A staff in honour of São Brás

With its shiny brownish appearance, this kind of sweet is a candy that has been appreciated for centuries. Even today, it takes its place in the festivities in honour of São Brás, patron saint of throat ailments. The crosier (or crook) shape of this sweet brings to mind the episcopal staff of São Brás.

Nowadays, this sweet is part of an important local tradition, when lovers, friends or even suitors exchange the gancha with the pito de Santa Luzia.

In times gone by, on 2 and 3 February, hundreds of people flocked to Vila Real to honour São Brás. The festival was at the "gates of the city", in the area surrounding the cemetery of S. Dinis and the Old City, and the devoted came on this pilgrimage seeking a cure for ailments of the throat.

Along with the custom of visiting the saint, there was also the habit of buying a sweet made purposely for the event that served to alleviate some of the suffering. The saleswomen would even claim that it had medicinal properties and was effective in protecting against tonsillitis and croup.

A tradition that is not lost

The São Brás gancha is available in the shops and is sold especially for the feast of the saint. "We still make them for tradition’s sake and because many people like to offer them as presents. Their story is presumed to be of popular origin, which also explains why they remain so strong,” explains Rosa Cramez, owner of Casa Lapão, where they are still made.

The sweet sells quite well, as demand is particularly high from male customers. They buy ganchas to give to their wives as a form of reward for the pito de Santa Luzia which was offered to them on 13 December. This is a particularly prevalent custom in Vila Real, practised by young and old alike, including university students who find in this ritual a way of expressing their likes and dislikes.

It’s clear, therefore, why the peak of production and sales happens in early February. On the 2nd and 3rd of the month it is guaranteed that ganchas will be sought after and given to women in love. "We only sell them for this festival, or if we are asked for them for a particular order. This is a seasonal product, because they’re not easy to sell off-season," Rosa Cramez explains.

The very sweet São Brás gancha eventually became an almost mandatory sweet for these festive days. It has survived more for its tradition than for being very elaborate or complicated to make.

To create this treat, you simply take a pot of sugar and water, have a greased, cold stone slab ready and use some dexterity with your hands when it comes to making the shape. You use ¼ litre of water for a kilogram of sugar and boil until it reaches sugar degree.

When the solution is at the right point, it is poured out on to a marble slab previously greased with fat, which could be lard or margarine. Stir with a spatula to cool on the cold stone, and to gain the consistency that you want. Later, wetting your hands frequently, work the caramel until you get the shape of a crook. Once moulded, wrap it in tissue paper around the handle part.

Rosa Cramez says that many of the tourists and shoppers who buy this sugary delicacy are interested in its origin. "The feeling I get is that people today do not just come to buy, they also come looking for stories and end up being delighted with what they hear here. We often invite them to see how it's done. By selling the product in this way, we are also selling the region's history."

Popular rhyme

I’m going to São Brás

arse backwards

to get a gancha 

for my boy

I’m going to São Brás

arse forward

to get a gancha

for my folk

I’m going to São Brás

arse sideways

to get a gancha

for my boyfriend

 

 

Text: Patricia Posse | Daniel Faiões