Between November and December, Bolhão Market and Conserveira Pinhais will host unique activities aimed at the population of the North and integrated in the initiative 'Europe in my region'.
The European initiative 'Europe in my region' starts today under the slogan 'Taste is Our North', a joint organization of the Norte region and the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission. Until 10 December, this initiative will celebrate the Mercado do Bolhão in Porto and the Conserveira Pinhais in Matosinhos, two significant places for northerners whose recent transformation was supported by European funds.
Over the course of a month, a series of activities (excursions, workshops, competitions, cooking/tasting sessions) will take place in these places, with the aim of celebrating the traditions and culture of the region, aimed mainly at families and schoolchildren. The full programme of initiatives can be found below.
To mark the inauguration of this initiative, Chef Rui Paula was challenged to create two dishes with regional products available at the traders' stalls and to make a small showcase of the region through gastronomy. "As the proud northerner that I am, I am always very pleased to participate in initiatives that benefit our region and remind us of the best that the North has to offer. Not only in terms of gastronomy, but also of history
culture or heritage. Thanks to the region's and the European Union's investment, places like Bolhão or Pinhais are still part of our daily life and our identity", says the Chef.
According to António Cunha, President of the Regional Coordination and
Regional Development Commission of Norte (CCDR-N), 'European funds had and have in the Norte Region a transformative and very positive role. This is evident in practically all dimensions of the quality of life we benefit from, but also in the levels of education we have achieved, in economic competitiveness, in scientific and technological development, in tourist attractiveness or in cultural enhancement. The role of European funds in growth and national cohesion is and will be even greater the more expressive their differentiated regional application. The European cohesion policy inscribes the North and the country in a modernity that better prepares us for the challenges of the future.'
Monika Hencsey, Director for Budget, Communication and General Affairs in the European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, says: 'We are very proud to show that there is a European Union dimension to local solutions and that joint organisations like this one make a difference. This initiative is part of a broader communication effort by the EU, which we have been developing since 2018 in close partnership with over 60 European regions to date. In each region, we tell the story of places and initiatives that have particular meanings for regional communities and are part of their daily lives.'
In Mercado do Bolhão, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays -15, 16, 22, 23 and 29 November-, the workshops 'In the morning the day begins' will be promoted, aimed at young students. Through these workshops, students will have the opportunity to learn more about how to eat healthily, while getting to know the diversity of fresh products in the market. The activity also includes the preparation of a special breakfast by the students, in the Bolhão kitchen, with the help of chefs and in partnership with influencer Francisca Ortigão Guimarães.
On 22, 23 and 24 November, Pinhais receives visits from students from different schools in the region, with a tour around the factory and the new Living Museum. During these visits, the youngsters will be challenged to create an illustration for the commemorative edition of Pinhais' canned food, dedicated to the initiative 'Europe in my region'. The drawings will be assessed by a jury from the region and the winning idea will be revealed at the closing Lunch, to be held in Pinhais on Saturday, 3 December. This lunch will close the month of activities and is intended for local associations and organizations. It will include canned food from Pinhais and local and regional products from Mercado do Bolhão, thus making the connection between these two emblematic projects of the Northern region and highlighting the regional gastronomy.
Comments