Local Products

What is Grogue? Mel? Pontche? How are they made?
Santo Antão’s beverages, alcoholic or non-alcoholic, are derived predominantly of sugarcane (grogue and molasses).

A trapiche is a grinding mill for sugarcane, which originated in Brazil. There are two types of traditional trapiche: the one with 4 legs and 24 pieces and the other with 2 legs and only 11 pieces. The trapiche was initiallly man-powered (using slaves) but later powered by animals (oxen), and now the majority are powered by motors.

Grogue is a distilled, clear spirit made from fermented sugarcane syrup. Sugarcane and its syrup exit the trapiche through a pipe. Then the syrup is left to ferment for 10-12 days and is ready to be put into the alambique (still) for distillation. After heating for 30-40 minutes in the alambique and passing through a tube immersed in water, clear liquid begins to pool at the bottom of the bottle. Once cooled, the precious liquid is ready for consumption by enthusiasts.

Mel is a honey-like substance, similar to molasses and made of sugarcane. Fresh sugarcane syrup is boiled for a long time with careful filtering during the process.

Pontche is a mixture of grogue and mel. It is a popular alcoholic drink among women, while grogue is preferred among men. Other refreshing liqueurs are made with grogue and local fruits, such as guava, orange, papaya, banana, passion fruit and so forth.

Craftwork
Paul recently began marketing some beautiful crafts made by youths and talented artists. Famous from this region are hand-crafted frames or models in which scenery is recreated using raw materials, such as sand, pebbles, tree bark, and plants. Also available in small ateliers are decorated bottles, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, wallets, and belts, which are made from match sticks, various seeds, bamboo, and shells.

Music
The traditional music of agricultural islands such as Santo Antão is often inspired by day-to-day work in the field or with the trapiche. Some examples of the traditional songs are: Cantigas de Guarda Pardal (songs of the sparrow watchman) and Cantigas de Currais de Trapiche (songs to motivate animals that move the trapiche).

Paul has many skillful musicians who play and sing for pleasure. One local band called Cordas do Sol has been recorded and become very well known in Cape Verde and internationally. They have released three CDs, most famous of which is “Linga de Sentonton”. Their songs capture the essence of traditional music on Santo Antão.

Traditional Cooking
Traditionally, corn was the essential element of Cape Verdean cooking. It is used to make the famous cachupa, a traditional Cape Verdean dish of stewed and crushed corn, beans, and meat or fish. Corn is also used to make other Paul favorites such as Midjo 'n Grom (corn in grain), and pounded corn flour used to make couscous, fongo and funguinho among others.

Traditional Homes
Traditional houses in Paul, once common throughout Santo Antão, are built with a stone base and dirt. The majority of roofs were covered with sacarina sugarcane straw, and others were covered with a tin and mud roof. Formerly, these houses had floors of beaten dirt. They were usually constructed with two rooms, a door, two windows and a rear door that gave access to the back yard and the "cuzinhola" (kitchenette). Today, the existing traditional houses are built in isolated places and with difficult accessibility.