National cuisine of Portugal. Cuisine of Portugal: what is worth trying in the vicinity of Porto and Lisbon, how to organize meals in an apartment Portuguese cuisine
Portuguese cuisine belongs to the group of Mediterranean cuisines, and therefore is characterized by the widespread use of seafood, herbs, cheeses and spices, as well as centuries-old winemaking traditions. As you know, the Portuguese were great travelers and discoverers, and therefore Portuguese cuisine significantly influenced many other cuisines of the world (especially the cuisines of former colonies). Therefore, echoes of the culinary preferences of the Portuguese can be found in various parts of the world.Like most southerners, the Portuguese have a very light breakfast - usually coffee or milk with a sandwich or bun. They have lunch here at approximately 2-3 o'clock in the afternoon, but the main and most satisfying meal is dinner, which starts around 8 o'clock in the evening and consists of several courses (traditionally - appetizer, soup, main course, dessert).
Since Portugal has been a maritime country since ancient times, the cuisine of this country is distinguished by an extremely wide range of fish and seafood dishes. No country in Europe eats more fish than Portugal. Fish here is baked, fried, stewed, boiled, smoked, and dried. The most commonly prepared dish is cod - there is even a saying that the Portuguese have as many cod dishes as there are days in the year. Fish dishes are usually flavored with olive oil and vinegar. The Portuguese love grilled sardines, and canned tuna with potatoes and beans is popular.
Not only fish is popular, but also other seafood - octopus, squid, sepia, shrimp, lobster, lobster, clams, etc. A traditional dish is caldeirada - a dish of shellfish, fish, potatoes and tomatoes.
But since ancient times, meat and poultry in Portugal were included in the daily diet of only the wealthiest people. Commoners ate cheap fish they caught or bought on the market, while few could afford meat and poultry. The most luxurious dish was considered to be the cozido dish, the preparation of which is very dependent on the budget and imagination of the cook - the dish included pieces of beef, pork, salted lard, sausages, bacon, as well as carrots, rice, and beans.
Another very popular meat dish in the city of Porto is Francesinha, a hot sandwich with bacon, sausage, tomatoes and green beans. In some regions of the country, alcatra is popular - fried beef marinated in red wine and garlic. Portugal is also famous for its wide selection of sausages (encido). A popular modern Portuguese dish is chicken piri-piri - chicken in a pepper sauce.
In addition to fish and meat, vegetables are also widely used in local cuisine - especially tomatoes, cabbage and onions. Asorda is a very popular dish made with garlic, olive oil, eggs and bread. Most meals are served with fresh salads, which usually include tomatoes, lettuce, onions and olive oil. The most common side dishes are potatoes and rice.
Vegetable soups are also popular - for example, caldo verde made from potatoes, onions and cabbage. The country is also home to a variety of cheeses, most of which are made from goat's or sheep's milk and have a very strong flavor. In some regions, however, traditional cheese is made from cow's milk.
The popularity of Portugal as a country for tourism is gaining momentum. At the same time, few people know Portuguese cuisine in Russia. We will talk about what the Portuguese eat, what culinary traditions they adhere to, and about the most delicious dishes with a person who is familiar with the peculiarities of the national cuisine first-hand.
Igor Parkhomenko moved from Ukraine to Portugal in 2001, worked as an assistant chef in the restaurant of the Pestana Alvor Praia 5* hotel in the south of Portugal, traveled a lot around the country and appreciated not only restaurant dishes, but also authentic home cooking.
Igor, tell us why Portugal attracted you and why you decided to stay and live here?
Firstly, Portugal is the calmest country, nothing happens here, you can choose your favorite business, develop with it, and as they say: “Live and not bother.” Secondly, it is easy to obtain a residence permit and subsequently obtain citizenship.
Do you remember what impression Portuguese cuisine made on you?
Grilled dishes are very popular in Portugal. In every restaurant, in every yard there are barbecues on which meat and fish are fried. Restaurants often include grilled dishes in their "prato do día" menu (author's note - similar to our business lunch). They consider such food healthy and wholesome. Coals are most often used for grilling, but in good restaurants they cook over wood, which gives the dish a special aroma.
In the post-Soviet space, various marinades are used when preparing kebabs. Moreover, each family has its own recipe. Do the Portuguese marinate meat? And if so, how?
