European Food Gifts 2021

“Tec” is a tasteful Menorcan word for enjoying truly special moments and feelings. When we go for a tec it is to get a bite or have a drink between meals. What better idea than a chunk of cheese drizzled with honey and a refreshing beer?

The use of a very Menorcan expression raises awareness of our form of speech, Menorcan, full of polished gems such as tec. The slogan “An instant, a feeling” also refers to a very typical island lifestyle, where time seems to flow more slowly, yet always time enough for us to meet in a moment of sharing with loved ones.

Have a Tec? is a project headed by the farming cooperative Sa Cooperativa del Camp de Menorca, a long-standing organisation on the island that upholds values such as commitment, cooperation, enthusiasm, and authenticity.

Three local producers have come together and developed a gastronomical pack of cheese, honey and beer, each item (including all ingredients: milk, honey, wheat, barley, aromatic herbs) having been produced locally.

The pack includes suggestions on how to best enjoy the produce, and evokes notions reminiscent of Talayotic times, which are very much in vogue at present. The attractive packaging is practical, sustainable, and reusable, which enhances the quality of the product.

The gift includes:

Meloussa Cheese (raw cow’s milk, Salt, Rennet, Lysozyme (egg derivative), Calcium chloride, Lactic ferments, Matured full-fat cow’s cheese): In Menorca, cheese has been produced since prehistoric times. From the late Talaiotic period we conserve pieces of native ceramic containing dairy product traces that prove it. So we can claim that “we’ve been making cheese forever here!” Menorcan cheese is distinctive for its intense taste, rich in nuance. This is a cheese made from raw cow’s milk hand-created by the very farmers who care for the cows. So the herd grazes on the lushest pastures the farm has sown. Then the cheese is matured in our cellars or caves at Sa Cooperativa del Camp, giving them a distinctive bouquet.

Algaiarens Honey: Algaiarens is a true paradise for Menorca’s black bees. In this idyllic setting they live a life for which any queen would give half a realm: fields given over to regenerative organic agriculture. Diverse flowering seed types are sown to the bees’ taste, so they can go about their work, happily pollinating the flowers. Algaiarens honey is characterised by its purity and loved for its taste, aroma, colour and texture. It has the character of raw honey, unique and delicious.

Grahame Pearce Talayotic beer (Water, Menorcan xeixa wheat and barley, Ragweed, Camomile, Rosemary, Thyme, Yeasts, Hops): Vicent Vila set up the venture of creating a craft beer with his friend Grahame Pearce just ten years ago. Talaiòtica Grahame Pearce beer is an innovation conceived in collaboration with the Museum of Menorca and the candidature for Menorca’s Talaiotic culture to form part of Unesco World Heritage. The Talaiòtica is a light-bodied aromatic beer with a clean dry finish. The ingredients with which it is brewed are in consonance with those found in the “deep jar” archaeological find (4th–2nd centuries BCE): common wheat and barley, artemisia, chamomile, rosemary, thyme and honey. It is an opaque, orangey-brown beer with a creamy head, light-bodied and highly aromatic with a clean dry finish.

The Have a Tec? box is a highly original ecological packaging, unique in the world. It is a box made of foldable wood, an innovative idea that transmits ecology, quality and creativity, patented by a Catalan craftsman with over 40 years’ history behind him, who aims in his own words to “change the world through packaging”. The Have a Tec? box is 100% recyclable and reusable. Most importantly, it has been manufactured with wood from controlled forestry plantations, where every time a tree is cut down, another is planted. This is officially certified by use of the accreditation mark PEFC/14-1-1.

The design of Have a Tec? packaging is the result of close collaboration with Lagencia, an advertising agency in Menorca boasting over 25 years’ professional experience. A small team made up of Catalina Cardona, a publicist, and Manel Sánchez, a designer, both specialists in long-term communication strategies for brands with soul. Lagencia is located in Sant Lluís, specifically in the Biniancollet Societat Rural Menorquina (a class of Menorcan rural business entity, or SRM). This peculiar 100-hectare space reveals a lot about the company’s DNA and way of working. Its values are shared with those of Menorcan farmers and also Sa Cooperativa del Camp de Menorca: humility, dedication and a taste for a job well done.

