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Ra-Ro Journal
Rare Stories
Stories, news and behind the scenes of Portuguese craft. What’s happening in the workshops, at the fairs and at Ra-Ro.
Dark chocolate with apple: how to taste it, what to pair it with and who is behind the 5%
Dried apple brings fruit, acidity and texture to dark chocolate. Sérgio Carvalho writes about Porta da Loja Dark Chocolate with Dried Apple: what minimum 50% cocoa means, how to taste it and what t...
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Portuguese craft cider: what it is, how it is made and how to drink it on any old day
Cider is fermented apple juice, a light drink with centuries of tradition in Europe. Sérgio Carvalho writes about how it is made, how it is served and the cider made by the Casais family in Tibães.
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Portuguese apple gin: juniper and orchard, the botanicals and how to serve an apple gin and tonic
An apple gin is a juniper gin with the scent of apple on top. Sérgio Carvalho writes about the Porta da Loja Apple Gin, made by the Casais family in Tibães: the botanicals, the glass and what to ea...
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Portuguese smoked pork belly (barriga fumada): what it is, how to cook it and where to buy it
Barriga fumada is Portuguese pork belly, layered with meat and fat, cured and smoked. How it differs from lard and bacon, how to cook it and where to buy it.
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Minho fumeiro: what it is, how it is made and which smoked sausages to try
Minho fumeiro is pork meat and sausages cured over wood smoke, the way northern Portuguese households have always done it. How it is made, what to try and how to serve it.
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Guimarães embroidery and the lovers' handkerchief: what they are, how to spot them, how they differ
Guimarães embroidery is a certified technique with a single colour per piece; the lovers' handkerchief is an embroidered declaration of love. Here is how to tell them apart.
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The Barcelos Rooster: the legend, the meaning and how to spot a handmade one
The condemned pilgrim, the roast rooster that crowed and the clay figure that became a national symbol. The legend, the meaning and how to recognise a handmade Barcelos Rooster.
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Gondar black clay: what soenga firing is and how to season a clay pot
Black clay gets its colour from the smoke of the soenga, an open-air firing. See how it is made in Gondar, which pieces exist and how to season and use a clay pot.
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António Ramalho and the clay figures of Barcelos: five pieces by Rosa Ramalho's great-grandson
António Ramalho is a potter from Barcelos, great-grandson of Rosa Ramalho and son of Júlia Ramalho. Discover the story of the Barcelos clay figures and his five pieces at Ra-Ro.
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Portuguese handicrafts: a guide to traditional techniques by region and where to buy online
A guide to Portuguese handicrafts by region: black pottery and figurines from the Minho, Cobertor de Papa blankets and burel from the inland mountains, esparto, palm and copper from the Algarve, ba...
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Cantarinha dos Namorados: meaning, history and where to buy the lovers' jug from Guimarães
The Cantarinha dos Namorados is a certified red clay jug from Guimarães, decorated with raised flowers and mica. It was given to brides in the Minho, who used it to save for their wedding gold neck...
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Devils, Sarroncos and Mafarricos: the dark side of Portuguese figurado
From the Barcelos Devil to the Sarronco and the Mafarrico: who Rosa Ramalho was, why figurado de Barcelos is full of devils, the Rooster legend and how to spot an author piece.
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November Selection
