Gastronomy with local flavor

The 'A Biqueira' gastronomy project has already reached 8 million people via social media and aims to highlight the culture and identity of Madeira

Passion for gastronomy and the customs of the region gave birth to the 'A Biqueira - Recipes with flavors and accents of Madeira' project, an original idea that came from Sandra Cardoso and Rui Dantas Rodrigues.

On social media it already has 25 thousand followers and statistics point to 8 million people having already been reached in the last two years through the funny videos produced by this duo.

Sandra Cardoso, a hands-on cook, reveals that she has followed her mother and grandmother in the kitchen since she was young. "I remember as a child kneading bread and helping to make the food at home. As the years went by, these traditions were not forgotten, and one day the idea of doing a project connected to the recipes and stories of the people of the island was born."

It was during the 2020 lockdown that 'A Biqueira' came to light, with the support of Rui Dantas Rodrigues, connected to management and branding. Sandra Cardoso, who is also an actress, incorporates a character that presents the recipes, with typical words from Madeira, a way, as she explains, "to enhance the Madeiran identity. The very word 'biqueira' is a regional word for someone with little appetite, who eats little.

Since the launch of this idea, watered with flavour and humour, support of the Madeirans has been enormous: "I am very happy to receive messages of thanks for remembering our traditions and recipes that, for many people, were already forgotten."

The project is also a medium to support the local economy, since Sandra Cardoso was invited by the Santa Cruz Town Hall to be the godmother of Camacha's Market. "The invitation was accepted because I intend to value what is ours. With this connection I hope to contribute to the promotion of the Madeiran products of the season and encourage consumption with regional producers," she says.

Last year the duo created the 'Atremar a Ilha' non-profit association, with the aim of collecting, recording, disseminating, and promoting Madeira's rural traditions. The goal is to carry out educational activities such as the 'A Biqueira vai à escola' project, an initiative that aims to pass down customs, traditions, and gastronomy to pupils in a face-to-face or video format.

"Our regionalisms are purposely used in order to highlight the richness of the oral heritage that has been passed down from generation to generation," emphasizes Sandra Cardoso.