Now it’s easy to find those things you miss

Portugal is a country of customs, many of them healthy and nice, but it seems increasingly distant from itself. The country is abandoning a number of traditions to the realms of memory, and it is gradually being occupied by new habits which are based purely on consumption. But there is one shop filled with traditional Portuguese products which is still resisting such change: A Vida Portuguesa.

The result of research into old Portuguese products by the journalist Catarina Portas, in 2004 the brand Uma Casa Portuguesa appeared, but it only sold hampers. They opened their first shop in 2007 named A Vida Portuguesa (literally “The Portuguese Life”). Although there are a number of sales points in different parts of the country (as well as on-line sales), the brand’s two shops are located in historical areas: one in Clérigos in Porto and the other in Chiado in Lisbon.

In its “manifesto”, the brand proudly states that it came into being through the desire to stock Portuguese products that have survived over time, such as the toothpaste Couto, Viarco pencils, A Brasileira coffee and Confiança soaps. And what is the most Portuguese word of all, not found in any other language, if not “saudade”, that especially Portuguese blend of longing and nostalgia? A Vida Portuguesa thus takes people on a genuine journey back in time with spinning tops, the salazar spatula, the classic Sanjo tennis shoes or Bordalo Pinheiro chinaware. Everything that was once part of everyday life in Portugal, and thus forms part of the nation’s collective imagination, can be found there. From foodstuffs and beverages, to books and toys and china items. Because progress does not mean abandoning the past.

“A Vida Portuguesa proudly states that it came into being from the desire to stock Portuguese products that have survived over time and to fill a nostalgic gap – saudade – which is typical of the Portuguese”

About the author

Hugo Filipe Lopes:Has a degree in sociology and a post-graduate qualification in clinical nutrition from the Egas Moniz Faculty. Collaborates with a number of online publications, a trainer and nutritional therapist. Honourable mentions in the Casa da Imprensa and Lisboa à Letra competitions..