Yes, the Portuguese always marinate any meat 1-2 days before grilling. Typically, white wine, wine vinegar, lemon sauce, garlic and pepper are used for the marinade. In this case, the meat is not completely immersed in the solution. They dip each piece in the marinade, place it on a baking sheet and put it in the refrigerator.
What are the main dishes of Portuguese cuisine?
Residents of Russia or Ukraine may think that Portugal is a small country, only 600 km from north to south. However, Portuguese cuisine differs by region. In the south of Portugal, the Algarve is dominated by seafood: fish, shrimp, clams and mussels. One of the most popular dishes of Algarvian cuisine is rice with stewed vegetables and seafood ( arroz de mariscos).
Meat dishes and sausages are common in the Alentejo region. The main dish is "Alentejan-style pork" ( carne do porco a Alentejana) is meat and shellfish stewed in wine; olives and cubes of fried potatoes are added at the end of cooking.
Alentejans also love duck with rice (). Boiled poultry meat is baked in the oven along with rice and raw smoked sausages “chouriço”. By the way, the variety of sausages from the Alentejo region is amazing! The Portuguese often fry them on the grill or in special cast-iron pans.
In the central region of Portugal, the signature dish, causing genuine delight among local residents, is considered to be roast suckling pig (leitão assado). The suckling pig is baked whole in a mold over wood and served with a special sauce. There is even a special area near Coimbra with restaurants serving leitão asada.
Among the most common dishes in Portugal's second largest city, Porto, is feijoada (). This thick stew of beans, beef and pork is traditionally served with steamed rice.
The real “bomb” of Portuguese cuisine is the very tasty Cusido a Portuguesa hodgepodge ( Cozido á Portuguesa). The main components of the dish are stewed beef, pork, 2-3 types of sausages, cabbage, boiled potatoes or rice. In good restaurants, the height of the dish can reach 20 cm! Sometimes I ask for another plate so I can deal with everything they put in front of me.
And of course, you can’t ignore the famous Francezinha sandwich ( francesinha), which has become one of the symbols of Porto! Between the slices of bread, a thin piece of fried beef, sausage, bacon, cheese is laid out in layers, everything is baked in the oven or oven. Moreover, Francesinha turns out incomparably more delicious in a wood-burning oven. The sandwich size may vary. Sometimes in restaurants they compare it with the size of an apartment and write it - T1, T2 or T3. The higher the number, the larger the size. Francezinha is served with French fries and hot alcoholic sauce. The sauce recipe is the main secret of every restaurant.
In most guidebooks, when mentioning Portuguese cuisine, they write about bacalhau and pastel de nata. What can you say about these dishes?
Bacalhau (cod) is a traditional Portuguese dish and a must-have on the Christmas menu. Portugal buys dried cod from Norway, so it is not cheap. There is a huge variety of types of bacalhau, we can talk about this endlessly. Personally, my favorite is bacalhau with cream () - oven-baked cod with fried potatoes and cream sauce. Also very tasty bacalhau a bras ( bacalhau à bras) - cod with fried potatoes, onions and eggs, sprinkled with fresh parsley.
Pastel de nata is a puff pastry pastry filled with custard that the Portuguese usually eat for breakfast with a cup of coffee. You won't see a Portuguese who had dinner and then started eating pastel de nata. Although for breakfast, the Portuguese often choose not cake, but toast with butter.
What other desserts do the Portuguese prefer?
There are a lot of cakes in Portugal. Basically, the Portuguese love puff pastry products with various creams. In Aveiro, you should definitely try the dessert - ovush moles de Aveiro () - a small puff pastry with yolk cream. Sponge cakes are not common; for some reason the Portuguese do not like them.
As far as I noticed, in Portugal they drink mostly coffee. What kind of coffee do locals prefer?
Basically, this is espresso - small cups of very strong coffee. Not all emigrants immediately get used to such a dose - I turned it over, but it was already over... The Portuguese also drink meia de leite coffee (meia de leite - half milk/half coffee) and galau (galão - 1/4 coffee, the rest milk). Meia de leite must be served in ceramic cups, and galão in a glass glass.
And of course, we cannot ignore the main drink of Portugal - the legendary port. How do you feel about port wine? Do you have a favorite brand or type of port?
I love pink port (porto rose). It appeared less than 10 years ago, so it is not as common as “ruby” or “tawny”.
