Beja: Diogo Santos, "The master of malacuecos and fritters".
Lies in Beja, but he was born in Elvas. Started selling toys, but it is the “get their hands dirty” which is a true master. At Christmas Diogo Santos makes his villa and the "The Santa's House", a work of art about 500 Figures.
Diogo Santos, Age: 51 year old
Profession: Fartureiro / Malacuequeiro
Natural: Elvas and Residence: Beja
It is the second of five children of a marketer of Barcelos, that for more than half a century came to sell Alentejo dishes and born during the Fair of St. Matthew, Elvas, having been baptized in the Church of Jesus da Piedade, and cidade raiana, on the day following the end of the event.
It was also a fair, this time in Garvão, municipality of Ourique, that was lost in love with one moçoila Alentejo, whom he married and led him to establish roots in Beja, where is Glory, his wife and mother of two children, Fatima and Miguel.
After getting married, Diogo Santos settled on their own, following the "father of the school", selling at fairs. "For four years I sold toys, but the changes of the times made me move to another area he knew well, the malacuecos and fritters and more than 25 meto years hands-on ", justified.
For Diogo Family, the season starts in pig Alentejo Fair, in Ourique, and then go through the main fairs of the Alentejo, Mértola, the Viana do Alentejo and Castro Verde to Grândola. In between are two months in Soltroia beaches and Comporta and from mid-November to late February, It works with a commercial surface of Beja.
fairs, lovers of fried dough Surname Diogo Santos as "the master of malacuecos and fritters", for its ability to work and gluttony of its products. "It's all made in mobile home, on time and in front of the customer. There is no mass of an overnight ", throws happy.
With regard to farturas, the "master" states that "each wheel gives twelve units and each has about 20 centimeters, They are 2,40 meters entering a time in the frying pan "and in relation to malacuecos reveals that only makes the traditional" Alentejo. Only in Beja it is what we do the proper mass ", ends.
Of the many fairs where every year is present, "Green Castro and Grândola are preferred. Are the few old-fashioned still left, where there is still the stalls of roasted chickens, with the traditional smell and smoke ", justified.
Except daughter studying veterinary medicine in Lisbon, who do not want to follow the family tradition, but still helps on weekends Weekend, his wife and son are also dedicated to "get their hands on ', because the fleet is already large. Four relottes manufacturing malacuecos and fritters, a waffles and crepes and a street-food, with pork fillets and burgers, the joining inflatable. From January 2020, son Miguel will have their own relotte and its autonomous business.
But Diogo Santos family is known in Beja county, particularly in schools and kindergartens, for twelve years to a different nativity scene in front of your villa. "The Santa's House", so called, a work of art about 500 Figures, that every year is different. "From 25 November to work with the crib ", says smiling and happy the "master of malacuecos and fritters"
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