In most monastic houses the sweets were made with large amounts of egg yolks. The sumptuousness of the convent sweets resulted, therefore, in the creation of splendid egg sweets. The recovery of this recipe, a legacy of the Convent of Santa Clara in Coimbra, resulted from a thorough investigation into the conventual recipes of Coimbra and in several attempts at production until a product that was as faithful as possible to its genesis was achieved.

The Clarissas Pudding, a perfect symbiosis between sugar and egg yolks, reflects the dedication that the Poor Clares have given to sweets, expertly elaborating this heritage that is urgently needed. The orange groves, abundant in the city landscape, ennoble this delicacy, sweetening the memory of those who strolled along the banks of the Mondego with cape and cassock to the sound of Coimbra’s fado.

The Clarissas’ Pudding Identity, illustrations and respective packaging were developed by the Coimbra-based Mau Maria Communication Design office. The Identity of the Pudding follows the Identity of the brand Cordel, so that there is a direct link between the product and the house that produces it with so much love and dedication. Typography refers to the old, ecclesiastical, but it is easy to see that it is a reinvigorated product. The more manual typography refers to the fact that it is a product designed by hand, a product that is still homemade.

The colours, brown tones, also follow the Cordel identity, transport us to the kraft paper, the lambs used in the old grocery stores, the earth, because we live in it and have immense respect for it. The concern with recycling and reuse was a constant in the development of the packaging presented.

Two packaging solutions were created for this Conventual Sweet, always keeping in mind the sustainability aspect:

Paper wrapping: A cheap and easy to produce and pack wrapper that makes it easy for the customer to transport the product. Produced on paper and printed with the Identity of Pudding of the Poor Clares and their own illustrations.

Cork box: A wrapper that makes it easier for the customer to transport the product, especially over long distances, as it allows to preserve the pudding’s characteristics for a longer time. Produced in cork, it contains a paper label printed with the identity of Pudim das Clarissas and its own illustrations. Due to its packaging and concept, it becomes a pleasant product to offer in any situation. This packaging solution can have a second life as a vase, tea box or other original ideas.

In both cases, when a whole Pudding is purchased in its baking form, this original form can be returned to the Cordel and the value will be discounted in the purchase of another Pudding, avoiding waste or accumulation of forms at home.

Ingredients: egg yolk, water, sugar, orange, butter

The starting point for developing this product was that the developer was diagnosed with coeliac disease. The result was a flour mixture for himself but also for others to enjoy. The character ‘Kauraparta’ is an uncomplicated local hero from Savo who provides its superpower for the use of every baker.

The products are based on Finnish whole grain oats (over 30%) where the company name Kauraparta (‘Oat beard’) also derives from. The products are highly domestic (more than 75%), high-fibre, gluten-free, vegan, wheat-free, dairy-free, soy-free. Thee baked bread acts as a source of protein.

The food gift package is a jute bag depicting the rural spirit, the so-called “grain bag” that creates an image of its contents, bread flour mixes.

Ingredients:

Kauraparta (’Oat beard’) bread flour mix: Whole grain oats, rice flour, whole grain rice flour, buckwheat flour, potato flour, corn flour, corn groats (GMO-free), sunflower seeds, linseeds, pumpkin seeds, sugar beet fibre, sea salt, sugar, yeast, psyllium, thickening agent (xanthan gum).

Yrttiparta (’Herb beard’) bread flour mix: Whole grain oats, rice flour, whole grain rice flour, buckwheat flour, potato flour, corn flour, corn groats (GMO-free), sunflower seeds, linseeds, hemp seeds, onion, parsley, sugar beet fibre, sea salt, sugar, yeast, psyllium, thickening agent (xanthan gum).

Conceived by ethnologist, cultural anthropologist and historian Jasna Fakin Bajec in cooperation with the members of the Planta association, the story of the product puts a spotlight on the natural and cultural heritage of the Karst. It intertwines fragments of the history of pastoral farming in the Karst commons and the variety of uses for culinary and economic purposes with the Karst culinary heritage.