Firstly, it's a matter of taste. Secondly, here you need to look at the price category. I would recommend trying red wine (vinho tinto) from the Alentejo, Bairrada or Douro regions. If the bottle says "reserva" it means the wine has been aged in oak longer and is a higher quality wine.
What wines do locals prefer? Do they drink port?
The Portuguese drink port only on holidays as an aperitif. They usually drink red or white wine, less often strong alcoholic drinks.
And in conclusion, please name 5 dishes of Portuguese cuisine that every traveler to Portugal should definitely try.
- Francesinha
- feijoada
- grilled sardines
- rice with seafood (arroz de mariscos)
- snacks in a good restaurant (entrada) - bread, olives, cheeses, sometimes cured meats.
If you want to try Portuguese cuisine, we invite you to our original group and individual travels around Portugal. Details on the link Author's tours to Portugal.
I became interested in Portugal just after I started learning Portuguese. Yes, that's how it went. In short, less than a year has passed since I visited this southern European country. Portugal is not Spain. Although “poor” Spaniards go to Portugal for the weekend, considering it as their summer cottage, these two countries should not be confused, much less compared, as some people do.
In my opinion, a trip to Portugal can be quite budget-friendly. Prices are significantly lower than in other countries, even several times lower, for example, than in Germany. And the quality of the products is the highest. Fresh fish, meat, variety of cheeses, plenty of fruits and vegetables. And strong, strong, delicious coffee. By the way, about Portuguese coffee. In my experience, one of the most delicious I have ever tasted. And I brought home a couple of packs of Delta - the most advertised brand, much tastier than the Italian Lavazza, and cheaper. Why don't they sell it here?
I'll move on to the food. I'll start with the budget.
How much money do you need to eat in Portugal? Naturally, everyone's needs are different. But the portions in Portugal are large. For example, a typical Portuguese breakfast of coffee + cake is 1.5-2 euros. Affordable, right? Dinner lunch. Don’t forget about the Portuguese siesta, it’s even stranger than in Spain. Establishments can only open in the evening, from 8 o'clock. You have to get used to this schedule. The most expensive lunch we paid for was 35 euros for two. I’m afraid to imagine how much it would cost in Minsk - an appetizer (cheese, butter jam, buns), a huge fish with a side dish, grilled squid with a side dish, two bottles of wine. And this despite the fact that this is not a cheap establishment in Lisbon from the “marishkeria” class (specializing in fish).
In Cascais, in one of the establishments, there were a lot of people, the check for the evening was only 21 euros.
A few rules for choosing establishments:
Rule #1. Look for establishments for locals (in fact, just like everywhere else) and away from the attractions of Portugal, of which there are a lot at every turn. How to determine? There is a lot of garbage on the floor (it is customary to throw napkins under the table) and in some cases pensioners may be sitting, but they already know where to go.
Rule #2. Avoid snacks. The thing is, as soon as you sit down at the table, they will not only set it up for you and bring you cutlery, but also a snack (for which, of course, you have to pay, usually around 2-3 euros). I saw that usually the locals immediately warn “nao”.
Rule #3. Most cafes and restaurants have daily specials or the main dish of the establishment. There is more than one dish, 6-7 dishes, plenty of choice. And their price is from 3 to 7 euros, which is quite affordable. Here's an example menu below:
Rule #4. To eat for pennies, you can go to local canteens. In Porto I saw two of them, one of which was located right in the center. Would you like a lunch menu for 3 euros? Please! Soup (something like our cabbage soup), 3 fish (mackerel) with potatoes, 0.375 house wine in a carafe. Nourishing, cheap, tasty.
Rule #5. There is no point in searching through the Internet in advance, because there are no problems with the restaurant business in Portugal; at every step there are a lot of cafes for every taste and color. Walk around, enjoy yourself, look at the price tags hanging on the doors.
What to try in Portugal?
Wine. More specifically: vinho verde. Light carbonated wine, a wonderful relief in the heat.
Beer. More specifically: Sagres. Divine beer. How do the Portuguese manage to produce such delicious beer?
Port wine. In Porto they pour it at every turn.
Coffee. The Portuguese drink good coffee. And no less than the Spaniards or Italians. There are many varieties, the most interesting is biko - a tiny cup of very strong (and very thick) coffee. Helps you wake up.
Local kitchen:
– simply a must-use. Simple and inexpensive food, the Portuguese are absolutely obsessed with sardines. Delicious fish and inexpensive. A serving of 4-5 pieces with a side dish of potatoes costs 5-7 euros.
