The Algarve has, since last Saturday, September 17th, another Confraternity that aims to be much more than a food and drink association. This is the Confraria Gastronómica da Sardinha de Portimão, whose founding members' enthronement ceremony took place at the Portimão Museum.
The godmother confraternity chosen was that of Atum de Vila Real de Santo António, represented by several confreres and by António Cabrita, who also represented the Portuguese Federation of Gastronomic Confraternities.
From various parts of the country, other confraternities came who wanted to associate themselves with the enthronement of the founding members of the new Confraternity.
The Confraria da Sardinha has as its object and ambition «to contribute to the survey, defense, promotion and dissemination of the cultural, environmental, historical and gastronomic heritage of Sardinha, and may also cover the Algarve region», «support research, disseminate, promote, organize all types of actions in defense of the environment in general and sardines in particular", as well as "collaborate with public and private, local, regional, national and international tourism, environment and culture bodies".
The ceremony was attended by the president of the Coordination and Regional Development Commission ~(José Apolinário), the regional director of Agriculture and Fisheries in the Algarve (Pedro Valadas Monteiro), the councilor Teresa Mendes, the president of the Parish Council of Portimão (Maria da Luz Santana) and the deputy and president of the Municipal Assembly of Portimão (Isabel Guerreiro).
The logo of the Confraria Gastronómica da Sardinha de Portimão consists of a simple, easily identifiable and modern sardine and was designed by the artist João Sena. The design of the new Confraria costume had the precious collaboration of the Portimonense stylist Sandra Gonçalves.
«The choices made for the elaboration of the costume mark a historical heritage and a tradition strongly rooted in the culture of the city of Portimão, once one of the most important industrial poles of canning and fishing for sardines», explains the Confraria.
The costume consists of a navy blue cap, inspired by the model used in this coastal area, a navy blue cape, with a dust jacket in the same color, both lined with fabric in a silver tone, reminiscent of the sea and the color of sardines. It also contains a fishing mesh net in the dust jacket alluding to this activity.
The cape has a priest collar where, at both ends (of the collar), a wooden button (maritime plywood) in the shape of a fishing float has been placed. The two ends are joined by a cable that forms a sailor's knot.
To the Founding Confreres, the cable with a red sailor's knot corresponds to the other Confrades, the cable with a green sailor's knot. Red and green represent port and starboard respectively, for those who sail.
It also has a stripe with a logo, in silver tone, similar to the lining of the covers, applied to the lower left front of the collar. The Confraria logo presents the designation “Confraria da Sardinha – Portimão”.
After the enthronement ceremony of the founding members of the Confraria Gastronómica da Sardinha de Portimão, with the oath and the initials that made the act official, there was also a dinner at the restaurant “Taberna de Portimão”, where the sardine was queen, the place where it all started in 2021.
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