Our
Ingredients
These are the most important part of everything we do.
The ingredients we choose are not only a decision we make regarding what we want to consume, but they are also a political statement regarding the practices and ethics in the food industry we would like to support and see more of in the world.
In that light, we stand, first and foremost, by local production. We want to work with Portuguese farmers and minimize long distance shipping as much as possible. We want to use Portuguese varieties of grain, promote genetic diversity and protect our cultural identity.
Secondly, we value organic and sustainable practices. We wish this was the norm in the food industry rather than the exception, but we are not there yet. Every time we can get local and organic we will. If that is not a possibility, we choose local. We see it as an investment for the future and hope that by creating more demand in the local economy it will improve the offer.
Barbela
Barbela is a Portuguese landrace, a creole variety of soft wheat that survived the so called "Green Revolution".
Barbela is traditional from the cold northern regions of Portugal (Terra Fria, Trás-os-Montes). It has an incredible capacity to withstand cold temperatures and to survive in acidic soils with high levels of aluminium. Its deep vertical root system allows it to dive in search for water and nutrients, and its heigh acts as a natural protection against competing grasses. Barbela doesn't need herbicides nor fertilizers. Nutritionally, it has 40x less gluten than modern wheats, and it is incredibly rich in oils and Selenium. Barbela is a wheat from the past and a crop for the future.
However, despite its unparalleled characteristics, in 1987 Barbela was removed from the catalogue of national varieties, rendering it impossible to buy its seeds and commercialize it through the legal circuits. Its extinction is since then single handedly prevented by farmers whom stubbornly and defiantly keep saving their seeds and sharing them with their neighbours and fellow farmers. Today Barbela is still not recognized as a national variety. Its future is in the hands of farmers, millers, bakers and you, the consumer.
We use Organic Barbela to feed our sourdough starter and it is the main grain in our Creole loaf.
Preto Amarelo
Another Portuguese ancient variety of wheat from the regions of Ribatejo and Alentejo. Preto Amarelo is a hard wheat and derives its name from the colors of its spike. With a high percentage of protein, hard wheats are usually used for making pasta and noodles. Nevertheless they can be delicious for bread making too.
Preto Amarelo is considered to be a conservation variety (variedade de conservação), i.e. a variety that is local, adapted to local or regional conditions but threatened of genetic erosion. Working with this wheat is our pleasure and responsibility.
We use Preto Amarelo in our Creole loaf.
Salt from Rio Maior
The salt of Rio Maior comes from a large deep rock-salt mine at the bottom of Serra de Candeeiros. Rain water penetrates the porous limestone mountains of the region, passing by this mine and becoming saltwater. This water is 7x saltier than sea water! This saltwater is then pumped to the surface through a well situated in the very middle of the salt fields.
The whole process of obtaining this salt is natural and artisanal. It is unrefined, unwashed and with no additives. It is done today just as it was 800 years ago.
This salt is specially rich in Selenium and totally free from micro-plastics, which is something that unfortunately not all sea salts are anymore.
