Author: John

Markets can tell you a lot about a town. Whenever I travel to a new city, I make a point of finding the fresh food market.  The vendors, products and patrons all contribute to a story about the cuisine and culture of an area as well as the quality and quantity of local food producers.

The Livramento market in Setubal offers arrays of seafood in varieties that are integrated into the cuisine of this historic port town. Shrimp, cuttlefish, scores of whitefish, snails, sardines, eel and percebes all make their way into shoppers net bags and restaurant menus and ultimately in dishes like fish stews called migas or açordas caldeiradas, chocos fritos and very often the most satisfying is the most simple – fresh grilled fish.  The smells emanating from the kitchens start making me hungry long before lunchtime begins.

The market is also adorned with one of the most beautiful blue tile walls I’ve ever seen. A beauty that is seemingly taken for granted by the men who pass their time chatting while waiting for their wives to shop.

The story this market tells is of the sea since Setúbal has been a fishing village throughout history because of its location on a natural inlet off the Atlantic Ocean. It is also protected by the Arrabida National Park, which gives this area some breathing room from development, where they cultivate olives, cork and sweet Setubal orange trees and provides grazing land that gives this region an ability to live the same way their ancestors did.

Setubal is also home to two DOC wines; Setúbal and Palmela as well as some of Portugal’s oldest and most respected wineries. There are also many microscopically small producers who sell wines at their gate (à portão).

 

 

Much of the area is flat and sandy, with the exception of the Serra da Arrábida, a short chain of mountains that stretch along the south coast of the peninsula.  The soil in the hills is a mixture of limestone and clay.  These slopes where they grow the grapes for their famous Moscatel de Setúbal DOC wines. It is a sweet and fragrant wine and has candied orange flavours and ages well to show nutty and toffy characteristics.

Palmela DOC  is mainly red and made with the Castelão grape, which is grown in the hot and sandy soils of Palmela.  These wines show a  complexity and depth, balance and elegance with nice cherry flavoured fruit.

When I think back to the places where I’ve traveled, I always think of the people, and the pride they take in their products, and the history that is told through every glass of wine and every plate of food and every visit to their market.  The Livramento market, the cheese makers, fishmongers, wineries, they will stay with me forever.