The pack includes 10g tea of the Karst commons; 150g Karst honey; a unique ceramic mug and a mini tea strainer.

Herbal tea: Freshly picked and dried herbs conjure up the authenticity of the Karst commons in a mug of herbal tea. Blend of herbs and edible wild plants: woundwort, winter savoury, linden, thyme and juniper. The herbal tea is prepared by Karst homestead Buntovi in Škrbina. The owners run a wine farm which is also a herbal homestead. Tjaša, who is a certified herbalist, grows herbs, spices and aromatic plants which she harvests for teas, herbal salts and soaps. To pick herbs she also ventures to the Karst commons, a mosaic of meadows, former pastures and forest edges that boast a botanic treasure trove.

Honey: Aromatic Karst honey with Protected Designation of Origin from acacia that adds beneficial sweetness. The honey is produced by beekeeper Ivan Atelšek from Povirje. The diversity of plants and the dry climate are reflected in the full and distinct aroma of the Karst honey, making it more aromatic and drier than other types of honey. The proximity of the sea and a relatively long growing season contribute to the diversity of bee pasture. Thanks to the climate conditions and the local microclimate, the Karst honey is incredibly rich in minerals and enzymes.

Mug: Modelled on the traditional Karst šalčka (ceramic mugs) that are still kept in many Karstic homes. In the past, each member of the family used to have their own šalčka and was emotionally attached to it. Housewives would keep mugs of different shapes and sizes in their cupboards, and used them to serve barley coffee and wine with sugar (cukr), coffee with bread (kafe in kruh) or šoto (also know as zabayon, made with raw egg yolk with sugar, and possibly a splash of teran wine). In times of illness, šalčka would serve as a tea mug. The mug is a unique piece by ceramist Katja Prunk from Katarina Barbara Atelier, in Tomaj and will bring out the Karst flavours with its signature style.

The products are packed in a bundle made of natural fabric. In the past, children made bundles to carry their slice of bread to the pasture, and mowers would use them to bring their afternoon lunch to the field. In the summer, people used bundles when they picked smoke bush and winter savoury, which they would sell. At home, they dried their smoke bush and savoury, threshed it with flails and cleaned through a sieve before storing it in sacks. They were also used in the leather industry.

The mortar and pestle are made of wild olive wood. These are objects that are inextricably associated with the making of one of the island’s most iconic and internationally renowned delicacies: mayonnaise. The small size of this mortar and pestle is appealing, making it a perfect gift.

Woodwork is one of the more deep-rooted crafts on the island; the craftsman who made this item is one of the leading local artisans, notwithstanding his young age.

No attempt was made to conceal any blemishes in the wood when creating these items; all imperfections are visible, which enhances the appeal and conveys a sense of how the passage of time embellishes wood. The quality of workmanship is undeniable.

The wild olive tree is characteristic of the forest areas on the island and is an important part of the plant landscape. Apart from its ecological and landscape functions, the wild olive tree, like the holm oak and the mastic, is also an important plant for man. The wood from the wild olive tree is the basic prime material for the fabrication of one of the most typical elements of the agricultural landscape on the island: the gates that separate the pieces of land, and is also used to make other objects, like handles, benches, mortars, or banisters or as combustion fuel.

According to tradition, the manufacture of toothpicks had its origins in the Monastery of Lorvão. Made, at the beginning, by the nuns to decorate the cakes and sweets, they were later produced by the maids and, thus, they spread to the population.

The manufacture of toothpicks is a transforming activity, of pre-industrial nature, which, in several parishes of the municipality of Penacova (Figueira de Lorvão,Lorvão and Penacova), uses species from the typical endogenous vegetation cover from the banks of the River Mondego, in particular the willow and the poplar.

This activity has always had an emblematic dimension, at regional and even national level, due to the importance it takes on in the economy of the respective local communities, as well as the historical depth of this type of production, that has had an economic relevance attested since the century XVIII, but with origins associated with the Monastery of Lorvão itself since the 17th century.

