THE PROJECT LED BY CHEF JOÃO RODRIGUES ONCE AGAIN TRAVELS ACROSS PORTUGAL, REINFORCING ITS COMMITMENT TO CHAMPIONING LOCAL TERRITORIES AND PRODUCE, AND POSITIONING THE COUNTRY AS A GLOBAL GASTRONOMIC TOURISM DESTINATION
THIS YEAR’S GUEST CHEFS INCLUDE SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN GASTRONOMY TODAY, INCLUDING PÍA LEÓN (KJOLLE, PERU), NICOLAI NØRREGAARD (KADEAU, DENMARK) AND IVAN RALSTON (TUJU, BRAZIL)
Lisbon, August 14, 2026. Portugal is once again opening its doors to the world through its gastronomy. Having travelled more than 22,000 kilometres, engaged over a hundred producers and brought together some of the most respected names in global gastronomy, Residência returns for a third season, cementing its place as one of the most ambitious projects dedicated to championing Portuguese gastronomic culture — supported by Visit Portugal, as well as brands including Cutipol, Makro, Nutrifesco and Guia Repsol.
Over nine months, seven international chefs will immerse themselves in different Portuguese regions, working side by side with farmers, fishermen, artisans, chefs and local producers from the Algarve to the Alentejo, taking in the islands and every region of the country along the way.
This year’s guests include seven of the most influential chefs on today’s gastronomic scene, among them Pía León (Kjolle, Peru), Nicolai Nørregaard (Kadeau, Denmark), Ivan Ralston (Tuju, Brazil), Tam Chudaree Debhakam (Baan Tepa, Thailand), Jaime Rodríguez (Celele, Colombia), Juan Luis Martínez (Mérito, Peru) and Santiago Fernández (Venezuela). Beyond cooking, they will be invited to get to know the territories, understand their stories and create dishes drawn from what makes each place most authentic.
From September 2026 to July 2027, Residência begins its journey in the Algarve, moving on to the Central region and then to the island of Madeira. In 2027, the season resumes in Porto, followed by the Azores, Lisbon, and concludes in the Alentejo.
Founded in 2023 by chef João Rodrigues and Vânia Rodrigues as part of Projecto Matéria — a non-profit platform supported by the Portuguese National Commission for UNESCO — Residência was created to reveal a Portugal rarely seen on international tables: one of communities, producers, ancestral knowledge and landscapes that shape the country’s gastronomic identity.
“This is a path bigger than us, and we keep walking it. All our projects are born to connect people, celebrate our gastronomy and affirm Portugal as a destination, territory by territory. Residência brings that vision to life: a space where territories, knowledge and people meet, giving new strength and reach to what is ours. In this third season, we’re taking another step forward: carrying what is ours further, and stronger”, says Vânia Rodrigues, CEO of Projecto Matéria.
Residência’s goal is to present gastronomy as heritage and culture —one capable of driving economic development and serving as a powerful tool for international recognition— by welcoming chefs eager to explore Portuguese territory and get to know more of its cuisine, techniques and produce. “Giving context to what we have. Connecting people and regions. And contributing, in a real and deeply authentic way, to positioning Portugal as a gastronomic culture that matters in the world”, sums up João Rodrigues,founder of Projecto Matéria.
Across two seasons, Residência has already travelled 22,000 km across 7 regions of Portugal, bringing together 40 Portuguese chefs and 11 international chefs — and engaging more than 100 producers and local projects. International presence has been a constant since the first season, with the second drawing coverage from 21 journalists from 15 countries, cementing Residência as a platform for Portugal’s international promotion and reflecting its growing global reach.
“Chefs and specialist press now play an important role in promoting Portugal internationally, becoming ambassadors for our territories by giving visibility, through their work and platforms, to the diversity of our landscapes, traditions, heritage and local produce,” concludes João Rodrigues. “That attention sparks curiosity and inspires more and more people to discover our country.”
CHEFS AND REGIONS LINE-UP — THIRD SEASON
Pía León (Kjolle, Peru) — Algarve
Jaime Rodríguez (Celele, Colombia) — Central Portugal
Juan Luis Martínez (Mérito, Peru) — Madeira
Santiago Fernández (Venezuela) — Porto and the North
Tam Chudaree Debhakam (Baan Tepa, Thailand) — Lisbon
Nicolai Nørregaard (Kadeau, Denmark) — Azores
Ivan Ralston (Tuju, Brazil) — Alentejo
ABOUT RESIDÊNCIA
Launched in 2023, Residência is an unprecedented project in Portugal, led by chef João Rodrigues and Vânia Rodrigues as part of Projecto Matéria, a non-profit platform dedicated to researching, celebrating and promoting Portuguese gastronomic culture, supported by the Portuguese National Commission for UNESCO.
As the parent structure, Projecto Matéria defines the initiative’s strategic vision, positioning gastronomy as a cultural, economic and identity-defining asset capable of strengthening Portugal’s standing on the international stage. Residência is its main programmatic axis on the ground, turning that vision into concrete action through contemporary creation, research, and the preservation of gastronomic heritage.
Since its creation, the project has established itself as a meeting point for cooks, producers, artisans, and local communities, promoting new ways of interpreting Portuguese gastronomic identity and helping position the Portugal brand beyond its borders.
Over its first two seasons, Residência:
- travelled more than 22,000 kilometres;
- brought together more than 40 Portuguese chefs and 11 international chefs (including Manu Buffara, Maksut Askar, Karime López, Mitsuharu “Micha” Tsumura, among others);
- worked with more than 100 producers;
- gave rise to more than 150 recipes inspired by the produce and traditions of each territory;
- coverage from 21 journalists from 15 countries, resulting in 22 international features published.
ABOUT PROJECTO MATÉRIA
Projecto Matéria is a non-profit initiative dedicated to celebrating Portuguese gastronomy through the stories of farmers, fishermen, artisans and producers. Focused on sustainability, the preservation of traditional knowledge and the celebration of local territories, the project seeks to connect land, sea and kitchen, giving visibility to the people and knowledge that shape Portuguese gastronomic identity. Projecto Matéria is the programmatic curator of Residência.