Cork
Cork is one of the most characteristic natural products of Portugal. And for good reason, the country is the world's leading producer, responsible for more than 60% of the world's export volume. In addition to the traditional wine and champagne corks, this resistant, recyclable and hypoallergenic material is skilfully transformed into a wide range of ecological fashion accessories and everyday objects, from umbrellas and handbags to smartphone cases, and even clothing and footwear. Its own brands and specialty stores have multiplied in recent years. As an anecdote, the singer Lady Gaga, known for her extravagant outfits, was offered an all-cork dress by a famous Portuguese designer. In the Algarve, it is São Brás de Alportel, the centre of the Cork Route, which is home to many companies developed around this industry. And as a young entrepreneur from the city says: "buying a cork product is like buying a piece of natural history, each piece is at least 25 years old given the growth cycle of cork".
Canned food and delicatessen
Portuguese gastronomy also offers delicatessen products that can be a source of inspiration to offer or treat oneself: wines, olive oils, preserves, regional sweets based on almonds, dried figs, jams, honey and dried fruit revisited, all made by hand. These essentials of regional gastronomy will delight gourmets, whether they are tourists or locals.
The Algarve is dotted with carob trees, a tree cultivated since ancient times. The carob, a dark-coloured pod, is very well known in the veggie world, where it plays an important role in many culinary preparations. In Portugal, it is often seen as a powder used as cocoa, or in the form of chocolate-like bars that it delicately replaces with its caramelized taste (A Farrobinha in Querença).
The sardine can: if there is one fish that has become the symbol of an entire nation, it is the sardinha. Queen Sardine even ended up dethroning the coq de Barcelos, which had become too rustic. Omnipresent and represented on everything, stylised and colourful, the fetish fish can be found on azulejos, crockery and table linen, notebooks, kits and other stationery, and even on socks. In recent years, vintage has been making a strong comeback in Portugal, with the comeback of old brands in retro-looking packaging. Some of them look like a collector's item. These pretty punchy tins can be found in souvenir shops, supermarkets and in the lojas of specialized conservas, with a wide range of choices to suit all tastes: lemon, piri-piri, olive oil, garlic, pâté, gourmet specials, etc. The clichés have a hard life but the quality is there.
Fleur de sel, Castro Marim's flor de sal, has earned its place in the world's best restaurants and gourmet shops. It is of good quality due to the excellent climatic conditions, but it also has a very affordable price. These fine and delicate crystals are sold plain or flavoured with lemon, oregano, chilli pepper or capers. Enough to put a little fleur de sel in your life! (Mar d'Estorias in Lagos).
Portugal 's once underestimatedwines are gaining recognition around the world and winning prize after prize. If you're looking for "regional" and "DOC" appellations, you'll get great value for money. Red wines have kept their strong, raw taste, not yet having given in to the champions of globalization
To share Portuguese flavors with friends, Ginjinha is another option. It is particularly appreciated by Algarvians. Obtained from the maceration of morello cherries in brandy, this liqueur is taken very seriously and its production is regulated by an appellation d'origine contrôlée. Its competitor is amarguinha, an almond liqueur to be enjoyed with a dash of freshly squeezed lemon and ice cubes.
Port: quality bottles, which are extremely affordable in Portugal, are to be preferred: Ruby Reserve, Tawny aged 10 years or more, and LBV (Late Bottle Vintage)
Coldmeats: the Portuguese's "péché mignon". As with cheeses, many regions produce them and you can easily find products from all over the country. Portuguese cold meats are generally made from pork. How to find your way around all the varieties? Salpicão is the best sausage in Portugal, the noblest and most traditional sausage made from smoked pork. The Paio looks like a Salpicão with more fat. The different chouriços are smoked sausages made with red or white wine. They can be cooked or braised
The olive oil is 100% made in Portugal. There is not a single dish, a single petisco or even a single dessert where you won't find any. The local olive oil has a lot of character: it is more colourful and more fragrant than conventional oils. Throughout the country, production has been booming since the early 2000s with a spectacular increase in production volumes. In 2016, the country has even reached 100,000 tons produced, it is the 8th largest producer in the world and the 9th largest consumer per capita, a great performance considering Portugal's surface area. Quality is also important and today it is common to see Portuguese olive oils winning prizes in international competitions. To play the connoisseur, opt for an extra virgin oil from the 6 DOP, protected designations of origin: Moura, Trás-os-Montes, Alentejo Interior, Norte Alentejano, Beira Interior (Beira Alta, Beira Baixa), Ribatejo (Despensa Algarvia in Faro).
The cataplana
If you enjoyed tasting a cataplana
of shellfish, why not take home this beautiful utensil probably derived from the tagine, to reproduce this fragrant dish and relive the experience? In stainless steel, hammered copper or aluminium, in different sizes, this object will be of the most beautiful effect in your kitchen. It'sworth the price, but it's designed to last
... Still among the utensils, the original assador de barro is a typical clay dish, used to barbecue the Portuguese chorizo directly at the table. A typical Algarve alcohol, such as strawberry tree, is poured into the dish. Then place the sausage on top and light the alcohol, after a few minutes you're ready to eat. A demonstration that is sure to impress the guests!The azulejos
The Portuguese master the art of earthenware perfectly. Impossible to escape the azulejos because they are everywhere: facades of buildings, interior walls of shops, churches, interior decoration of houses, even your hotel room. This ancestral technique of ceramics is a legacy of the Moors' occupation who introduced the al-zulayd (small polished stone) to embellish their palaces. From the 16th century onwards, the Portuguese will shape their own style in the form of blue and white earthenware tiles used to represent panels of religious scenes. It was in the 19th century that production reached its peak, to meet the demand of the newly rich returning from Brazil to satisfy their taste for eccentric exoticism. Today, this art is still very much alive and one can acquire traditional or modern azulejos as original decorative elements. Some shops even offer azulejos made in the old-fashioned way.
Beauty products
During your visit to the Algarve, don't miss a prestigious house created in 1887 which offers handcrafted soaps, perfumes and candles with a refined scent and century-old know-how. Easily recognizable by its refined and elegant packaging with unique designs, it has recently experienced a spectacular dynamism in exporting to luxury markets around the world, a shop has even opened its doors across the Atlantic!
Craftsmanship
It has always been part of everyday life in the Algarve. The main traditional arts that characterised its craft production in the last century were pottery (thanks to its clay soils), metal arts, weaving and basketry. Wicker, for example, which is very much in vogue in fashion and decoration magazines, is regaining strength and is woven here using theempreita
technique. The market for basketry made from palm leaves has also boomed in recent years in the Algarve. It is good to know that collective initiatives have emerged with the mission of promoting craftsmanship as a profession of the future, all convinced that traditional arts, often linked to rural life, represent current solutions. The bet is made on design and a pole of young Portuguese designers associated with craftsmen, work together with natural materials such as olive wood, felt, cork and clay or linen to produce unique pieces in limited quantities. An idea to be retained in order to raise the traditional arts of the region and to perpetuate the richness and diversity of the craftsmanship while preserving its authenticity. Indeed, it is clear that, generally speaking, ancestral techniques are endangered by mass production... It remains to adhere to the values of sustainability and make the right choice. Useful souvenirs, made in the Algarve, inspired by the architectural and traditional heritage of the region and made locally, will remind you of the sunny south of Portugal for a long time to come.
