Imagine: there is a crop that is super healthy and versatile, requires no fertilizer or other inputs, and can even be produced in extreme weather conditions. And yet, we are not utilizing it at all… Let me introduce you to the food of the future – the acorn.
(Please note that this text is translated by Open AI. I write my all my peas in Dutch)
Yes, you read it right, the acorn. Peasmaker Alfredo Cunhal Sendim of Montado do Freixo do Meio is showing me this week how remarkably delicious and versatile this little nut is.
In Portugal, you can find oak trees everywhere. They may look a bit pricklier than those at home and are often beautifully covered with various types of moss. Here at Montado do Freixo do Meio, there are about 8 species on the 600-hectare estate. But acorns are not just for feeding pigs or making autumn figurines. I’ve been eating acorns in various forms all week. They taste a bit like chestnuts and can be used similarly. They are considered superfood and are packed with antioxidants.
Alfredo strongly believes in the acorn as the food of the future. Its high nutritional value and versatility in use are unique, and they literally fall from the tree. Alfredo is fully committed to the harvest, processing, and sale of the ‘bolota.’ And that’s quite a challenge because everything still needs to be invented. This week, for example, we’re harvesting with a small turnip machine. But we also simply rake the acorns together, after which they are vacuumed up by a kind of vacuum cleaner.
After the harvest, the acorns are cleaned and dried with heat. This makes them durable and removes any bitter compounds. Then they are cracked, sifted, and can be processed. ‘Learning on the job’ is the motto here, and everything learned serves as input for the next harvest. Ideally, Alfredo wants to harvest, process, and sell the acorns on a large scale as whole nuts. Ultimately, he is a farmer, not a manufacturer.
But to showcase and taste the potential of the acorn, Montado do Freixo do Meio processes it into various delicious products such as cookies, bread, brownies, pâté, ‘coffee,’ flour, and my favorite: a fantastic vegan burger. And making the acorn popular is essential. Yes, it has been eaten in Portugal for centuries. But here, as in many places worldwide, the acorn is mainly known as peasant food.
However, this is changing rapidly. Younger generations are discovering the acorn as a superfood, and that’s hardly surprising given all the delicious treats I’ve tasted here. I can definitely see the success of the acorn in Northern Europe. It’s incredibly wasteful that we don’t harvest and process acorns on a massive scale, here in Portugal and also in the Netherlands. The combination of versatility, rich nutrients, and low-input production makes it a no-brainer when it comes to the food of the future.
Alfredo already supplies his acorns to restaurant De Nieuwe Winkel in the Netherlands. If you also see opportunities for Alfredo’s acorns or acorn flour in your products, please get in touch. He would gladly send them to the Netherlands. And do come and visit this beautiful place if you’re in the area.
P.S. Here you can read about what else Montado do Freixo do Meio does.
