Épicerie des Terroirs - The art of cheese as a ritual

On Rua de Diu, where the Atlantic breeze meets the elegant daily life of Foz do Douro, we find an establishment that seems to have come from another part of the world and another culinary culture: the Épicerie des Terroirs cheese shop. The project came about through the bond between father and son, Tomé and Mário Ferreira, Portuguese nationals who spent their lives in France but wanted to bring to Oporto the same reverence that the French devote to cheese.

[…]an establishment that seems to have come from another part of the world and another culinary culture[…]

Mário, who worked as a quality control officer in France, found the passion that drives him in Lisbon, when he worked in a cheese shop. “It was there that I realised I wanted to work with cheese in greater detail, in a more artisanal way, working for myself,” he explains. The idea of opening his own premises took shape when he realised that there was nothing like it in Foz: a meeting place for connoisseurs, travellers, people looking for authentic flavours – or simply people who have a curious palate.

Épicerie des Terroirs specialises in cheeses, wines, charcuterie, pâtés, jams and mustards, all chosen with care and sourced primarily from small producers. The selection is for the most part French, spanning the different regions of the country, while also including a few Portuguese gems, such as Serra da Estrela cheese from a small producer, made with raw sheep’s milk and fermented entirely under natural conditions. “Raw milk cheese is the best kind of cheese. The milk goes straight from the animal to production, no fat is removed - and it is in the fat that the true value lies,” Tomé points out. And if there is one area where father and son are both experts, it is precisely this: the difference between industrial cheese and genuinely artisanal cheese. At Épicerie, virtually none of the cheeses undergo chemical processes, and many of them are the result of time-consuming and increasingly rare hand processing.

Épicerie des Terroirs specialises in cheeses, wines, charcuterie, pâtés, jams and mustards, all chosen with care and sourced primarily from small producers.

Highlights among the French cheeses include Comté, a classic from the French mountains and a favourite of almost everyone, as well as Gouda and various types of goat’s cheese, which are lighter and more delicate. There is also a Brie that has no similarity to those found in supermarkets, and a Roquefort from one of only two artisan producers who still produce everything in the traditional way. These are cheeses that carry terroir, memory and depth.

But the experience offered goes far beyond buying at the counter: there are tastings, sharing, conversations about ripening and origins, and irresistible cheese boards with combinations of cow, sheep and goat cheeses, more or less ripened, always accompanied by dried fruits and nuts and wines chosen with equal care. These come directly from small French and Portuguese producers, with more organic and less industrial production. In this experience, we were unable to resist the Moliterno al tartufo and the saucisson sec truffé, accompanied by a Vidago Villa – we guarantee, these are the flavours of the gods.

The goal is to create culture and introduce the Portuguese to artisan cheese. In France, cheese is truly a ritual. “At the end of a meal, you always eat cheese. In my house, it was an absolute essential... and there was even a budget for it,” laughs Tomé. In Portugal, this habit is yet to be formed – and that is what Épicerie aims to cultivate: a knowledgeable clientele, but also one that wants to learn.

Inspired by the traditional cheese shops found in cities such as Nantes, Tomé and Mário want to make Épicerie des Terroirs a stand-out destination. A place where time slows down, where expertise is put to the test, and where each cheese tells a story that began long before it reached the homes of Foz.

At Épicerie, virtually none of the cheeses undergo chemical processes, and many of them are the result of time-consuming and increasingly rare manual processing.

Text: Carla Martins
Photos: Ana Nogueira