Why aren't Indians fans of cutlery? Why saffron is the most expensive spice in the world? What influenced the variety of Brazilian cuisine? These and many other questions were responded to during our first cooking workshop.

Thanks to our three wonderful chefs – Madhuri from India, Saman from Iran and Denise from Brazil, now all residents in Aveiro, over 20 participants had a chance not only to explore the unique flavours of their home countries but also to hear interesting stories related to food and culture.  

During the workshop, we all got our hands dirty while making an Indian potato appetiser, we cheered for the upside-down saffron rice to flip without falling apart, and at the end, we mixed the most improbable – paçoca, a traditional Brazilian treat made of peanuts and a bitter Turkish coffee! It was a night of real fusion and great tastes! Although Saman says the saffron sold in Portugal is not as good as the one from Iran, the final product was divine.

The participants were mostly Portuguese with a few exceptions, and most of them hadn't had a chance to taste these dishes before. They were grateful for the opportunity to join this five-hour-long free workshop and share an amazing dinner with a group of unknown people. Best of all, many contacts were exchanged at the end of the workshop, promising the creation of new bridges, future projects or friendships. 

"I love Aveiro - Cooking for Solidarity" aims to promote the social inclusion of migrants and refugees in Aveiro through the sharing of food, recipes, and traditions. The project celebrates the diversity of our region and explores different cultural influences around us. We love the ovos moles and eels, but Aveiro in 2024 is much more than that. There are close to 100 nationalities living in our region and we want to learn about the new flavours in our city! This is just the first one out of many workshops that we are planning for you, so stay tuned.

“Cooking for Solidarity” is part of “I Love Aveiro” project and is organized by Agora Aveiro in partnership with Casa Vera Cruz and CLAIM Aveiro. It is co-financed by the European Solidarity Corps programme of the European Union. It also had the support from the Municipality of Aveiro and IPDJ - Instituto Português do Desporto e Juventude, I.P..