João Rodrigues, founder Projecto Matéria
"The greatest wealth of any people or culture is people
The family of Gonçalo Vaz Botelho has been producing pineapples since the 19th century. The mentor was José Bento Arruda Botelho, our host's great-great-grandfather, to use the fruit only as a decorative piece and only later did it become part of the meal. Today, Ananás do Paço is a biological product with a Protected Designation of Origin.
Pedro Capela studies mushrooms since the time he attended the Escola Superior Agrária de Ponte de Lima. This was followed by the inventory and, now on its own, production and commercialization, this time with the creation of FungiFresh.
Our focus are the producers that are passionately committed with what they do. They are the keepers of the land, well fare and knowledge. They are the ones who will make all of this endure through time.
Paulo Gonçalves left his profession as a photographer to dedicate himself to another art: breeding Buckfast bees in Monção and Melgaço. Resistant to diseases and excellent honey producers, they are also known for their gentleness.
In addition to health benefits, halophyte plants have very specific gastronomic characteristics. Both reasons led Miguel Salazar to put into practice, in 2011, the research work started in 2001, that is, to move towards the cultivation of marine vegetables and to create a niche product, the Extreme Gourmet.