Ratafia pearls are small spheres made with an innovative technique, which wraps the Ratafia (typical Catalan liquor) with brown algae, making a thermo-resistant film that makes it possible to use them both with cooked dishes and desserts, either hot or cold, in a very simple way and with an elegant presentation. Ratafia pearls are a delight for gourmand palates and for lovers of ratafia, which pair in an excellent way with foie, matured cheese or toupee, cold soup of leek or melon or carrée of lamb, as with a tiramisu, a homemade flan, a chocolate cake, or a truffle nougat.

The ratafia, essentially, is a liquor made from brandy or anise, or a mixture of the two, with possible addition of sugar and maceration of green nuts and plants (herbs, spices, barks, flowers). The walnut fruit, walnuts, is the essential element for the production of ratafia. They have to be green. Aromatic herbs, however, also play an essential role in composing the puzzle that is ratafia. They can be put in more or less quantity, according to the recipe or family tradition: some put 20, 33 or even a hundred. Be that as it may, there are a few that cannot be missed, such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and star anise. The list of herbs and species that can be added is endless: lemon verbena, cinnamon, tarongine, mint, wild roses, pony, St. John’s wort, elderberry, hollyhock, lemon, orange, pomegranate and thyme.

For lovers of regional food from Minho, this is the best Basket you can find for your Easter Celebration. Authentic products with a unique taste that will surprise everyone around the table. From small producers to bigger ones you can taste unique flavours with the Minho characteristics.

The basket includes:

Presunto Castrejo 200-300g (by Delícias do Planalto): Presunto ham is the most noble part of the pig. Its ingredients are salt, oak or dry heather smoke, and cold and dry air, which purifies and protects it. The ideal altitude for curing is between 700 and 1500 metres, and our smokehouse is at an altitude of 1200 metres, thus making ham a delicacy with unbeatable flavour. It is matured for a minimum of one year and its quality is constantly controlled. The ham is sold whole or in pieces, without ever losing the taste that characterises it.

Salpicão de Melgaço 200g (by Delícias do Planalto): Obtained from the best pork meat seasoned with selected spices well combined, the Castrejo sausage is a product of choice. It is ideal for an exquisite and Portuguese style snack, making a perfect combination with a good cheese and Alvarinho wine, or as a starter for a meal. Delícias do Planalto: Company that produces and sells typical traditional smoked meat from the Castro laboreiro region. Delícias do Planalto has been proving the quality of its smoked meat and with the mission to continue the defence of pork meat from the Castro Laboreiro plateau.

Citron Infusion (by Quinta do Soalheiro): Soft and very delicate flavour aroma. Properties: Relaxing, antidepressant, purifying and with a strong sedative power. It promotes a feeling of general well-being. Quinta do Soalheiro: Pioneer in the creation of Alvarinho wine in Melgaço, and an international reference for wines of this variety, Soalheiro is perfectly integrated in the typically Minho landscape that surrounds it. In the seventies, the passion for viticulture led João António Cerdeira, with the support of his father, António Esteves Ferreira, to plant the first vineyard of Alvarinho and to create in 1982 the first brand of Alvarinho in Melgaço and one of the first brands of Alvarinho in the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço. Located in Melgaço (the most northern point of Portugal), is protected by a set of mountains that create the necessary conditions for better ripening of grapes from Alvarinho variety. Here, Alvarinho is special, the land is protected by a set of mountains that create conditions of rain, temperature and hours of sunshine necessary for the best ripening of grapes.

Corn and Alvarinho biscuits (by Melgaço dos Sabores): The corn and alvarinho biscuits Melgaço em Sabores are made in a traditional way with corn flour (yellow), cold butter cut into pieces, sugar, egg, water, lemon zest and alvarinho. Melgaço dos Sabores: a family-run company dedicated to the production of traditional homemade products of the Melgaço region, such as jams, liqueurs, aromatic oils, etc.

