members of the MGM China team to participate. A graduation ceremony was held on January 17 at the group’s MGM Cotai complex in Cotai.
Macanese gastronomy is recognised also by China, being inscribed in the “Fifth Batch of Representative Items of National Intangible Cultural Heritage” in 2021. It was acknowledged for its unique fusion of Portuguese, Chinese, African, Indian, and Southeast Asian culinary traditions.
MGM China said in a press release it plans to continue using its resources to help preserve Macanese cuisine’s traditions, via collaboration with various partners.
Chef Neta led the course at Macao University of Tourism (UTM), guiding participants through the culinary techniques of Macanese cuisine and teaching them to prepare a variety of representative traditional dishes and desserts.
In addition to emphasising practical skills, the course also helped students gain a deeper insight into the historical and cultural influences that have shaped Macanese cuisine.
The announcement cited chef Neta as saying: “Every Macanese dish carries far more than culinary technique – it holds a piece of the city’s cultural memory.”
She added: “I am truly grateful for MGM’s support in helping these memories live on, and delighted to meet a group of students so full of passion and curiosity. I hope they will bring these traditional flavours home, weaving them into the everyday dishes of their own families.”
