The first edition wants to honor the food and music that are made in Mirandes lands. Chef Óscar Geadas is the festival’s ambassador, which promises two lively days in Trás-os-Montes.
In Miranda do Douro, gastronomy and music come together to showcase the Mirandese tradition. Meating wants to be a meeting point between chefs and musicians and, more than that, it wants to be a place where creativity is put into practice. It takes place on the 14th and 15th of September, in the ruins of the Episcopal Palace. Admission is free.
Promoted by Agência 3 and Transmute, the festival aims to honor and value the indigenous breeds of Trás-os-Montes, as well as other products from the region, such as chestnuts and olive oil. “In Miranda do Douro, we talked about identity, it’s the Mirandese language, it’s the Mirandese meat, it’s the pauliteiros, it’s the traditional Mirandese music, in other words, there are so many ingredients that cook up a very distinctive identity and it would be unintelligent of us not to take advantage of all this cultural richness”, explained Pedro Cepeda, co-organizer of the project, to Time Out, after the Meating presentation conference in Lisbon.
Óscar Geadas, a chef with a Michelin star, is the festival’s ambassador. When the invitation arrived, he didn’t hesitate. For the chef born in Trás-os-Montes, who “defends the region’s breeds and local products”, it made perfect sense to sponsor the festival. Geadas hopes Meating will bring more visitors to the region and, more importantly, keep them coming back. When it comes to gastronomy, the four guest chefs will cook outdoors and showcase innovative and modern dishes in which the region’s meat is the star. One of the chefs who will participate in the festival is Marcelo Dias (Solar do Douro, Pomodorinho), who hopes that the festival will bring “a lot of innovation” and make “Miranda grow at a gastronomic level”.
The musical poster (and not only)
In addition to the food, Meating wants to celebrate the music that is made in this area of the Portuguese interior. During the two days, four national artists join four local artists in artistic residency. Singer Surma and the Mirandese group Galandum Galundaina are some of the names already confirmed. Saxophonist João Cabrita also participates and is excited about “the concert being representative of the culture of Miranda do Douro”. “Having excellent music and excellent food, I think it’s the perfect marriage”, says Pedro Cepeda.
Along the streets of Miranda, you will also find a market, street entertainment, which features Crashh Recycled, traveling performers who are part of the Wetumtum cultural association, and games. Designed for the whole family, Meating aims to offer all “the best that the Trás-os-Montes region has to offer”.
This year, the festival has its first edition on the 14th and 15th of September and the organizers intend “for it to be memorable for everyone who is there, for it to be a different experience”. The festival is expected to take place annually, around the same time, but taking it to other parts of the country is not yet in the plans.
Miranda do Douro. 14-15 Sept. Free admission
