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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.
Burnt wood: what shou sugi ban is, why fire protects wood and how to care for it
What burnt wood and shou sugi ban are, why fire protects wood, how to care for a piece, and the story of Vago, by Luca D'Ortenzi, made from the wood the 2022 fire left on the Serra da Estrela.
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Portuguese wool: sheep breeds, burel, Ecolã and how to choose a wool piece
Portuguese wool comes from native breeds such as the Serra da Estrela, the Churras and the Bordaleira. How they differ, what burel is, who Ecolã is and how to choose and care for a piece.
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Portuguese wool blankets: cobertor de papa, manta lobeira and shepherd's blanket, what is the difference
The cobertor de papa is a churra wool blanket woven in Maçainhas, near Guarda; the manta lobeira and the shepherd's blanket are two versions of it. The Ecolã shepherd blanket comes from Manteigas a...
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Traditional Portuguese liqueurs: elderflower, juniper and craft brandies
Traditional Portuguese liqueurs combine a spirit, sugar and whatever the land offers: flowers, berries, fruit and herbs. Here is how they are made, how to drink them and how they differ from brandy.
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Burel: what it is, how it is made and how to care for Portugal's mountain wool cloth
Burel is wool that is woven and then beaten in water until it becomes dense, warm and resistant to wind and rain. How it is made, where it comes from and how to look after it.
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Mead: what it is, how it is made and how to drink it (and Portuguese mead)
Mead is a fermented drink of honey and water, one of the oldest in the world. See how it is made, how to drink it and what makes the heather honey mead of the Serra da Estrela different.
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Rainy nights in Portugal: mead, bitter honey and wool blankets
Heather honey mead, bitter honey from the Algarve and a cobertor de papa from Maçainhas: the Ra‑Ro winter kit for the first rainy nights, with serving tips, wool care and Christmas gift ideas.
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Rare crafts in Portugal: the last master artisans still at work
Eight rare crafts in Portugal, from Algarve esparto to the cobertor de papa blanket of Maçainhas, told through the master artisans who keep them alive and the pieces they make.
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Heather Honey Mead: the drink of the gods made in the Serra da Estrela
Heather honey from Serra da Estrela, fermented the old way by Licores Serrano in Covilhã. One of the oldest drinks in the world, in a very rare version.
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The bowl born from fire: burnt wood from the Serra da Estrela
From a burnt forest in the Serra da Estrela, Luca rescues charred chestnut and cherry wood and turns it into one-of-a-kind bowls for the Vago project.
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The burel bag that wears an azulejo: the craft of the Capuchinhas of Campo Benfeito
A bag in burel from the Serra da Estrela, cut by hand by four artisans of the As Capuchinhas cooperative, wears patterns that recall the Portuguese azulejo.
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November Selection
