https://www.scmp.com/rss/521704/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Wilson Fok Wilson Fok In 2024, the inaugural Chinese Wine Awards took place in Macau. The event was the first of its kind in the city, showcasing wines produced in China judged by a panel of international experts and critics. The awards have since expanded in scale, featuring a larger panel of judges, and this year included activation events in Beijing leading up to the judging sessions and award ceremony. Macau is the ideal spot for such an event: not only famous as a Unesco City of Gastronomy, but also for its... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3348625/chinese-wine-awards-elevate-ao-yun-and-other-labels-world-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3348625/chinese-wine-awards-elevate-ao-yun-and-other-labels-world-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:12 +0000 Lee Hill-choi Lee Hill-choi Macau has long been a city of intersections – East and West, old and new, tradition and reinvention. As a Unesco Creative City of Gastronomy, it is now staking a claim to another kind of convergence: a place where world-class fine dining and genuine environmental responsibility are not in tension, but in lockstep. That ambition takes centre stage at this year’s International Cities of Gastronomy Fest, which for the first time extends beyond Fisherman’s Wharf into a new satellite venue in the... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3348524/macaus-culinary-festival-highlights-luxury-dining-alongside-sustainability?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3348524/macaus-culinary-festival-highlights-luxury-dining-alongside-sustainability?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 10:00:30 +0000 Hei Kiu Au Hei Kiu Au Marco Polo once wrote that for every shipload of pepper reaching Alexandria, a hundred docked in Quanzhou. Centuries later, that pepper still lingers – sprinkled over bowls of beef soup, simmered with seafood, woven into the city’s kitchens. It is a taste of the maritime trade routes that once made Quanzhou the “emporium of the world”. In 2021, Quanzhou received Unesco World Heritage status for its role as the eastern terminus of the Maritime Silk Road. Four years later, in October 2025, it... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3348506/quanzhou-maritime-silk-road-unesco-creative-city-gastronomy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3348506/quanzhou-maritime-silk-road-unesco-creative-city-gastronomy?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 07:18:48 +0000 Wilson Lau Wilson Lau Macau’s culinary identity is a deliciously unruly map of the world: a centuries-old laboratory of creative fusion where spices, techniques and stories collide. Long before “fusion cuisine” became a trend, Macanese cooking was already inventing itself at the crossroads of oceans – an everyday experiment in adaptation, improvisation and joyful hybridity. What began as practical substitutions and ingenuity has evolved into a living tradition that prizes sustainability, originality and a renewed... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347312/macau-gastronomy-fest-unites-39-unesco-cities-chengdu-lucknow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347312/macau-gastronomy-fest-unites-39-unesco-cities-chengdu-lucknow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:36 +0000 Josiah Ng Josiah Ng It is a sign of our modern, interconnected times that the Macao Government Tourism Office has named British YouTubers Joshua Carrott and Oliver Kendal – usually known simply as Josh and Ollie – as keynote speakers for this year’s International Cities of Gastronomy Fest. The duo, better known for their YouTube channel Korean Englishman, rose to prominence by offering a fresh lens on the Korean Wave. While most online audiences rode the Hallyu wave via K-pop and dramas, Carrott and Kendal were... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347299/why-korean-englishmans-josh-and-ollie-are-perfect-gastronomy-fest-ambassadors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347299/why-korean-englishmans-josh-and-ollie-are-perfect-gastronomy-fest-ambassadors?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:26 +0000 Grace Brewer Grace Brewer At the World Food Forum (WFF), a United Nations-backed platform where gastronomy bridges cultures and drives agrifood systems transformation, Flora Igoe leads the Youth Culture Programme. Based in Rome at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), she guides young chefs in safeguarding intangible food heritage – family recipes, ancient farming practices and time-honoured techniques – while connecting their work to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. “Food often creates connections between... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347293/uns-world-food-forum-building-new-generation-changemakers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347293/uns-world-food-forum-building-new-generation-changemakers?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:20 +0000 Douglas Parkes Douglas Parkes In an increasingly globalised world, culture is the common thread that binds communities together. For over two decades, the Unesco Creative Cities Network (UCCN) has worked to weave loose local threads into a cohesive global fabric, bringing together urban centres from all over the world. Its goal is to champion creativity in a way that helps make that sometimes ambiguous force a concrete driver of sustainable development, placing it at the heart of urban policy and international... https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347274/how-unescos-creative-cities-network-redefining-urban-development?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3347274/how-unescos-creative-cities-network-redefining-urban-development?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 23:00:15 +0000 Victoria Burrows Victoria Burrows Macanese food is one of the world’s first true fusion cuisines, blending Portuguese culinary tradition with Chinese, Southeast Asian and African influences. The cuisine reflects the history of the city, but also something of the spirit of present-day Macau as a place that diverse cultures call home and which is visited by tourists from all over the world. Macau was settled from at least the Han dynasty (202BC–AD9, AD25–220), and grew from a small fishing village in the 13th century to an... https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/special-reports/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3326511/evolution-macanese-cuisine-portuguese-roots-global-flavours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/special-reports/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3326511/evolution-macanese-cuisine-portuguese-roots-global-flavours?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Sep 2025 10:15:08 +0000 Ben Young Ben Young While debates about immigration policy rage globally, Macau’s Burmese community remains one of the best examples of peaceful integration and cultural contribution in Asia, perhaps even the entire world. The roots of the community stretch back to the 1962 coup d’état in then-Burma, after which many families of Chinese descent began emigrating to Macau due to the extreme discrimination and violence they were facing there. Now one of the largest Southeast Asian immigrant groups in the city, the... https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3320767/how-myanmar-migrants-brought-their-diverse-flavours-macau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3320767/how-myanmar-migrants-brought-their-diverse-flavours-macau?