This is the last of the three-part series about my trip to Portugal in 2018. If you have been following monthly, you know that I traveled through the country on a tour bus scheduled by SmarTours, which also provided an excellent guide named Romina. You also know I was surprised many times by what I saw and heard. What I learned about cork was no exception.
Traveling south from Porto to Lisbon on an inland highway, I watched eucalyptus give way to pine and pine yield to oak. Cork oak, actually. Its height and canopy reminded me of the live oak of California; distinctly different, however, was the bark, the source of the cork itself.
At eye level the oak trunk appeared smooth and dark, quite unremarkable. Looking up, though, I could see light gray, highly textured cork covering the trunk and branches. High quality cork had been removed from the lower trunk, Romina explained, but cork on the upper part of a tree doesn’t make the grade for commercial purposes.
Portugal produces half of the cork the world uses annually. To provide that much cork, 10,000 trees have to be stripped of the outer, dead portion of their bark in just two and a half months in spring. Otherwise harvesting damages the live bark and can kill the tree.
No modern invention has performed the task of removing cork safely from the tree trunk as well as a machada, a hand tool used for centuries. It made me think of a miniature version of the weapon used by a medieval guard to block intruders at castle doors.
I saw the device at a rural facility where harvested cork is delivered for the first phase of the production process. A long, high wall of curved hunks of bark the length of fireplace logs stood drying in the sun. A mind-boggling accomplishment with such a crude tool, it seemed to me.
Even harder to imagine were some of the facts shared by our host at the facility. Forty-three years pass from the time a cork oak breaks through the earth until its cork is worth harvesting. Then another nine years go by before it is ready for harvesting again. I did the math: 10,000 trees to meet annual demand, times nine years until their next harvest, equals 90,000 trees producing half the world’s cork in a country smaller than the state of Indiana.
Portugal’s best cork protects many of the finest wines in the world at a cost of two euros per bottle, our host proudly informed us. It’s possible, however, for any winemaker to use Portuguese cork for as little as half a euro per bottle. Cork which doesn’t meet standards for wine may be used to insulate homes or to capture oil spilled on the sea. As our host spoke, his colleagues were busy examining hunks of cork bark to determine potential uses for each.
From the first day of the tour I had seen more cork than I had ever dreamed of. Shops everywhere we had been offered cork purses, tote bags, and wallets. Cork portfolios, shoes, and handheld luggage were also on display. Their softness and suppleness resemble their counterparts in leather.
Apparently, almost everything that can be made from leather, even jackets, can be made from cork that has been steamed and pressed. Definitely an earth- and animal-friendly alternative but difficult to place in stores globally anytime soon. Besides the limitations of climate and trained workers, decades must pass before new trees have usable cork.
Have a safe holiday season amidst all the joyful cork popping! Next month’s post will appear after December 25.
Thumbs up for another good read! Really very interesting and informative. You write beautifully, engaging the reader as you share your knowledge and experiences. I would have loved having you in my Creative Writing class.
I would have loved to be in your class, Imo Jeane. Since that’s not possible, I’m grateful to know through your comments that I have succeeded.
That was a very informative description of how cork becomes a useable product- and the many items that can becomes fashioned for the consumer.
Isn’t it amazing, Nancy? I would not have chosen to include that part of the tour, so I’m really glad it was chosen for me. It made my eyes pop.
Very interesting hearing about your trip to Portugal – it made for some vicarious travel. I remember doing a report on Portugal in fourth grade and being intrigued by it but have never travelled there. Enjoyed the pictures, too!
Thanks, Sharon. I’m pleased that you enjoyed it. A report in fourth grade, eh? You may have remembered Vasco de Gama better than I did!
Very interesting! I had no idea that cork came from a tree. Well written, too.
I read the last two travel tonight pieces tonight. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE your travel pieces!! I knew I would, because I loved them from the first time I heard you read about your trip. I think you need to take another trip!! I’m pleading with you. . . take a trip and write all about it!
I love your endorsement, Becky. We’ll see what life brings.