Antonio Muiños

Antonio Muiños was forced to reinvent himself when the family business producing meadow mushrooms and flap mushrooms fell on hard times. He went out walking along Galicia’s beaches with his wife, Rosa Mirás, and was looking at the blanket of algae on top of the sand when it occurred to him that it could be a good idea to make use of these plants with fascinating textures and shapes. So it was in 1998 that he began to collect seaweed and sell it in dehydrated format and as preserves. His gastronomic application brought his algae to the tables of Ferran Adrià’s elBulli restaurant and Andoni Luis Aduriz’s Mugaritz, among others.

His preserves company Porto Muiños is well known for its presentation of new algae and its work closely alongside professional chefs, an essential contact to bring these vegetables into the kitchen. The company began selling its seaweed, first as dehydrated algae and then as preserves, and subsequently in brine and as fresh algae. Porto Muiños now also offers other sea produce such as: sea urchin roe preserves, monkfish liver, mussels etc.