It all started with a late-night conversation with our friends at SLOP about the wonders of Portuguese food. What we didn't know is that would be the start of a collaboration that just feels right.

We ended up telling them about certain hidden seafood treasures nestled along our beautiful and mesmerizing coastline. Some can be a real challenge to catch, and even a bit risky. Intriguing, right? To say the least.

We decided to challenge SLOP team (and ours) to go on a guided tour and try to catch one of Portugal's most mystical marbles: percebes. These little barnacles may look ordinary, but their historical and monetary value is almost comparable to gold.

We met at 6AM at the dock of the Tagus river. It seems the best way to catch these barnacles is to sail as close as possible to the rocks, jump off and chisel them off. So that's what we went for. But the wind wasn't on our side, so we had to sail back. Thankfully, we managed to catch a couple of seabass and a conger eel for dinner.

Not satisfied to call it a day, we ended up visiting one of Portugal's best oyster producers: Neptun Pearl. We made it to this peacefull small lagoon that's fed from the river with oyster beds laid out across the water, basking in the sun.
Celia, the owner (and, let's say, absolute expert in the area) showed us how it works: she gets in the water, finds the perfect net and empties some shells onto the grass in front of us. No words for these oysters taste, so we let images speak for themselves.

We made our way to Aqui Há Peixe, a top-notch seafood restaurant in Lisbon, owned and run by Chef Miguel and his wife for decades. We've been fans for a while, and the food did not disappoint: cuttlefish with black rice and squid ink, razor clams with garlic and white wine, tiny fried squid and two huge turbots.

The journey extended far beyond just looking for barnacles. It was a delightful day filled with savoring delicious oysters, enjoying exquisite wines, and the perfect kick-off to a special launch of three collaborative products, which perfectly pay homage to Portugal’s leisurely way of life.

Read all the juicy details at Slop Magazine Issue 4.
Photography by the talented Harriet Langford.