Ladies and Gentlemen, the show of the Portuguese sardine is about to begin!
- The circus as an art is thousands of years old and has its roots in China, initially as a means to develop the warriors' agility, flexibility and strength through acrobatics, contortionist, and balance exercises. The theatricality of the movements caused the circus to evolve into a warm way of welcoming foreign visitors, demonstrating the host's skills in the art of welcoming. This art quickly spread from the Chinese to the Greeks, from the Greeks to the Egyptians, from the Egyptians to the Indians, and from the Indians to practically all ancient civilizations, branching out all over the world across learned and popular cultures. That remains the case today.
From the Latin circus (meaning circumference, as evidenced by the shape that is now familiar to us as a type of entertainment) the circus preserves its nature that is at once noble and popular, bringing together artists of different specialities, reinventing old traditions and creating new numbers – it is, after all, the Greatest Show on earth! The circus is living proof that man's artistic creativity will never surrender to the fascination exerted by machines. The new forms of the circus show combine traditional circus techniques with the influence of other artistic languages such as contemporary dance, making it innovative and captivating.
The similarities between the circus with the sardine are all too evident. The queen of all fish and the prodigy of the Atlantic Ocean – the Portuguese sardine – has ascended the throne each June for many years, showing off its crown up and down the country. But at O Mundo Fantástico da Sardinha Portuguesa, the sovereign rules all year round. And what better tribute could be paid to it, if not through the fantasy of the wonderful world of the circus, also noble and popular?
At Comur, the stars of this show also join other famous artists: the simple and festive sardines in olive oil, the popular and summery sardines roasted with peppers, the daring yet subtle sardines smoked with spicy sauce, the irreverent pickled sardines, and the Mediterranean sardines in tomato sauce.
The jewel in this crown finds pride of place at O Mundo Fantástico da Sardinha Portuguesa. The flavour of Portugal neatly packed and exhibited in 140-"carat" tins, revisiting the last century of Portuguese and world history and paying tribute to the Portuguese preserve industry. And the spotlights turn to the colourful, fanciful cans displaying the years from 1916 to the present day, a notable event, and the birth of the most important persons that year, recovering and dignifying the colourful, happy past of the canning industry.
And all because, for Comur, sardines are the greatest show on earth!
The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine ©2023 all rights reserved
made by Anahory&Monteiro