Espumante Alvarinho Super Reserva (by QM – Quintas de Melgaço): Made exclusively from the Alvarinho variety and only from grapes of excellent maturation, with a minimum ageing period of 24 months. Citrine colour, fine foam, very delicate and persistent cord. Slightly floral and fruity aroma, where tropical fruits dominate. Awarded with: 95 pts – in the 50 best sparkling wines in the world by Wine Pleasures Consumption suggestions: Aperitifs, Seafood, Fish, Goat, Suckling pig, Pastry. QM – Quintas de Melgaço: Their mission is to be a quality alvarinho wine company, sustained by innovation and brand development, bringing together synergies and enabling the most important agricultural activity of Melgaço, focused on achieving market leadership, satisfying all stakeholders of the organization.

American Grape Jam (by Casa da Portela Pequena): The American Grape Jam from Casa da Portela Pequena is the result of the combination of old knowledge and flavour. To an old recipe it was added fruit produced without any chemical products, cultivated in the Protected Area of Corno de Bico, in Paredes de Coura. From this combination, in a handmade production method, a flavour emerges that evokes gustatory and olfactory memories. As soon as we open the bottle, we are flooded with the unmistakable aroma of the grape. A sweet with a thick consistency, ideal to eat with toast and pancakes or even to accompany a cheese board. Ingredients: 60% fruit, 40% sugar per 100gr. Casa da Portela Pequena: a project of artisanal confection of sweets, jams and liqueurs. They combine traditional knowledge with a modern vision that involves betting on less usual flavours.

Cured Goat Cheese 120g (by Prados de Melgaço): Born where Portugal is born, and taking advantage of its privileged location, Prados de Melgaço is inspired by the heritage of the Portuguese cheese tradition, creating an authentic, original and unique goat’s cheese, enriching the variety of products of the region. The birth of a tradition… In this region of green pastures and pure air, where the cheese-making tradition did not arise, Prados de Melgaço integrates the privileged natural conditions in a characteristic goat cheese, with local stamp, which aims to become a reference product. To achieve this goal, Prados de Melgaço focuses the whole process on the care of their animals, ensuring the best breeding and feeding conditions to obtain exceptional milk, the raw material for a cheese of excellence. Attesting the quality of its cheese, Prados de Melgaço, with only six months in the market, H “C Q j 2 5” recognition that values the constant work and dedication and is an incentive for the future of the company.

Licor de Pericos de Valença 700ml (by Cantares de Portugal): Licor de Pericos has a sublime aroma, it’s a sweet liqueur with outstanding notes of ripe pericos. It’s a liqueur that arouses passions! Ingredients: Alcohol, Sugar, Natural Perico flavour and Water. Alcoholic Grade: 25%. Cantares de Portugal: A series of liquors that seek to depict Portugal’s tradition and cultures through flavour and scent.

Alvarinho Wine 2020 (by Alvaianas): Fortified wine, with predominance of stone fruit and some tropical fruit and a small floral touch. Region: Sub Region of Monção and Melgaço Classification: V.Q.P.R.D. White Alvarinho Cast: Alvarinho. Year: 2020. Winemaking: Marking of the harvest date after careful grape sampling Minimum bottle ageing of 2 months. Organoleptic Test Colour: Open Straw colour Aspect: Clear. Aroma: Furtive, with a predominance of stone fruit and some tropical fruit and a small floral touch. Taste: Confirms its aromatic potential through retro-nasal. Incorporated wine, persistent and harmonious, presenting a small mineral note. Quinta das Alvaianas: When the relief leans in amphitheatre over the river Minho, the vineyards of Alvaianas are located, where an incomparable wine arises, reflecting the combination of soil and weather conditions of the region, the grape variety, the effort and work of man. In these conditions, the Alvarinho grape variety, cultivated according to the most recent technologies and preserving the most ancient traditions of vine cultivation, careful selection of grapes and winemaking technology, propitiates a wine of high finesse, citrine colour, balanced, with high persistence and harmony in the mouth, resulting from the balance that presents between the alcohol content and acidity.

The WOODLOVESTONE collection is made from stone and wood. The plate and the saltcellar are made from Karst limestone, the second saltcellar and the mortar are made using the river Soča gravel stone.

