IFT Slow Food Carnival: Eat slowly, live healthy

A group of college students intend to promote “slow food” culture in the community. The 1st Macau Slow Food Carnival and the 3rd Macau Slow Food Awards 2012 were held yesterday at the Institute for Tourism Studies (IFT). More than 300 participants joined the initiative, organized by the Year 2 Tourism Event Management students and co-organized by the Macau Slow Food Association.
Students, lecturers and Slow Food devotees participated in a carnival consisting of various booth games, local snacks, a lucky draw and performances representing 60s “flirtatious expressions”. The organizers combined Slow Food philosophy with each booth game to appeal to everyone to get involved in the activities. What’s more, all the funds raised will be given to charity.
The Slow Food Carnival was followed by the 3rd Macau Slow Awards and Gala Dinner in the evening. The winner of the “Best Slow Food Chinese Restaurant” was Seong Hoi Kio Kong Choi Kun, while the prize for the “Best Slow Food Western Restaurant” was awarded to Ocean Club Coffee House. The “Best Slow Food Asian Restaurant” went to Sopa De Fitas Sai Ka, with Serradura winning in the “Best Slow Food Dessert or Pastry Shop” category, and the “Best Slow Food Private Kitchen” went to The House Specialty. As for “the Most Popular Slow Food Restaurant”, Café Chéri was crowned the winner.
The organizers said they had been preparing the event since August this year, promoting the slow food philosophy to the public. The students visited restaurants that were asked to provide several specialties for tasting, reporting their comments about the signature dishes they sampled in a guidebook. The volume will be released before Christmas and will be available at all the slow food restaurants featured, universities, terminals, the border gate, airport and other places for people to take away. The organizers expressed their wish of promoting slow food culture by encouraging restaurants to produce healthy dishes and hope the guidebook will also attract more people to join the “slow food” community in Macau.