Tucked away off the main highway between Faro and Tavira in the Algarve, Portugal, is a botanical garden of warm-climate food trees. It goes by the delightful name of ‘The Orchard of Flavours’, or ‘Pomar dos Sabores’ in Portuguese. If you are in the area and have had your fill of sea and sand, I would recommend a visit.
It is open from Wednesdays to Saturdays and you need to book a time slot online. There is no entrance fee but you are asked to make a suggested donation of 5 euros.
On arrival, you will be greeted by Miguel, the owner, and given a map so that you can do a self-guided tour. Miguel is Belgian and is passionate about the concept of the orchard and the trees that he grows. He will also do a private guided tour for an additional cost and runs workshops about fruit tree propagation and care. The Orchard of Flavours website has extensive information about the plants he grows and is worth a look.
The unique aspect of this garden is that visitors are encouraged to taste the edible fruits and leaves as they tour the garden. There is also usually a plateful of fruits to taste at the little shaded bar. The yellow labels hanging from some of the trees tell you about the edible part of the tree and how it can be used in cooking.
For me, the two most memorable fruits were the cotton candy berry (Muntingia calabura) and the chocolate vine fruit (Akebia quinata). The cotton candy is a tiny round fruit but really does taste like candyfloss from the fair! The fruit of the chocolate vine is most peculiar. It looks like a large caterpillar in a fur-lined cocoon but if you can bring yourself to taste it, it is soft and sweet.
There is even a plant cemetery with labels of the plants that have not survived. So, take heart, even a professional grower cannot keep all their plants alive!
Carolyn H
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