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Broa de Avintes is the farmhouse bread of Avintes, also known as Boroa of
The name "broa" or "boroa" likely comes from Germanic *brauda-, specifically
Avintes
Avintes is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia. The population in 2011 was 11,497,Avintes
Avintes is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia. The population in 2011 was 11,497,Vila Nova de Gaia
Vila Nova de Gaia (; cel-x-proto, Cale), or simply Gaia, is a city and a municipality in Porto District in Norte Region, Portugal. It is located south of the city of Porto on the other side of the Douro River. The city proper had a population ...
- also called the "land of bread") is a type of bread with a long tradition in Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
which is widely consumed in the northern part of the country.
Etymology
The name "broa" or "boroa" likely comes from Germanic *brauda-, specifically Suebian
The Suebi (or Suebians, also spelled Suevi, Suavi) were a large group of Germanic peoples originally from the Elbe river region in what is now Germany and the Czech Republic. In the early Roman era they included many peoples with their own names ...
. This type of bread existed in Gallaecia
Gallaecia, also known as Hispania Gallaecia, was the name of a Roman province in the north-west of Hispania, approximately present-day Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Norte, Portugal, northern Portugal, Asturias and León (province), Leon and the lat ...
at least since Suebian times. Prior to the addition of corn to the mixture, the main ingredients of broa were rye and malt. After corn was introduced in Europe from the Americas, "broa" became widely associated with "corn-bread".
Apart from the similarity of the Portuguese and German words ''Broa'' and ''Brot'', there is a strong resemblance between this very traditional Northern Portuguese bread and the German ''Roggenbrot'' (rye bread).
Some suggest the name 'Broa' could derive instead from the Celtic word *broga- 'limit, field'.
Definition and production
It is a dark brown, very dense bread with a distinctive and intense flavour, bittersweet, made with corn and rye flours. It has a particularly slow manufacturing process: it is baked for about five to six hours in the oven. Once cooked, it is sprinkled with flour. The bread generally has the shape of a bell tower.Recent history
Nowadays, the bread ofAvintes
Avintes is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia. The population in 2011 was 11,497,tradition
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
, the people of Avintes have maintained its crafty production, which is well appreciated by consumers who increasingly seek genuinely traditional products.
The making and eating
Connected to its production are many so-called "secrets" which, real or not, lay in the certitudes and knowledge gained from experience of many generations of Avintes' bakers as well as the judicious choice of materials used. There were also some superstitions related to its mixing and baking, involving prayers and blessings, as indeed in the rest of Portugal when making bread in the old fashioned ways. The "brôa" can also be served fried - for example, duringChristmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
as part of typical dishes in some of the northerners'homes. It is also used as the basis for multiple meal starters, for example with presunto (cured ham
Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term "ham ...
) and with traditional Portuguese "caldo-verde" or "green broth".
Every year, since 1988, the village of Avintes hosts their "brôa" bread festival during the last week of August.
See also
* List of Portuguese dishesReferences
{{Reflist Portuguese cuisine