Taste the land, supports its future

In the hills of the Serra do Caldeirão, two brothers are keeping a family connection to the land alive. 

At Feito no Zambujal, Manuel and Rui Jerónimo raise Alentejano black pigs on the same land that once belonged to their grandparents. Their small-scale approach brings together traditional knowledge, local resources and a production process closely connected to the place where it began. 

The rhythms of the land continue through every stage. Natural ingredients, traditional techniques and long curing times allow the products to develop slowly, preserving flavours and ways of making that are deeply rooted in the mountain communities of the Algarve. The entire process, from raising the animals to transforming and selling the products, remains closely connected to the place where it began. 

But the story does not end at the table. Feito no Zambujal welcomes visitors to the farm and production site, offering the opportunity to discover where the food comes from and taste the products at their source. By opening the doors of a working rural enterprise, the experience brings visitors closer to the people, practices and landscapes behind the flavours of the region. 

In an area facing depopulation and economic pressure, keeping local production alive also helps keep a local way of life alive. Tourism gives visitors a reason to travel beyond the Algarve’s better-known coast, while creating value for rural livelihoods, local resources and traditions.