The flavors of Angola and Portugal, combining soul and tradition, brought together chefs Enrique Sa Pessoa and Ricardo Braga in Luanda, who consider gastronomy to be a driving force of the economy and culture.
For the first time, Luanda hosted a two-Michelin-starred “chef” at an event consisting of two signature dinners and a “cooking show” at the Epic Sana Hotel on Friday and Saturday, which sold out.
In an interview with Lusa, Enrique Sa Pessoa noted the combination of Angolan and Portuguese influences in the recipes of both countries, emphasizing the importance of working to restore Angolan recipes, which is also done by “chefs” like Ricardo. Braga, which accompanies you on this gastronomic adventure.
“Through this work, we see innovation happening,” he said, emphasizing that the media projection of “chefs” is also an opportunity to appreciate the national cuisine, “and not just what comes from abroad.”
The work that has already begun in Portugal has spawned a generation of “cooks” who use national products or traditional cuisine as a starting point and whose seeds are now being sown in Angola.
“It doesn’t have to be traditional dishes, but at least the product should be local,” he stressed, stressing that using this type of ingredient also means supporting producers, fishermen and the economy as a whole.
“If we look at the example of Portugal, then one of the ways out of the crisis was tourism, which had a huge impact on Lisbon and Portugal not only in media, but also in economic terms, if you think that in restaurants and bars, hotels, gastronomy plays important role in revenues,” said Enrique Sa Pessoa.
The “chef” also said that just as important as presenting national dishes to tourists is their quality, “good food, good service and consistency,” as visitors will spread that message.
Angolan Ricardo Braga, a recognized student and follower of Sa Pessoa, said that this would be an opportunity to take Angolan gastronomy to a higher level, drawing on the experience of the award-winning Portuguese “chef” to “rescue some national products, transform them and promote them” .
“There is still a lot to be discovered, this is work on the ground and we, the creative people, also inspire other young people so that Angolan gastronomy can develop and grow. We all play a fundamental role in this,” he said.
In 12 moments of a signature dinner, shared between two “chefs”, Portuguese and Angolan flavors were mixed with classic ingredients presented in an innovative and sophisticated way.
Lily, lobster with curry sauce, Alentejano sea bass with pea puree and pork chorizo, piri piri pork skin and pine nut dessert in the form of a bar are the Portuguese flavors proposed by Henrique Sa Pessoa.
On the Angolan side, Ricardo Braga paid tribute to the fishermen who “bring good fish to the table,” offering prawns and prawns from the Angolan coast, chicken muamba with a special culinary technique and cured meat with the traditional dish of muteta.
At the end of the tasting, the highlight was the baobab fruit, mukua, the main character of the dessert, in the form of ice cream, foam and powder.
According to the organizer of Terra Bela Eventos, Ricardo Braga began his journey in Europe with several international projects, having also worked at the Ritz Four Seasons Lisboa, Meridien hotels and in the kitchen of three Michelin-starred restaurants: Feitoria, Eleven and Loco. .
In 2015, he attended the First Angolan Gala Dinner at the Grand Palais Academy of Gastronomy in Paris, France, along with two Angolan chefs, and was part of the team involved in the launch of Angola’s first five-star hotel, HCTA.
He later opened the Flor do Duke restaurant and is currently developing gastronomic consulting and training projects in Angola.
Enrique Sá Pessoa has already won several awards, including the Chef of the Year competition, the most prestigious in the Portuguese kitchen, and the 2007 Art of Cooking Award given by the Academy of Portuguese Gastronomy.
He opened his first solo project, the restaurant Alma, in 2009 and received the “Restaurant of the Year” award from Revista de Vinhos.
He reopened Alma in 2015 and received his first Michelin star the following year. Two years later, in 2018, he won the second.
In September 2022, Enrique Sa Pessoa strengthened his place in the Best Chef Awards list for the second year in a row at 70th position.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.