Preserving Ritual Food as Intangible Cultural Heritage Through Digitisation: The Case of Portugal

Abstract

Ritual food and gastronomy, as intangible cultural heritage, is important for preserving cultural identity and traditions of a country, as well as a tool for promoting tourism. Due to globalisation and the mixture of different cultures, there is a risk that ritual food and associated traditions may be lost. In this context, the EURICA project aims to contribute to the preservation and safeguarding of European ritual recipes. The present work reflects the perspectives of the projects target group, represented by cultural organisations and stakeholders on the importance and ways of preserving this intangible cultural heritage, focusing on digital presentation and promotion. The results of the work are intended to raise the awareness of the target group about the process of digitisation of intangible cultural heritage, which in turn leads to the preservation of traditional Portuguese gastronomy in a long-term context.