Orballo is more than tea and aromatics grown in Galicia. It is a return to rural areas, to semi-abandoned fields and hills, to sustainable cultivation, to the care of the team. Orballo is synonymous of balance and quality flavors.
“In addition to being good for you, we believe that you have to like infusions and not just take them when you need them” Óscar Torres, Head of Communication and Marketing at Orballo, a sustainable project that was born in 2012.
The founders, Gerardo and Jorge, wanted to leave the city and return to Galicia. They wanted to recover the benefits of the land. “This is a very fertile land, perfect for suitable cultivation but historically it has not developed in this sense, only in the monoculture of eucalyptus or cereal” says Óscar.
After much effort, the result could not be any better: spices and aromatics (cloves, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, cardamom …) and signature teas with the first organic certificate granted in Europe.
How did all this Orballo project start?
At the beginning we only used eucalyptus forests but little by little we began to transform them into native species with more added value, such as the chestnut tree, which is very booming. The initial idea was to rent somes lands for a while and produce that added value. While we were looking for new ways to make the farm profitable, we opted for the cultivation of aromatics.
Galicia is traditionally known as terra de meigas and it comes from the quality of the aromatics used in concoctions. The quality is incredible thanks to the soil conditions, the acidity, the daily rain… everything makes the quality of the low plants very high with very determined organoleptic characteristics.
The quality of the aromatics is clear. Do you have the feeling that the consumer is aware that we have this high-quality product at hand?
Traditionally the market has very high quantities and very low qualities. Under this paradigm it is very difficult to have a farm that can compete against China or Indonesia. If we change the perspective, people value more and more the products that they eat or that have organic certificates like we do. If we change this idea, profitable farms appear. We contribute something that they do not have in other places.
Talking about the added value. How did you get the organic certificate?
It is a certificate regulated by the European Union. Each region in Spain has its own Regular Council. They are in charge of guaranteeing all the traceability of the product, from when it leaves the field until it is placed on a supermarket shelf. The substances in the earth are analyzed, also the location — if it is near tp polluting industries or roads — and it is evaluated. In addition, the plants are analyzed too, for example the mint: how much goes into the factory and guarantees that the final product derives from that particular batch. Everything is perfectly laid out.
What makes Orballo’s product different?
We have reconverted to the world of infusions and tea. In the aromatic ones, for example, thyme stands out. There are more than 1000 types but then there are different phenotypes. We select the variety that best suits our environment. Then we have the phenotypes, which is what makes you unique, that is the great strength of growing here.
Why did you decide to convert to tea?
At the beginning we sold aromatics for cooking, we had 6 basic references. We discovered that infusions are another way to consume aromatics. We develop it and it is the line that triumphs the most and we work the most. As a result of these infusions, we investigated the possibility of growing tea in Galicia and created the first organic tea plantation in Europe.
From your range of teas, which ones would you recommend for someone who wants to try?
Calienta que Alimenta, which is a ginger with lemon, a very common infusion perfect to compare with other brands. You can see the difference. Another, which I find very curious and very successful is Depura con Locura, with nettle, liquorice and orange. Generally, nettle is little known in Spain and has very interesting cleansing properties, similar to those of horsetail. And finally, the infusion of horsetail, Pero Que Riquiña Carmiña, with mint and orange. It is a rich, fresh infusion that you want to drink and you are also taking care of yourself.
What is your end customer like, what are they looking for?
We differentiate several types. People who are related to the ecological world give us very good feedback on the project and our commitment to contribute as much to the earth as we take from it. There is another profile of young people, especially women, who have welcomed our infusions very well, they realize that it is something else.
Looking ahead to the next few months, is there anything new?
We are always investigating. These last four months, we have launched Descaradamente Sexy, a spicy infusion. As for online sales, we develop packs. Soon, we will launch 3 new infusions, very Galician, all related to the Camino de Santiago with flavors that are rarely used.
The last question, what made you become part of the platform?
We have a vocation for exports. Our infusions are not as popular as those in other regions of Europe. Spainery is a perfect platform to promote our products abroad and make them known. At the same time, generate an economy in Galicia and that the idea is replicated and the idea of monoculture changes.
Here you can find Orballo products
