ESHTE explores new formative frontiers with the use of insects and literature in gastronomy

Superior School of Hospitality and Tourism of Estoril developed a show cooking at the National Agricultural Fair with the InsectERA project on the menu. Days later, the institution of higher education united cooking and literature in an international conference about the British author Angela Carter

Through concepts and working methods that promote creativity and autonomy, the Superior School of Hospitality and Tourism of Estoril constantly challenges students to explore new frontiers within sectors in continuous evolution and that abound opportunities to innovate. The month of June was an example of this, which had in the curricular menu of ESHTE the gastronomic use of insects and even the fusion with literature.

The involvement of the Master in Innovation in Culinary Arts and Sciences (MIACC) in two initiatives reflected precisely the excellence of the educational institution’s training in the gastronomic area and the versatility of the students attending the course.

Following the protocol signed for integration in the InsectERA Project, which explores the use of insects as a healthy and sustainable alternative nutritional source, ESHTE was invited to participate in a cooking show on the theme during the 60th National Agricultural Fair (FNA). Developed days later a gastronomic experience for the international conference “Desire, Imagination & Dream”, dedicated to the British journalist and writer Angela Carter.

The two initiatives served to prove the interconnection between the strong practical component and the multidisciplinary scientific facet that is part of the daily life of the Superior School of Hospitality and Tourism of Estoril, leading students to overcome the permanent challenges with mastery.

In the 2nd edition of the InsectERA Cookings Show, under the theme “Innovate Gastronomy: insect flour & Tejo wines” ESHTE presented to all those who participated in the 60th anniversary of the FNA culinary specialties with high protein contents of the insects tenebrio Molitor and Acheta domesticus, developed in partnership with Quinta da Ribeirinha. Just another example of the collaboration between the business world and the academic world.

Insect mayonnaise with whole wheat flatbread and avocado with Acheta domesticus, tomato and oregano; cereal bars and insects with grilled peaches, organic curd, caramelised hazelnuts and lavender agave; pancakes of alphitobius seasonal fruit macerated with Port Wine and cinnamon Acheta domesticus caramelized were the proposals of the tasting experience, organized by chef Nélson Félix and operated by chef Rui Mota and three students of MIACC.

“One of the products we presented was an energy bar, rich in protein, in which part of this protein came from insects. This is a medium and long-term project. We are in the testing phase, at an early stage, because the European population is not used to eating insects,” chef Nélson Félix recognizes.

The introduction of insects as a nutritional source in the consumer market will therefore be gradual: “What is sought are viable alternatives to beef, for example, one of those that cause more environmental impact. But the way will be to incorporate insects in food in its processed form, in reduced percentages, contributing to the change of attitude of consumers towards these products”.

When culinary art and literature merge…

At the end of June, the Master in Innovation in Culinary Arts and Sciences returned to the ground to integrate the conference program “Desire, Imagination & Dream” where the political and artistic issues addressed by the British author Angela Carter were explored after her visit to Caldas da Rainha in 1977 for the IV Art Meetings in Portugal.

The gastronomic event “Imagery Reflecting Experience” was held at Casa de Santa Maria in Cascais, with partners from the Municipality of Cascais, Imppacto Catering and Events, Koppert Cress, Vista Alegre and Bordallo Pinheiro.

The fusion between literature and the culinary arts was based on the reading and interpretation of Angela Carter’s texts, in addition to the cultural contextualization represented by the ceramics of Caldas da Rainha.

A experiência gastronómica delineada pela ESHTE assinalou igualmente os 200 anos de uma das marcas mais icónicas de Portugal, a Vista Alegre, em sintonia com a Bordallo Pinheiro, assumindo-se como uma celebração memorável da literatura, da arte e da gastronomia, através de propostas como “Yes. Fine” (Tartelete branca com pastinaca e lima), “A nod and a wink” (Sardinha em tosta), “Lapse of sense” (Cocktail com frango, beterraba e iogurte), “Somewhat larger than life” (Caril verde de caranguejo), “All alive Oh! To the pot” (Leitão com molho de framboesa e carvão de mandioca), “Nothing is real” (Cheesecake de Queijo da Serra) ou “But everything looks real” (Bolo de azeite com pêssego e gelado de leite de cabra).

“O Mestrado em Inovação em Artes e Ciências Culinárias é único porque tem uma forte componente prática e porque alia de forma inigualável as artes e as ciências. Nesta experiência, os estudantes não se limitaram a apresentar um jantar, mas sim uma performance gastronómica, uma vez que a culinária também é uma arte”, diz a professora Maria José Pires.

The researcher and coordinator of the MIACC, who was involved in organizing the conference, recalls the perception of Angela Carter on her visit in 1977, three years after the revolution. “At a time when we are celebrating the 50th anniversary of April 25, it is curious to remember her journalistic texts, because Angela Carter would be waiting for significant, visible changes, and what she wrote did not pay much. All moments of the gastronomic experience were related to her reactions or to the reality of that time, namely the culture of ceramics in Caldas da Rainha”, concludes Maria José Pires.

In addition to the Master in Innovation in Culinary Arts, the training offer of the Superior School of Hospitality and Tourism of Estoril for the 2nd cycle comprises the Master in Hotel Management; Safety and Food Quality in Catering; Tourism, with three branches: Strategic Event Management, Strategic Management of Tourist Destinations, Planning and Innovation in Active Tourism and Experiences; and Tourism and Communication, in partnership with the Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning of the University of Lisbon.

About Escola Superior de Hotelaria e Turismo do Estoril:
Created in 1991, the Superior School of Hospitality and Tourism of Estoril is a Public Institution of Polytechnic Higher Education, supervised by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation. The Statutes reaffirm its nature as a non-integrated Polytechnic School and confer on it powers for the creation, transmission and dissemination of knowledge related to the exercise of highly qualified professional activities in the areas of Tourism, Hospitality and Catering. In 2024, ESHTE was distinguished for the second consecutive year with the award for Best Training in Tourism at the Portugal Trade Awards.

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