Flavours and Knowledge

Vila Real

Arts and Crafts

Black pottery from Bisalhães

Since 29 November 2016, the same process has been inscribed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, a decision taken at the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, held in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. After the process of making Louça Preta de Bisalhães was recognised as National Cultural Heritage on 5 March 2015, by publication in the Diário da República and inscription on the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Vila Real Municipality decided to apply for this ancient tradition to be included on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. This complex process took more than a year to complete, but it has come to an end with the news that everyone was waiting for. This international recognition will make it possible to share the ancestral knowledge of the Bisalhães potters with the world, as well as motivating the implementation of a wide-ranging safeguard plan that the Municipality of Vila Real has devised, from training potters to certifying the process and even encouraging the emergence of new uses and designs for this unique material.

Agarez linens

As a general rule, every farmhouse in the region used to have a loom, traces of which can still be seen in certain villages, such as Agarez, Mondrões, Couto (Adoufe) and Mateus, where some craftswomen still work with linen. Today, local cultivation of the plant is rare, but the subsequent stages – stripping, scutching, spinning and weaving – are still practised. It is a highly prized type of handicraft, particularly bedspreads and towels.

Tinsmithing

This activity uses materials such as tin, pewter, steel and tinplate, which are moulded and handled using traditional tools to create a wide variety of pieces – watering cans, pots and pans, buckets, lamps, etc.

Vila Real Bureau

Maronesa DOP

Carne Maronesa DOP is obtained from cattle of the Maronesa breed from the area bounded by the Marão, Alvão and Padrela mountains. It is a meat with white to ivory-white fat, depending on whether it is a calf or an adult animal. The muscle is pink to dark red in colour, also depending on the age of the animal. The Maronesa breed is defined as a mountain breed, primitive, natural and rustic. Its main physical characteristics are its dark brown to black coat and the tuft of hair on its head, which is lighter in colour. These cattle are responsible for the simple and delicate flavour, extremely tasty and juicy Maronesa DOP meat.

Tripas aos molhos

Roll up pieces of tripe and beef tripe with ham and a sprig of parsley in the middle. Cook for a couple of hours so that it is tender and flavoursome. The tripe should be washed very well with boiling water and rinsed often with lemon to remove any unpleasant flavours. Do the same with the cow’s stomach. Then cut the tripe into small squares and add a finger-thick piece of ham and a sprig of parsley to each square. Wrap everything up with the thin casing, finishing with a bow.

Covilhetes

Covilhetes are a type of pie that owe their name to the small black clay mould (from Bisalhães) in which they were baked. Nowadays, the mould is no longer made of clay, but the name remains the same. The tradition of this speciality is very old and is linked to the feasts of Saint Anthony, the Lord of Calvary and the Lady of Almodena, which were the only occasions when this speciality was sold. Since the 19th century, Covilhetes began to gain notoriety in Vila-Realense gastronomy, with people selling them in the streets of the city on trays covered with linen cloths. Nowadays, you can buy Covilhetes in any pastry shop in Vila Real, as they are sold on a daily basis.

Cristas de Galo

Cristas de Galo are a conventual, handmade pastry typical of the city of Vila Real, shaped exactly like a rooster’s crest. The pastry is filled with almond jam and eggs. After baking in the oven, the pastéis are sprinkled with sugar. Pastéis de toucinho, also known as pastéis de Vila Real and, more recently, as cristas or rooster crests, are a creation of the nuns of the Convent of Nossa Senhora do Amparo, of the Order of Santa Clara, and are certainly one of the most representative specialities of the conventual sweets of Vila Real.

Pitos de Santa Luzia

Cakes made from tender dough made with flour, sugar, lard, eggs and salt, 6cm square and about 3cm high. The cakes are more or less in the shape of a square pyramid or lavadeira’s bundle, as they are made from a square of dough whose edges are pulled towards the centre and upwards. The tender pastry is filled with pumpkin and cinnamon jam (made with pumpkin and sugar, the sugar being half the weight of the pumpkin and spiced with cinnamon and pepper).

Cavacórios

Cavacórios are concave, bowl-shaped sweets that, together with Bexigas, are typical sweets at festivals in honour of São Lázaro, who is considered to be the protector against skin diseases (smallpox, blisters and others).

Ganchas de São Brás

On 3 February every year, there is a festival in honour of São Brás at the Church of São Dinis in Vila Real, where those who have made or kept promises walk around the cemetery, “without opening their mouths or saying a word so as not to get into trouble”. This tradition is linked to that of Santa Luzia when, on 13 December, the girls buy Pitos to give to the boys. The boys return the gift on 3 February, giving Ganchas to the girls, perhaps symbolising “a hook to catch girls in the mood for dating”.

Wines

Protected from the Atlantic winds by the Marão mountain massif, the Baixo Cargo catchment area, formed by rugged, tight valleys, has a unique microclimate which, combined with the nature of its schist soil, allows vineyards cultivated using traditional processes to produce grapes of excellent quality. In the 18th century, in 1756, the unique characteristics of the region led the Marquis of Pombal to establish the Douro Demarcated Region, the first region in the world to be defined and regulated in order to protect the inimitable qualities of the wines produced there. It is also worth mentioning that the municipality of Vila Real is home to several wines whose quality is known and recognised internationally. An example of this is the famous Mateus Rosé, which since its inception has carried the famous Casa de Mateus on its label, and, more recently, the wines of the Adega de Vila Real, which has been distinguished nationally and internationally in various speciality competitions.