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Author
Luís Serra
Co-founder of Ra-Ro
One of the three founding friends. With a background in strategy, brand and creative culture, he helped build and lead consultancies and creative teams in Portugal, and spent years teaching marketing and strategy. At Ra-Ro he puts that sensibility at the service of artisans and their stories, bringing together creativity, identity and the will to preserve what is unique.
Stories by Luís Serra
All stories
4 min read
Baskets at home: 8 ways to decorate with Portuguese baskets
Eight simple ways to use Portuguese baskets at home, from throws in the living room to bread on the table. Plus the...
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5 min read
How to decorate your home with Portuguese handicrafts without it looking like a souvenir shop
Decorating with Portuguese crafts works best with few pieces, well chosen and given room to breathe. Principles, ideas by room and mistakes...
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5 min read
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...
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5 min read
Portuguese gifts: authentic handmade gifts from Portugal and how to send them abroad
A genuine Portuguese gift has a known place, a named maker and a living technique. Ideas for every kind of person, what...
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5 min read
Pão-por-Deus: Portugal's All Saints' Day tradition, its origin and customs
Pão-por-Deus is Portugal's 1 November tradition in which children go door to door asking for bread, cakes, nuts, pomegranates and chestnuts. Where...
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5 min read
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...
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5 min read
Samphire (salicornia): what it is, where it grows, how to eat it and what plant salt is
Samphire is a salt marsh plant with a naturally salty taste. Where it grows in Portugal, how to cook it and how...
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5 min read
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...
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5 min read
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...
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4 min read
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...
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3 min read
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...
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4 min read
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...
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3 min read
Fleur de sel (flor de sal): what it is, how to use it and how it differs from sea salt
Fleur de sel is the thin layer of crystals that forms on the surface of salt pans and is harvested by hand....
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2 min read
Wine of the Dead (Vinho dos Mortos): what it is, the Boticas story and how to serve it
Wine of the Dead has been buried in the granite of Boticas since 1809, when villagers hid it from French troops. See...
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3 min read
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...
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4 min read
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...
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4 min read
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...
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7 min read
Cobertor de Papa: price, where to buy and how to spot the genuine one
A buyer's guide to the cobertor de papa: what it costs and why, where to buy the genuine blanket made in Maçainhas...
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8 min read
Porta da Loja apple: what it is, where it comes from, where to buy
The Porta da Loja apple is a traditional variety from Minho, linked to the Tibães Monastery in Braga. I explain what it...
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3 min read
Aguardente DOC Lourinhã: what time does in a glass
Lourinhã is one of the few demarcated regions for wine brandy. Adega Cooperativa da Lourinhã proves it in two bottles: the Matriz...
Read the storyThe founders
Ra-Ro was born from three friends and one memory: finding, preserving and sharing rare products rooted in local traditions.
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