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"An olive oil from the devil": the bottle inspired by the Caretos of Podence that conquered New York and Berlin

Azeite a Norte Blog
Apr 8
3 min read

There are bottles of olive oil. And there are bottles that tell stories the world wants to hear.

The one from Alfândega da Fé has just confirmed that Trás-os-Montes has much more to offer than just excellent olive oil—it has identity, it has memory, and it has a creative capacity that is making waves beyond its borders.

The bottle that brings together two heritages of Trás-os-Montes

Casa Aragão, an olive oil mill with roots in Alfândega da Fé since 1941 and one of the leading producers of Trás-os-Montes DOP olive oil, has launched, in partnership with the Associação Grupo dos Caretos de Podence, an olive oil bottle unlike any seen before — and the world has already recognized it with three international packaging design awards, won in New York and Germany. (Source: Mensageiro de Bragança; Onda Livre FM)

The product is aptly named "An Olive Oil from the Devils". A limited edition of only 2,000 bottles, born from the harvest of October 10, 2023, it brings together two Trás-os-Montes heritages: the centuries-old knowledge of extra virgin olive oil production and the Entrudo Chocalheiro de Podence, recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2019.

Design: when packaging is already a work of art

The bottle doesn't imitate the Caretos — it embodies them. Every detail of the packaging was designed to translate the identity of this unique figure from the Trás-os-Montes Carnival.

The elements that make the difference

The label reproduces the colorful fringes of the Caretos' woolen garments, handwoven and dyed in the unmistakable colors of tradition. Wrapping the bottle is a leather bandolier —exactly like the one the Caretos wear across their chests to hold their rattles — with the name Casa Aragão engraved on it. At the top, a recycled cork with an engraved metal piece is fastened by a leather cord. Completing the set is a wooden box with a cork closure, designed for both transport and display. (Source: World Brand Design Society)

The design was developed by M&A Creative Agency, with the clear concept of creating a piece capable of generating an immediate emotional connection—not just packaging, but an object that tells a story before it is even opened.

The olive oil that is inside

The bottle would only be half the equation if the contents weren't up to par. And they are.

In the words of Artur Aragão, head of Casa Aragão: this olive oil was conceived to be a top-quality product — with a palate he describes as "wild, slightly spicy, metallic, green, aggressive". An early-season harvest, gathered on the edge of the mountains, concentrating all the intensity of the Verdeal Transmontana, Madural, and Cobrançosa varieties cultivated in the olive groves of the Vilariça Valley and the slopes of the Sabor and Tua Rivers. (Source: Diário de Trás-os-Montes)

For António Carneiro, of the Associação dos Caretos de Podence: each bottle represents respect for tradition and agricultural heritage — an ancestral way of life passed down from generation to generation, just like the Entrudo Chocalheiro (Carnival of the Bells). (Source: Diário de Trás-os-Montes)

Why this olive oil is worth a visit

For those visiting Trás-os-Montes — and in particular the territory between Alfândega da Fé and Macedo de Cavaleiros — this bottle is much more than a souvenir. It's a journey in itself:

Podence (Macedo de Cavaleiros): the village of the Caretos, the Casa do Careto (House of the Careto), and the spirit of the Entrudo Chocalheiro that keeps its breath alive here all year round.
Alfândega da Fé: the olive press of Casa Aragão, where one of the most awarded PDO olive oils in the Bragança district is produced.
Vilariça Valley and Sabor River: the olive grove landscape that gave rise to the "devil's olive oil"

👉 Explore our olive oil tourism routes and discover how to combine tradition, landscape and gastronomy on a visit to the heart of Trás-os-Montes.