A company with a philosophy of life

Elichristie

After almost five decades of dictatorship, Portugal began to avidly absorb international influences as from the mid-1970s. And, like many of the companies holding alternative ideas, Elichristi was launched as an idea towards the end of the 1970s when its founder José da Costa decided to put into practice the ecological ideas he defended. At the beginning of the 1980s, José moved to Lisbon in order to set up the first company producing natural and organic products in Portugal, which, beyond various other experiments, was also the first to launch tofu (also known as soya cheese) onto the national market.

As the explorer that he naturally is, José decided to head further onwards and take still greater risk in relocating at his own cost to the Serra de Aire e Candeeiros Natural Park (1). This proved a place of excellent inspiration for new products and resulting in rice jelly (sweet rice made from split grains) and ‘trigueirinhas’ (a rice drink with split grains) beginning production and always through recourse to traditional methods.

Elichristi has a philosophy and a positioning that reflects this

The Elichristi name came in 1998 when registering the firm as a limited stock company and already having at that time around a dozen employees and a diverse range of organic products. As with all sustainable business models worthy of the name, Elichristi has a philosophy and a positioning that reflects its approach. Values such as love and respect for the creator, for our peers, for all living beings along with nature itself and without ever overlooking how harmony in all things are the best leverages of a company.

The search for humility is essential as the foundation for sustaining all other virtues

Hence, as its ultimate goal, Elichristi accepts the search for humility as the foundation sustaining all the other virtues.

Elichristi products can now be found in all Portugal’s stores with a range of natural products. All organic, the range includes various types of tofu, from the simple to seaweed tofu or baked tofu. There is also seitan, rice jelly, ‘trigueirinhas’, pickles and sauerkraut. There are also various types of bread whether made from flours ground from spelt, wheat, rice or any variety of mixtures of rye, maize and oats and not to forget the brown rice and different seaweed breads. Furthermore, soya based sausages as well as many other such stuffed products baptized as ‘moirinhas’, thus ensuring their totally vegetarian nature plays on the Portuguese name given to their meat based cousins. That is in addition to the range of savoury pies made with tofu or seitan. The dessert list only begins with cinnamon cake and apple and cocoa pies. A vast product range providing for the harmony and health of all.

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..

There was no emission of CO 2 in the production of this article.