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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.
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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Alentejo: a travel guide to the plains, from cante to the viola campaniça
A guide to the Alentejo: what to see, cante singing and the viola campaniça, and which crafts to bring home, from pottery to Arraiolos rugs, wool blankets and cork.
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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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Trás-os-Montes: a travel guide to Portugal's north-east, from the caretos to the Wine of the Dead
A guide to north-east Portugal: what to see in Trás-os-Montes, the caretos festivals, the smokehouse tradition and the crafts and flavours worth bringing home.
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Madeira: an island itinerary and the crafts worth bringing home
From Funchal to the levadas of the Laurisilva, a Madeira itinerary with the places not to miss and the crafts worth bringing home: embroidery, wicker and the ear cap.
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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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The Caretos of Podence and traditional Portuguese masks: what they are and what they mean
Caretos are masked figures from Trás-os-Montes who take to the streets in winter and at Carnival, wearing tin, leather or wooden masks and fringed wool suits. Here is where they come from and how c...
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Banana fibre: what it is, how it is made and what is crafted from it in the Azores
Each banana plant fruits only once. Afterwards the stem can become fibre, and the fibre basketry. How it is done on São Miguel, in the Azores, and how to care for the pieces.
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Medronho: what Portugal's strawberry tree brandy is, how it is made and how to drink it
Medronho is made from the fruit of the strawberry tree, picked by hand in autumn, fermented and distilled in copper stills. How it is made, how to drink it and how to choose one.
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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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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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How to spin wool with a drop spindle: a step-by-step guide for beginners
You can learn to spin wool with a spindle in an afternoon. See what you need, how to start, how to draft the fibres and the most common mistakes, with carded wool and ash spindles from Madeira.
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