Porto

Since the nineteenth century, the Bolho Market in Porto has been the culinary hub of Northern Portugal, where farmers, fishermen, and artisan food producers (think wine, cheese, and olive oil) have gathered to sell their products and swap their stories in the open air. Due to the rise of chains and supermarkets, the number of vendors has slowly dwindled, and the market’s walls have crumbled into disrepair-but the space still pulses with knowledge earned over generations and the rich culinary heritage of the region.
Although locals and tourists, newly interested in artisan products and organic produce, have started to visit Bolho Market in greater numbers, its fate remains in question. Again and again, the local government has promised revitalization efforts, but even if they happen, there is no guarantee that vendors-mostly octogenarian grandmothers-can afford to come back, or that a piece of the market’s Old World charm will not be lost.
That’s why Gabriella Opaz and Sonia Andresson Nolasco have preserved these local women’s stories and recipes in Porto, a heartfelt portrait of a place as told by the people keeping its legacy alive. Divided into chapters that highlight Northern Portuguese staples-bread, produce, seafood, cured meats, and more-this book introduces one of the world’s greatest, though often overlooked, culinary regions, and provides invaluable advice for what to see, do, and taste when you visit.

Author Biography

Gabriella Opaz is an award-winning speaker, writer, and consultant on storytelling and communication. Co-founder and co-owner of Catavino, which offers custom food, wine, and cultural tours of Portugal and Spain, she contributes to Wine & Spirits Magazine. Gabriella co-founded the Born Digital Wine Awards (BDWA), which celebrate responsible, diverse wine journalism around the globe, and was a TEDx Porto speaker in 2017. Born in Chicago, Gabriella now lives in Porto, Portugal.

Sonia Andresson Nolasco is a journalist, editor, and publicist who primarily works with food, wine, travel, and art organizations to promote Portugal. She resigned as a public relations director in Manhattan to join Catavino in Porto, immersing herself in Bolho Market intermittently for two years to build the relationships that inspired the intimate portraits in the book. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, and raised in the Ironbound-Newark, a Portuguese enclave in New Jersey, Sonia now lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

Ryan Opaz is a photographer and knight of the Port Wine Brotherhood who has worked as a chef, butcher, art teacher, public speaker, and wine writer. As CEO of Catavino, which he cofounded with his wife, Gabriella, he has spent the last 12 years guiding people throughout Portugal, kindling their love for a country and people he cherishes.