Innovations in Portuguese oyster culture.

The region of Alvarge in Portugal already has its first exclusively oyster dedicated restaurant. The concept is to try the clam in some ways: basic natural, and more elaborated with fancy recipes.

The enterprise came from “the life is Beautiful” company, which after acting in diverse areas decided to enter the gastronomic business. The place is situated in Tavira city, at the gardens of the “Vila Galé Albacora Hotel”, and has privileged view of the place where the oyster is produced: “ria Formosa”.

Thinking of the future, the company acquired a culture of oysters and guarantees that the region farmers produce all the bivalves they use. The objective is to democratize the consumption of the clam, usually associated to the high social class, and to increase the exportation of the products “made in Ria Formosa”.

The company is interested in expanding the market of the Portuguese oysters, already very appreciated by the Frenchmen who pay expensive for them:

- “When I was in Arcachon, I realized that the most expensive oysters were the ones they called ‘les portugaises’. I came to discover that there were a nickname because they were created in Ria Formosa.”
“António Corner, of the company “the life is Beautiful”

The company also wants to show the local producers ways to add value to the clam, and for this they co-ordinate excursions for the main consuming regions, as Lisboa and France, where they learn the different treatments given to the oyster.

Moreover they propose innovations as form to attract tourists to the region, when showing how the oysters are produced and providing a well-elaborated meal and with gastronomic luxuries.

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“Here’s the oyster” Festival

Between days 25 - 27 of July the first festival of the oyster - “Here’s the oyster”, it was carried through by the Formosa Cooperative - Cooperative of formosa Ria oyster producers and the City council of Tavira.

Fellow creature to the already traditional events - Festival of the Shellfish and the Village of Cockles – this festival is another action of marketing to divulge the oysters produced in Ria Formosa and to form a tourist script of bivalves in the region.

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To read this story in Portuguese language, click here!