1. PRODUCTS MADE OF KARST LIMESTONE: Why did I decide to use stone to make this memento? I chose this material because I love it and because I believe that together with Teran wine and the Prosciutto ham it personifies the Karst and the Karst soul. The sculptor Matejka Belle says: “In the Karst region lives the Karst person who is just like this stone – both hard and incredibly sensitive.
   • Small Plate is made of Karst limestone and walnut wood. In it I wanted to combine two primary materials, found on Karst for centuries, wood and stone. With the stone part of the plate I wanted to stress two sides of the Karst stone, the rough as well as the sanded and polished structure of the stone. The wooden part of the product is made of walnut. The plate is suitable for serving food which is sampled in small quantities, such as various nuts, cheese, olives, mixtures of spices, dried fruit, etc.
   • Saltcellar is made of Karst stone, the lid and little spoon are from walnut. With the saltcellar I wanted to stress two parts of the Karst stone, the rough and the polished structure of it. The walnut used for the lid and spoon, has been traditionally used for making wooden products for centuries. The salt cellar is intended for storing salt or other spices and also as a decorative element on the table.
2. PRODUCTS MADE OF SOČA GRAVEL STONE: At first sight one would think that I made a mistake by the choice of the material here, as we imagine the river Soča to be an Alpine river. However, Soča also has its Mediterranean character. At Solkan the river gorge opens onto the Solkan plane and acquires an entirely different character from the one it had just a few kilometres further back. In the bottom part of the river Soča, the gravel stone takes more regular form, shaped by the river.
   • Saltcellar is made from Soča gravel stone, the lid and spoon are made of walnut. In this product I endeavoured to stress the primary nature of the river Soča. On the outside the gravel is just as we find it on the Soča river bank. The only intervention into the nature of the gravel itself is on the outside at the bottom of the saltcellar and the hole in it. The walnut, out of which the lid and the spoon are made, has been utilised for luxury items for centuries. The saltcellar is intended for storing salt or other spices as well as a decorative element on the table.
   • Mortar is made of Soča gravel, while the wooden pestle is made of acacia wood. In this product I wanted to stress the primary nature of the river Soča. The gravel on the outside again is just as we find it on the banks of the river Soča. The acacia wood in our region is used for products that require hard and enduring wood. Traditionally for example it is used for stakes in the vineyard. The mortar is intended for grinding of the spices and herbs and for preparation of herb and spice mixtures as well as making of pesto.

Packaging or boxes for the products are made of poplar tree plywood. With its shape I wanted to imitate old crates used for transport of valuable items. The delivery address was often written on these crates. This is represented by the writing on the top of the box. I decided to make wooden boxes for storing the products also as I consider them to be “safer” in those.

Years ago, fishermen and port workers, before starting their daily tasks and when the sun had not yet risen, the tradition was to warm up by drinking a ginet: having a drink of gin, the traditional drink of Menorca introduced to the island at the time of the English rule in the 18th century, and served in small glasses.

Recalling this tradition, this small collection called Ginets includes three glasses inspired by the caneca, the traditional bottle with a handle used to sell the Gin de Menorca and which preserves the design of yesteryear. The green colour of the glasses reminds us of the colour of the glass of the emblematic bottle, as well as the round shape of the handle and the red colour of the stoppers, sealed with red sealing wax. The small pieces are finished with a brushstroke at the base, with copper carbonate. This material, copper, is what the old stills are made of, where gin is still being distilled today in the distillery in the port of Maó, Menorca.

These glasses are made of stoneware and quartz-based matte glaze, coloured with oxides and fired at high temperature. The glasses have a decidedly vintage look, with their rounded handles and medley of colours, influenced by the distinctive design of the gin bottle.

As for the packaging, it has been designed with recyclable cardboard, thought to be effective in protecting the product and feasible for transport. At the same time it is a design thought to be able to be exhibited with the ceramics, forming an aesthetic and practical set for the display assembly in the store. The product’s packaging design is by Formigó Estudio (www.formigo.net), advertising and design agency formed by Miquel Vidal Pons and Olga Marquès, located in Gandia, Valencia, with Menorcan roots.