VOLCANO COOKING
Cooking Dinner in the Azores?
Imagine a kitchen where your oven is an active volcano…
Stepping into São Miguel's Furnas valley feels… primal. Steam vents from fissures in the earth. The sulphur scent is intense. Pools of grey mud bubble with a low, subterranean growl. Honestly, I couldn't quite shake the feeling of walking across the lid of a giant, simmering kettle.
And then you see it. Locals aren't just admiring the geothermal display; they're actually cooking dinner in steaming volcanic vents.
We met Miguel, a local chef wielding a rather purposeful-looking hook. His kitchen? These bubbling geothermal hotspots.
He explained how the consistent volcanic heat slow-cooks traditional cozido, infusing everything with a flavour found nowhere else on Earth. Even just the aroma drifting on the steamy air was remarkable… a taste utterly unique to this volcanic landscape.
Intrigued by Miguel, the 'Earthy Chef', and this extraordinary place?
You can read the full story of our encounter in "Azores - The Storyteller’s Photo Guide".
Discover the Azores with the book:
“AZORES - The Storyteller’s Photo Guide”
