DaVaca - Lacticinios do Monte

Mirjam Brouwer-Buil has neither the name nor the typical profile of the Alentejo producer. But this Dutch woman who already speaks Portuguese with a slightly drawn accent, worthy of the region that welcomed her two decades ago, feels at home at Herdade das Coelheirinhas, near Elvas, where she guides us through the herd of almost 300 cows and 225 steers.

Mirjam and her husband Jack started by producing only milk. But unhappy with the price that the Serra Leite cooperative paid them for a product that they consider to be excellent, they decided to channel a part of that same milk to the production of artisanal yogurts. The DaVaca brand was born. And they are from the cow, in fact, from Holstein Friesians, some of them crossed with Montbeliard, a French breed also with milk aptitude.

Every day, around 8000 liters of milk are produced, 400 of which are transformed into yogurts, and as they are completely handcrafted, without additions, they change with the characteristics of cows' milk - in the winter milk is fatter, with more cream, in summer more skimmed. In addition to natural yogurt, they are sold in different flavors, provided by natural jams, in the case of fruits. Some experiences have been especially successful, such as yogurt with Plum from Elvas or with Fig and Cinnamon.

Another experience, still to be commercialized, is butter: Mirjam is still trying to find the right salt point. And she takes advantage of our visit to the factory to ask us about fleur de sel producers. Exchanged the contacts, we continue the journey. This is what the Matéria Project is made of.