“HERMÍNIA OF MARÃO”
Her nickname says a lot about her connection to the land. Hermínia, who spent 17 years in France, returned to Tabuadelo, a small village in the mountains of Marão which were once described by renowned Portuguese writer Miguel Torga as “the wonderful kingdom”. Opening a grocery store and an eatery 14 years ago was the way to go. The table on the porch is always ready to make guests feel welcome and, of course, there’s no better way of starting a meal than with bean soup made in a cast iron pot. The secret: finely chopped homegrown cabbage, just like her father taught her.