In the event you’re from the South Coast of Massachusetts, one of many largest Little Portugals in America, and also you assume Portuguese meals, you assume Portugalia Market. The expansive, design-forward meals emporium carries all the pieces from Previous World staples equivalent to bacalhau (salt cod), tinned fish, dried beans, jarred sauces and pastes to ready meals, recent baked items, beautiful bedding and linens, and the most effective assortment of wines exterior of Portugal.
The credit score for the shop goes to Michael Benevides, 44, a second-generation Portuguese businessman. Satisfied he might develop the household enterprise from its authentic location within the household’s storage, which had served solely the native Portuguese neighborhood for 25 years, he additionally satisfied his father. Very quickly, Benevides transferred the enterprise to a bigger warehouse, and, lastly, to its current dwelling in a former textile manufacturing facility.
Alongside the way in which, Benevides the Youthful turned Portugalia into the go-to Portuguese meals corridor for everybody from the native Portuguese inhabitants to culinary vacationers in search of the true deal. And if you realize the South Coast Portuguese neighborhood as I do, with their headstrong refusal to embrace even the slightest change, you’d perceive the monumental hurdles Benevides has overcome. The consequence: The shop now rivals world markets equivalent to Sahadi’s, Zabars, or Eataly.
And that’s Benevides’s biggest achievement: revolutionizing the Portuguese pantry whereas nonetheless being true to its historical past and tastes. Living proof: bacalhau or salt cod. For hundreds of years, Portuguese sailors dominated the seas, and, ever since, salt cod from the North Atlantic has been one of many nation’s culinary staples. Immigrants introduced the custom to america. For the previous a number of many years, although, you may solely discover salt cod fillets in plastic baggage or small wood containers, and the standard was generally questionable. Earlier than that, method again within the day, my grandfather would flip by means of piles of triangular planks of salt cod perched on plywood tables in shops with sawdust strewn of the flooring. The fish was as arduous as wooden and as odiferous as moldering gymnasium socks, a odor that turned me off of salt cod for years.
In 2013, when Benevides opened the present location, he included a pristine, temperature-controlled bacalhau room, which has to be the most important and possibly the one room on the planet devoted to the prized fish. Just like the markets of outdated, he too sells complete planks of cod–his from Norway and Canada–bacalhau bits, marvelous salt-cod cheeks, loin, cuts with pores and skin on and skinless. You identify it.
The abundance overflows into the remainder of the shop with top-quality olive oils and tinned tuna, sardines, octopus, mackerel, and squid. Aisles dedicated to conservas (jams) share house with these that includes cooking and baking gear and the aforementioned large assortment of Portuguese wine. Regionally baked Azorean bread, equivalent to massa sovada (an eggy bread much like challah), bolos levedos (the Azores’ candy model of English muffins), and pāo de casa (selfmade bread) spill from the again wall together with dozens of imported cheeses. In entrance of all of it, piles of closely smoked chouriço, linguiça, and morcela (blood sausage) tempt, as do instances of ready meals. Bacalhau á Gômes de Sa (salt cod, potato, and egg casserole), rissóis (shrimp turnovers), and soups are simply a few of the gadgets on the menu.
As if that weren’t sufficient, there’s an in-house bakery that sells all the pieces from savory bites and chouriço unfold (sure, I’m on the menu!) to muffins and the well-known pastéis de nata, small custard-filled pastries.
So it comes as no shock, as Benevides mentioned in an interview I had with him lately (see beneath), they’re already outgrowing their house. Parabéns!
Interview with Michael Benevides of Portugalia Market
When did you become involved within the busiess?
I used to be introduced up within the enterprise from a really younger age (since 11 years outdated). Rising up in an immigrant neighborhood like Fall River, we lived an identical expertise to most Portuguese within the space. My dad and mom have been each manufacturing facility employees, however my father needed extra and that impressed me in some ways. His tenacity, drive, work ethic, and sacrifices formed me. My father was an enormous advocate for greater training and insisted on me going to school. If the enterprise didn’t succeed, I might all the time fall again on my training.