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 10:15:08 +0000 Lynn Farah Lynn Farah In Macau’s bustling kitchens, chefs are more than cooks – they’re storytellers, weaving centuries of flavour into every dish. The city’s vibrant culinary scene carries the legacy of Portugal’s maritime empire, where the spice routes of old still whisper in the sizzle of a pan or the simmer of a pot. Once Portugal’s gateway to the Far East, Macau became a melting pot of Goan spices, Malaccan herbs and Chinese techniques – creating a cuisine as rich in history as it is in taste. Contemporary... https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3324420/modern-macanese-cuisine-gives-traditional-dishes-makeover-new-depth-flavour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3324420/modern-macanese-cuisine-gives-traditional-dishes-makeover-new-depth-flavour?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Sep 2025 03:09:02 +0000 Wilson Fok Wilson Fok Mountains of fiery red chillies, sizzling oil cascading into pots of simmering fish, and that signature tingling numbness that dances on the tongue – Sichuan cooking thrills diners, leaving them flushed and exhilarated with every bite. Regarded as one of the “four great traditions of Chinese food”, Sichuan cuisine has a rich history. Its magnetic allure captivates food lovers, both local and international, drawing them into a world of bold, unforgettable flavours. In fact, the first Chinese city... https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3320770/chengdu-tempers-fire-other-flavours-its-refined-sichuan-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3320770/chengdu-tempers-fire-other-flavours-its-refined-sichuan-cuisine?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 02:00:09 +0000 Lee Hill-choi Lee Hill-choi Spices fill the air in Macau’s bustling markets, hinting at a legacy that transcends mere flavour. For centuries, traders ferried turmeric, cloves, cassia and cardamom to and through the city’s harbours, their precious cargo shaping not only cuisines but also the health of the community. When Portuguese ships first sailed into Macau laden with exotic spices, they brought remedies as well as new tastes. Cinnamon warmed the body, ginger soothed nausea and dried mandarin peel aided digestion. Macau... https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/special-reports/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3320702/how-spice-made-its-way-portuguese-sailors-macaus-kitchens-and-medicine-cabinets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/special-reports/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3320702/how-spice-made-its-way-portuguese-sailors-macaus-kitchens-and-medicine-cabinets?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2025 22:00:09 +0000 Lee Hill-choi Lee Hill-choi Walk down Rua da Alfândega and you hear Tagalog. You smell garlic, vinegar and pork frying on stoves. You see queues outside bakeries and canteens serving unfamiliar treats. Here, in the heart of Macau, the Filipino community has built a home. Filipinos are Macau’s largest non-Chinese nationality. It was estimated earlier this year that close to 31,000 live and work in the city, making up about 4.5 per cent of the total population. Many are domestic workers. Others are teachers, musicians,... https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3319220/taste-philippines-macau-bold-flavours-and-community?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3319220/taste-philippines-macau-bold-flavours-and-community?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2025 10:15:08 +0000 Lynn Farah Lynn Farah Long before Portuguese merchants arrived in China, spices were among the world’s most coveted treasures – traded in bustling markets and desired by empires centuries before they came to be simmering in the coconut-infused depths of galinha à Africana – African chicken – in kitchens across Macau. During the Age of Discovery, pepper was so sought after that “no amount of imperial prohibitions could lessen the demand in China”, according to historian John Villiers. And when Manuel I of Portugal... https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3320669/how-macaus-rich-history-shaped-its-fusion-flavours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/specialist-publications/lifestyle/100-top-tables/topics/100-top-tables-cities-gastronomy/article/3320669/how-macaus-rich-history-shaped-its-fusion-flavours?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Aug 2025 10:00:13 +0000 Reem Khokhar Reem Khokhar Sandwiched between the Mediterranean Sea and the northwestern corner of Syria is Turkey’s southernmost province, Hatay, a region known for its beauty, cultural diversity, storied past and distinctive cuisine. Settled since at least the early Bronze Age, the region has been controlled by the Akkadians, the Hurrians, the Assyrians, the Macedonians, the Byzantines and the Ottomans, among others. The province’s capital, Antakya – known in Roman and medieval times as Antioch – was built by one of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3317901/southern-turkeys-hatay-cuisine-how-mediterranean-hub-silk-road-gave-birth-600-dishes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3317901/southern-turkeys-hatay-cuisine-how-mediterranean-hub-silk-road-gave-birth-600-dishes?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 23:00:15 +0000 Josiah Ng Josiah Ng Modern mixology is rife with increasingly culinary treatments of spices as a way to add flavour to cocktails. Peppercorns, cinnamon, cumin and chilli are today commonly infused, sous-vided and redistilled as a way to impart heat, earthiness and depth. In fact, spices have been integral to drinks for as long as cocktails have existed – if not longer. Take punch, for example: a five-ingredient blend borrowed from India in the 17th century, which always included spices in its original form. Long... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3317899/macaus-mixologists-spice-things-fresh-herbs-and-bold-flavours?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3317899/macaus-mixologists-spice-things-fresh-herbs-and-bold-flavours?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 23:00:13 +0000 Wilson Lau Wilson Lau Step through the arched entrance of Macau’s Red Market and you’re greeted by a heady fusion of aromas. Bright, citrusy accents dance with rich, earthy pungencies; warm, sweet notes mingle with fermented bouquets. Your senses are beguiled by shapes and textures, colours and cultures: baskets brim with knobbly roots, wrinkled dried pods, twisted bundles of bark and mysterious sachets. The air hums with scents that carry stories of far-off places and time-honoured flavours. Macau’s deeply rooted... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3317898/2025-international-cities-gastronomy-fest-opens-macau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/100-top-tables/article/3317898/2025-international-cities-gastronomy-fest-opens-macau?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jul 2025 23:00:10 +0000