In a society where most people are no longer threatened by hunger, we can always find tons of TV shows about food. We have reality shows like Master Chef and Kitchen Nightmares from Gordon Ramsay and food porn shows like A Bite of China, Chef’s Table, etc. I watched them all. It appears that there are many people out there that also like to watch food shows as I do since the film exhibition “Drink Drink, Eat Eat!-The Taste of Cinema” organised by the Cinematheque・Passion received great success in Macao. There are more to it when it comes to talking about the food culture in Macao.

Among all the food shows available to us, I especially love the productions from Anthony Bourdain, a famous chef, author, and travel show host who had recently passed away. If you also dislike all the food bloggers who make super generic content and do not really have a sense of curiosity for food, then you might probably agree with me on the fact that Bourdain made a unique contribution to the food culture in an age where everybody can claim be a foodie. Bourdain was a very straightforward and genuine food critic. He not only showcased the food itself to the audience but also told the stories behind the food. When he was shooting an episode in Macao, he literally tried everything he could find in the city. He tried rice rolls, Macanese cuisine, high-end Cantonese cuisine, etc. From the dining tables, Bourdain was able to have a glimpse of how people in Macao see themselves and the gambling industry in the city. For Bourdain, food brings adventures.

Food culture is very complex. It is not just about how food tastes, nutrition or calories. When Bourdain was still a chef back in New York, he gained popularity for his bestseller Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly. His following books such as A Cook’s Tour: In Search of the Perfect Meal, The Nasty Bites: Collected Varietal Cuts, Usable, Trim, Scraps, and Bones, No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach, etc. are gateways for readers to have a taste of different cuisines around the world and stories behind the great food. In recent years, books about food and cooking have taken half of the book market. You can basically find books that talk about food from any perspective. For instance, there are books about how food changes as they spread to different countries, their origins, recipes, food that you can find when travelling to certain places, or even the economy of food, religions, food in war, etc. In the past decade, we also witnessed the emergence of incredible IPs (intellectual property) on food such as Midnight Diner and The Solitary Gourmet, etc. When we are still feeling guilty of eating too much like the Protestants, the catering industry and the publishing industry have already forged a strong momentum in the market and are performing even better now.

Unfortunately, although Macao has been recognised by the UNESCO as a City of Gastronomy, the city does not have many publications on food and gastronomy to offer. It is true that we have had some publications such as The Cuisine of Macao From My Grandfather’s House, The Traditional Tastes in Words: A Food Journey with Authors from Macao, etc. emerging from the market. But the reality is that Macao is lagging very behind the entire Chinese publishing industry.

What Macao really needs for the rapidly growing food industry is not some Internet influencers who do not really know about food or popular chefs that are good for publicity. To promote local food culture, Macao should actively seek cooperation with other 180 creative cities recognised by the UNESCO and position its gastronomy industry and culture as part of the development strategy for the region. The city itself also needs to shift its focus from hosting food festivals and exhibitions all year round to investing more resources in documenting local food culture and publishing relevant publications.

Unlike generic promotions, the literature on food culture never just dwell on technical aspects. Instead, they tell stories that involve society, nation, personal experiences, as well as aesthetic. Macao had experienced a lot of hardships which involved food as well. For instance, Portugal, the former coloniser of Macao, not only brought the war to the region but also spices and tea trade. The city also experienced famine during the anti-Japanese war. Macanese cuisine is a product of the fusion of different cultures. Its history can be traced to the maids coming from Shunde and the Portuguese families in Macao. If the Macao government wants to position food culture as part of the soft power development strategy, more efforts should be invested in the publication and promotion of relevant books. This will help spread the charm of Macao’s food culture and build a brand for books about food in Macao.

Bourdain has described cooking as a long-term relationship, meaning that there are glorious moments while absurd times co-exist. Just like a romantic relationship, when you are recalling the cooking process, you always remember the good old times and the things that attracted you in the very first place. You remember those that sparked your curiosity and incentivised you to make further exploration. What do we want for Macao? Do we want to present the audience with images of delicious food in Macao that make them drool? Or do we want to attract them through engaging stories and memories that make them crave for more and come back for exploration?