Why is food so important for THU? This is a question we get a lot, having spent the last decade making it such a big priority at every event we organize, no matter where in the world. Portugal, Malta, Canada, Japan…No matter the country or the scope of the event, there was always something in common, connecting every dot: the focus on food.

 

THU Storytelling is no exception, and food is at the very heart of the experience. At the end of every day, tribe members are told to wear their yukata (traditional Japanese garment) and head to dinner. This is a sacred time where everyone, from speakers to participants, gathers around the table to share food, stories, and experiences. Just like families do. We don’t want formality, etiquette, or awkward politeness. We want tables buzzing with conversation, true connection, and toasts that get louder with each round.

 

 

While in most events networking usually happens during casual happy hours at the bar, often resulting in more superficial exchanges, at THU Storytelling, it’s over dinner, night after night, that deeper conversations unfold and more meaningful relationships develop. People rarely sit in the same place twice, which encourages interaction with new faces and builds a stronger sense of community.

For the last dinner of the event, dinner takes on an even greater significance, celebrating the ties between Portugal and Japan. This is a moment to kick off the countdown for THU in Portugal in 2026 while honoring the shared influences in food that have connected both cultures for centuries. Fun fact: Did you know that tempura, a Japanese staple, was actually born from Portuguese influence? Missionaries and traders in the 16th century brought the idea of frying battered vegetables (called “Peixinhos da Horta”), and the Japanese refined it with a lighter batter, resulting in the crisp tempura we all know and love.

 

 

In the first edition of THU Storytelling, we invited acclaimed food writer Rafael Tonon, who explained that “food has become such an essential factor in how we tell our story in the world: narratives around the table have led us to believe divergent narratives about how we eat around the world; we all eat the same in subtly different ways. How we communicate changes everything, even the way we eat”. 

 

To say that food defines us would be an understatement. Food is narrative and belonging. It holds our memories, and we can’t wait to make more of them with you, gathered around one big, happy table.