MY TOUR OF PORTUGALIA MARKETPLACE
When you’re craving Portuguese food and wine but aren’t ready to book that trip quite yet, you’re in luck, thanks to Portugalia Marketplace. Located in Fall River, MA, Portugalia Marketplace is one of my favorite markets. We often plan a visit on our way back from Rhode Island. Portugalia is an emporium filled with epicurean Portuguese delights; there are rows of tinned fish, olive oil, baked goods, cheeses, organic tea, olives, and a custom-built refrigerated room dedicated to bacalhau, the coveted salted cod. The space has a wine shop that boasts one of the largest collections of Portuguese wines, a cafe, and gorgeous crafts and artisan goods. Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of touring Portugalia with Vice President Michael Benevides.
In the 1970s, when Michael was a few years old, the Benevides family emigrated from the Azores to Fall River, MA. They landed in Fall River to be near family who had settled into the dense Portuguese neighborhood. Michael’s mother worked in textiles while his father, Fernando, began as a boat builder. Always an entrepreneur at heart, Fernando began selling wholesale Portuguese items out of his home garage. Business took off in the early 90s, and the Benevides expanded to a former soda factory for about 20 years, focusing on wholesale and retail food products. Eventually, the family was ready to expand again. They bought the current site of Portugalia Marketplace at 489 Bedford Street, which was built in the early 1920s as a textile factory. After a major renovation, they opened up the 20,000 square feet space, welcoming customers daily. Michael reflects that the business started with mostly Portuguese customers and now has an expanded demographic of non-Portuguese customers. With an uptick in direct flights, it’s easier for Americans to travel to Portugal. Once back from the trip, travellers are often eager to recreate their Portuguese culinary experience, and, thanks to Portugalia, it’s easy. “As people travel, they experience the culture first-hand, and there is nothing like it. And then they get inspired,” remarks Michael Benevides.
Walking through the aisles in Portugalia is a sensory experience with enticing scents and beauty displayed throughout; it’s clear the marketplace is full of heart and reflects the Benevides’ passion for sharing the cultural heritage and diversity of Portuguese products with the US market. Conservas or tinned fish styles include tuna, sardines, squid, mackerel, octopus, salmon, and anchovies. The cheese counter is stacked with barrels of cheese like Pastor da Beira Alta Queijo da Serra, which is cured with paprika or São Jorge Cheese that is aged for 12 months. There are plenty of olive oils and vinegars, such as Metáfora and Herdade do Esporão Seleção. (We stumbled upon this particular olive oil when we were in Portugal 10 years ago and always stock up when we visit Portugalia.) And let’s not forget about the vast wine collection that includes bottles from the Alentejo, Açores, Dão, and Douro regions, to name a few. If you’re a Massachusetts resident and interested in stocking up on your Portuguese wine collection, you’re in luck. Thanks to state liquor laws, Portugalia can ship wine within the state.
Michael travels to Portugal several times a year and is always on the hunt to source and scout out new products and discover trends. He loves seeing how tinned fish has taken off or how popular the bacalhau and octopus are for non-native Portuguese customers.
If you can’t make it to Fall River on the fly, Portugalia Marketplace ships plenty of products nationwide (wine ships just state-wide). And, on Monday, April 7, from 6-8 pm, Portugalia will be at the Taste of Portugal event at City Winery in Boston. I’m excited to attend and looking forward to learning more about Portuguese wines. Até logo!
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