The seasoning, richness of ingredients and regionality already established in the tables and palates spread throughout Brazil is now also officially an international reference. On Wednesday, October 30th 2019, Belo Horizonte finally was recognized by UNESCO as a Creative City, in the category of Gastronomy.

“BH is, in fact, the synthesis of a rich mineira gastronomy that should be known around the world,” says Gilberto Castro, President of Belotur. The capital of Minas Gerais State has been voted the second best destination in Brazil when it comes to food by international tourists visiting Brazil in 2016/2017. The first destination, Belém, is a Gastronomic Creative City since 2015. The secret of the Belo Horizonte’s success in this area is their ability to reinvent themselves and all the traditional dishes.

Now let’s talk about money. The sector moves around U$1,1 billion a year, according to Abrasel. It is responsible for about 54 000 job positions in the creative economy sector.  In addition to that, the City Hall has been doing works related to Community Restaurants and Open Markets to increase the Gastronomic activity in town and make it affordable. Ricardo Rodrigues, President of the Brazilian Association of Bars and Restaurants (Abrasel), even jokes: “They gave us a title for what we already were”.

This title will have a direct impact on the city’s image. It will now be on an international touristic catalog and will be part of a network of cities. Gilberto Castro says that now the city will start new events and promote even more it’s cuisine, by sharing ideas with others Gastronomic Creative Cities around the world. The idea is to have Gastronomy in the DNA of Belo Horizonte’s development.

Talita Barbosa (Flickr)

UNESCO’s Network of Creative Cities was founded in 2004 to unite and share best practices between cities which have creativity as a pillar of their development plans. “All over the world, these cities, each in its way, make culture the pillar, not an accessory, of their strategy,” declares Audrey Azoulay, Director-General. “This favours political and social innovation and is particularly important for the young generations.”

For more info, check the UNESCO Creative City website.

Article by: Cecília Nunes