AzorGhee - The New Butter of the Azores
A relação entre os Açores, o leite e a manteiga é antiga e amplamente reconhecida.
A relação entre os Açores, o leite e a manteiga é antiga e amplamente reconhecida.
The analysis of the milk sector and its derived products throughout the ages.
The relationship between the Azores, milk and butter is old and widely recognized, with the cultivation and production of dairy cows part of the history of the Azores and one of the pillars of the islands' economy.
Gaspar Frutuoso, the oldest Azorean chronicler, in his book "Saudades da Terra" (1580-1590), volume III, referred to:"... milk is very thick and thus makes a lot of butter, and nowhere do cows give more..."
From the available sources, it is possible to know that, around 1880, the first dairy factory was installed in the Azores, which was intended for the industrial manufacture of cheese and butter, and that in 1843, the first Portuguese Agricultural Association was founded in the Azores.
The region currently has an official milk classification service that guarantees the quality of the milk and contributes to the well-known reputation of Azorean dairy products. The Region currently has an official milk classification service that guarantees its quality and contributes to the recognized reputation of Azorean dairy products.
Azorean butter is a product obtained from pasteurised cream, from cow's milk from the Azores archipelago, the animals are still raised using traditional farming techniques and with continuous grazing throughout the year.
It does not have any kind of addition of dairy yeasts, dyes or preservatives and has values of beta-carotene 5 mg KOH/g. Its natural and intense color is a consequence of typical grass-based pasture feeding. It has an intense aroma and flavor.
These particular characteristics are mainly due to the archipelago’s "maritime temperate" climate; to a latitude that protects the islands from tropical circulation and polar currents; and to soils of sandy and loam-loam texture, rich in organic matter and potassium, which create the perfect conditions for pasture and livestock.
It could be said that butter from the Azores is the result of a relationship between raw material, milk, environment and traditional management.
It is currently recognized nationally as a product of "Designation of Origin (DO)". Recognition that can foster new business opportunities and the appreciation of the regional product.
Born in 2022, AzorGhee, an Azorean company based in Terceira Island, became a pioneer in Portugal for being the first in the industry to produce clarified butter.
As a way to highlight the dairy products of the Azores and to create new ways of selling Azorean dairy products, AzorGhee was born and a unique and innovative product in the country: clarified ghee butter. AorGhee already has its produts available in its store online store.
The clarified butter from AzorGhee, has the “Azores Brand- Certification by Nature” seal.A distinction that gives a certain product, brand or company of the Região Autónoma dos Açores, a guarantee of quality and certification, as a regional product of excellence.
Currently, the Azorean company, which aims to promote the health and well-being of the Azoreans with the creation of healthy alternatives for cooking food, already sells its Ghee butter to all the islands of the Azores, to the archipelago of Madeira and to mainland of Portugal.
According to the owner and creator of the concept, plans are underway to develop the company so the product can reach more and more people. From the modernization of facilities, to the necessary registrations and certifications, through laboratory analysis to all components of butter and the creation of a website.
And because the concept of AzorGhee is health and well-being, and because it also involves the preservation of the environment and nature, the company chooses not to use plastics in its packaging. AzorGhee is only using glass jars, bags and recycled cardboard boxes, recycled paper filling and adhesive tape.
The first clarified butter produced in Portugal was created in Terceira.
Clarified Butter from Azores | Working hours: Tuesday to Sunday (10am - 5pm)