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Author
Tiago Reis
Co-founder of Ra-Ro
One of the three friends who turned a childhood memory and a shared vision into a project with purpose: to find, preserve and share rare products rooted in local traditions. He is dedicated to building the bridge between makers and those who value authenticity and know-how that stands the test of time.
Stories by Tiago Reis
All stories
6 min read
Pieces with soul: how handmade objects change the energy of a home
Handmade objects in natural materials bring texture, warmth and a story into a home. Why they change how a room feels and...
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5 min read
A cosy home in winter: 10 ideas with handmade pieces
A cosy winter home comes from layers of wool, warm light, a shared table and natural materials. Here are 10 simple ideas...
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5 min read
Empreita, palm and esparto: what they are and how they differ
Empreita is the braid made from dwarf palm leaves, sewn into baskets, bags and hats. Esparto is a tougher grass, used for...
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5 min read
Portuguese clay bowl (alguidar): what it is, what it is for and how to care for it
The alguidar is a wide mouthed Portuguese clay bowl used for kneading, seasoning, marinating and serving. How to choose, prepare and wash...
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5 min read
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...
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4 min read
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...
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5 min read
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...
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5 min read
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...
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4 min read
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...
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3 min read
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...
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3 min read
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....
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3 min read
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...
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2 min read
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...
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3 min read
Bunho: what it is, how it is woven and what is made from it
Bunho is a wetland plant harvested in summer and woven by hand. See what it is, how it is worked and what...
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3 min read
Fingerless gloves: how to wear winter's most practical wool accessory
Fingerless gloves keep your palms and wrists warm and leave your fingers free. See what they are for, how to style them...
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4 min read
Magusto: what it is, its origins and St Martin's Day traditions in Portugal
The magusto is the Portuguese roast chestnut festival, held around a bonfire on St Martin's Day, 11 November. Discover its origins, the...
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6 min read
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...
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9 min read
Bitter honey from the strawberry tree: what it is and how to use it
Portuguese bitter honey is strawberry tree honey, made in autumn and winter in the southern hills. I explain why it is bitter...
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8 min read
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...
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8 min read
Endangered crafts in Portugal: rare techniques that still survive
Which Portuguese craft techniques are at risk of disappearing, which are on UNESCO's urgent safeguarding list and the national inventory, why they...
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9 min read
What makes a piece rare? How rarity is measured in handmade crafts
What makes a handmade piece rare? I explain the criteria we use (how many hands still make it, technique, time, raw material)...
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9 min read
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...
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9 min read
One-of-a-kind, limited edition or rare piece: what's the difference?
A one-of-a-kind piece, a limited edition and a rare piece are not the same thing. I explain the difference with real pieces...
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7 min read
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,...
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8 min read
Magusto at home: how to roast chestnuts in a clay chestnut roaster
Portugal's Magusto and St. Martin's Day on 11 November, explained: the legend of the cloak, água-pé and jeropiga, and how to roast...
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3 min read
Palm leaf bag from Tavira: the hands that still go to the fields
Fifty years ago in Tavira, farmers made their own palm leaf baskets. This bag comes from that tradition, made by the hands...
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3 min read
Black Clay Chestnut Roaster: autumn in Gondar
A black clay chestnut roaster, fired by soenga in Gondar by César Teixeira and his son João, among the last to master...
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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