One of the central issues in the creation of the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts degree is the need to distinguish between two terms that are sometimes used interchangeably – cookery and gastronomy. Cookery refers to the art of cooking and is part of gastronomy, which encompasses aspects such as drinks (e.g., wine), raw materials and cultural elements.
Gastronomy and cookery are similar in that they both refer to a body of knowledge and practices related to the art of cooking, recipes, ingredients, techniques, methods and how they have evolved over time. Gastronomy entails cultural meanings, the natural environment from which food is obtained and how it is used, as well as the social and cultural aspects involved in the relationship.
On the other hand, more and more tourists are travelling for gastronomic reasons and are more curious about exploring rural and sustainable offers, discovering natural and ethnographic heritage, immersive experiences and creative tourism and there is greater ethical awareness of the impacts on tourist destinations. Consequently, the Gastronomy and Culinary Arts degree is based on four main pillars: Culinary Arts, Culture, Wines and Tourism.
This course provides training in Hospitality and Tourism, one of the most dynamic sectors in Portugal where job creation is most visible, with employment rates of around 90%. It is therefore particularly important to produce professionals that are able to respond to these new tourists who are travelling for gastronomic reasons and are more curious about taking advantage of rural and sustainable offers, exploring natural and ethnographic heritage, having immersive and creative tourism experiences, with greater ethical awareness of the impacts on tourist destinations.