Rita lives in Água Retorta, the village where she was born.
She grows a garden with a view of the sea, with the help of her husband and daughter. Together, they produce wine, coffee, tea, fava beans, maize… but the maize is her pride and joy.
Since Rita and her family returned from Canada, they dedicated themselves to organic farming and revived a nearly lost regional variety of maize.
We, too, believe that there are things that shouldn’t be lost. That’s why we asked Rita to come to OCTANT FURNAS and prepare traditional dishes, using some of the nearly forgotten ingredients, so that more and more people can rediscover them.
Rita and Luís live in Água Retorta, the land where they were born. Their home and garden overlook the sea, and further down, in Fajã do Calhau, their daughter helps produce local goods for home consumption—wine, coffee, tea, onions, potatoes, fava beans, maize…
But maize is their true passion. Since returning to their homeland in 2003, they have embraced organic farming, reviving an indigenous variety and securing certification as a regional, GMO-free maize.
Sown in April and harvested in October, the maize is ground at a nearby mill, then baked into wood-fired bread and the traditional bolo da sertã, made simply with maize and water.
From the remote village of Água Retorta, in the farthest reaches of São Miguel, they are cultivating maize that is catching the attention of some of the world’s most discerning fine-dining chefs.
Good children always return home.
Rita moved to Canada as a young woman after marrying Luís, who had lived in Toronto since his youth. She worked as a caregiver, while he built a career in the leisure industry.
But when their daughters were grown, they chose to leave Canada and start a new life in the Azores. They had land, a small paradise called Fajã do Calhau, and a vision—to live happily, growing their own food, reviving native species, watching their grandson grow up, and leaving behind a legacy for the world.
And, of course, playing golf in Furnas.
