Flavors of the Avante! Festival

“Like to Pope,
Joana as a pope
Like the Pope,
Joana as a pope,
Joana as a pope

One two three,
one spoon at a time
Four, five, six,
it was a story of kings
And a spoonful of porridge

Like Pope, …

Seven, eight, nine,
still nothing is resolved
Ten, eleven, twelve,
waiting for the fly to land
And a spoonful of porridge…”

Joana eats her dad (Carlos Alberto Vidal)

Massimo Montanari, one of the greatest food historians, approaches gastronomy from a cultural perspective in his work “Gastronomy as Culture”. According to Montanari, food is not just a biological act, but a cultural phenomenon deeply rooted in the history and traditions of each society. He argues that food is intertwined with social, economic and political issues, and is a reflection of cultural transformations and interactions.

In Montanari’s view, gastronomy should not be seen as something fixed or static, but as a dynamic process in constant transformation. Food and culinary practices are influenced and adapted as a result of interactions between different cultures, wars, geographical discoveries and trade. In this sense, food is not only a necessity for survival, but also a symbol of cultural identity, power and communication between peoples.

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Montanari also emphasizes the role of gastronomy in building and maintaining cultural traditions, while adaptations and mixtures of ingredients and techniques reveal the fluid and hybrid character of food cultures.

Gastronomy is more than a dietary necessity; it is a vibrant expression of culture and identity. At the heart of the Avante Festival, an event that celebrates diversity and unity, food stands out not only as a tasty attraction, but as a central element of the celebration. In this text, we will demonstrate how gastronomy at the Avante Festival becomes a stage for this rich tapestry of flavors.

Avante party at the table

The Avante Festival, one of the largest events in Portugal, is a meeting point for thousands of people who come not only to celebrate politics and culture, but also to enjoy a rich variety of gastronomic offerings. The festival turns into a true festival of flavors, with stands representing a wide range of culinary traditions.

The Brazilian delegation’s gastronomic experience at the Avante Festival was an opportunity to discover new places, people, smells and flavors. At each meal, the PCP hosts invited us on a journey through the culinary delights of the different regions of Portugal.

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With dishes specially selected for the international delegations by the regional organizations of the PCP of Porto, Litoral Alentejano, Lisbon, Setúbal and Braga, each meal was a popular banquet where there was a succession of fritters, codfish cakes, veal strips, artisanal breads, fried cuttlefish, octopus vinaigrette, sausages, grilled chicken, roast suckling pig, fish pasta and duck rice.

There were vegetarian options at every meal: Moroccan couscous, mushrooms, vegetarian chili, vegetarian sandwich.

In addition to traditional Portuguese delicacies, the Avante Festival also includes dishes from other cultures, namely from immigrant communities and Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Brazil, Angola, Mozambique and Cape Verde, but also from European, Latin American and Asian countries, reflecting the cultural diversity of the event.