What have been a few of your inspirations for the brand new Portugalia?
In school, I developed an extra appreciation for what my dad and mom have been doing with the enterprise and have become fascinated by exploring the meals trade. I used to be then lucky to fulfill my spouse, Sandrine, who grew up in a French household with a father who was a chef. This additional cemented my love of meals. I additionally began touring to France and Portugal, and through these journeys, I used to be impressed by open-air markets, the standard of merchandise, and the eye to element that Europeans must meals. This acquired my wheels turning about the best way to reinvent the household enterprise. We had an incredible and stable ethnic base, however I felt we would have liked to showcase what we have been already doing to a bigger viewers.
What was your aim in making a vacation spot retailer?
As I started to journey to Portugal extra, I found that the nation was additionally experiencing new actions and dynamics round meals, artwork, and tradition and I began to think about the best way to seize that vitality.
There are a number of causes I feel Portugalia has turn out to be a vacation spot: People’ rising fascination with meals tradition together with making a market in a former textile mill with persona and soul. We showcase so many various merchandise which are new to many shoppers. Clients typically consult with the market as a cultural tour, and this makes me very completely happy and fulfilled. The aim was at first to promote the tradition that I’ve all the time been so pleased with. Whether or not it was the modern Portuguese tradition or the now-transformed “Mercado de Saudade,” this turned our aim. A market that’s consultant of each fashionable Portugal whereas nonetheless honoring the immigrant communities that reside in New England.
What are the most important misconceptions you need to assist folks overcome once they stroll within the door?
I’d say that one of many misconceptions we’ve got to assist non-Portuguese folks overcome is that Portugal is not a part of Spain! This has modified tremendously during the last 5 to 10 years. Though there are some gastronomic similarities between the nations (for instance cured meats), we’ve got our personal delicacies.
The opposite factor that non-Portuguese in New England are usually not conscious of is the truth that there may be extra to Portuguese delicacies than sweetbread and chouriço, which have turn out to be a part of New England regional fare and rightfully so.
As for misconceptions of the Portuguese who’ve lived within the area for a while, we’ve got to assist them overcome the truth that Portugal has developed from the Portugal they as soon as knew into a rustic that now embraces its custom however can be impressed by others and that we’ve got merchandise that now compete amongst different culinary stalwarts.
How do you go about curating the Portuguese gadgets you promote? How typically do you go to Portugal?
Being within the enterprise for what looks like a lifetime, I’ve developed a way of what our clients could be fascinated by. The market dynamics have shifted considerably, permitting me to turn out to be extra experimental in my purchases. I usually go to Portugal two to 3 occasions a yr, and in doing so I search out suppliers and scour the nation searching for new and outdated.
Inform us extra in regards to the historical past of the shop and the place you hope to be sooner or later.
We began the enterprise in 1988 in a three-car storage at the back of the tenement dwelling we lived in 5 blocks from our present location. My father began the enterprise to provide the ethnic neighborhood that exists in Fall River. We bought very typical and conventional staples equivalent to bacalhau, olive oil, tinned fish, and so on. My father was capable of develop our market to draw Portuguese clients from close to and much.
Sooner or later, we had clients touring in from throughout New England. This base is what basically turned the impetus for us to develop. We’re within the means of constructing our model nationally with our e-commerce and in addition making an attempt to develop our wholesale footprint nationally.
Are you seeing an rising appreciation of Portuguese meals, wine, and delicacies?
All of the current journey to Portugal by non-Portuguese has helped strengthen the notion and picture of Portuguese merchandise. Portugal now attracts many numerous teams of people who find themselves adventurous eaters. These people have gotten strolling ambassadors for the model Portugal.
If somebody hasn’t had Portuguese meals, what would an excellent starter present field be?
I’d counsel conservas, olive oil, cheese, cured meats, wine (though we will’t ship alcohol), and nuts.
The place to seek out Portugalia Market
Portugalia is positioned at:
489 Bedford St.
Fall River, MA 02720
Phone: (508) 617-9820.