Cod or bacalao. What do the Portuguese not do with it? But all the dishes turn out to be delicious.
Salmon and tuna. Excellent salmon steaks, and for only 5-6 euros.
Sea fish. There are a lot of species here. Once the cook tried to explain to me the difference between these fish. Well, I tortured him! After 20 minutes, restaurant patrons joined him. I had to point my finger at the one that seemed larger.
(translated as “little French girl”). I saw and tried it in Porto. In simple words, this is a huge sandwich, generously topped with cheese sauce. Served with French fries. I don’t think that if you eat this sandwich every day, you will become a little French girl. The portion is large. In principle, it’s delicious, until you realize that in one of the layers in the middle lies... the stomach.
Rabbit. Rabbit dish for 4 euros? In Portugal everything is possible. A huge plate of rabbit with pepper and tomato sauce. It's delicious.
Specialty cakes from Portugal. And if they are still real Belem...
There are many different cheeses to try in Portugal. For dessert, many cafes serve cheese with marmalade. Overeating, honestly.
Everything is tasty and affordable. Have a delicious trip!
For me, the culture of the place where I go is transmitted, including, and sometimes primarily, through food. And it often happens that the simpler the food, the tastier it is. It’s not for nothing that all the forums for travelers advise going to those cafes where the “natives” go. Sometimes it is not easy to get used to the local cuisine. Indian, Vietnamese, and some even French cooking may not be to their liking or liking. But not trying what everyone around you is eating is also quite difficult. In Portugal, food is quite simple. Even with 2-6 euros a day you won’t go hungry. Don't believe me? And this is true.
So what is the basis of Portuguese cuisine?
Buying food at the market
To understand what you can eat in Portugal, you need to look at the local market. My hotel in Porto was not far from the city market, where I went to buy fruits and vegetables. Look at the counter, of course it's greens! All kinds of salads and cabbage.
We eat octopus and fish in small local cafes
Undoubtedly, Portugal, as a maritime country, cannot do without fish and seafood in its menu. For those who can afford a little more, octopus, squid, oysters and other marine life are available.
The simplest preparation is simply grilled with salt and lemon. As we read and then saw with our own eyes, the most popular dish in Portugal prepared in this way is sardines. Moreover, in Porto they were much more impressive than their Lisbon relatives (these “fry” below are precisely Lisbon).
A little more complicated - stew with potatoes. For example, they prepare cod, which can be found in every cafe. At the same time, sardines and beans, as you see in the photograph, are an ordinary worker’s lunch in a very ordinary cafe.
Trying smoked meats and meats
Of course the Portuguese eat meat. And smoked meats of all types, shapes and fillings are presented in variety in markets and butcher shops.
The Portuguese love soup and so do we.
The most popular dish among the local population is soup. There are basically two options. Cabbage and vegetable. The latter will also be half cabbage. Depending on the status of the establishment, the type and ingredients of the soup will differ. At the restaurant in Obidos, the cabbage soup was thin, almost just broth, but with a slice of jamon. But in a simple cafe there was so much cabbage in the soup that the spoon did not sink, but instead of jamon there was a piece of smoked sausage.
And this soup costs 1-2 euros. At lunchtime, the counters in all the cafes are filled with workers and clerks, and everyone eats soup and bread. Local bread is very cheap. The simplest bun costs 10 cents. Every time we went into a cafe to drink coffee, we saw local pensioners buying espresso and a bun, which they carefully cut into 2 pieces.
Portuguese coffee
The coffee in Portugal is the best I've ever had. And the cheapest. 70 cents!
And it’s impossible to refuse local baked goods! Yellow as the sun itself that illuminates this country. They put a lot of eggs in the baked goods, and they become incredibly tasty.
Paste is the most important thing, you have to try it
Paste is a traditional Portuguese dessert. And it's very tasty. Puff puff pastry and custard. When they are warm and freshly baked, it is absolutely incomparable. And there is no need to give any addresses, they are really tasty everywhere. Even at Lisbon airport. 
I usually write down the addresses of cafes where I can eat delicious food in advance, mainly from the Lonely Planet guide. The crisis, which has now reached Portugal, has affected many inexpensive establishments, and they have closed. Nevertheless, everywhere we went along the way it was tasty, simple and not very expensive. The main thing is not to be embarrassed by the simplicity of the establishment.
Portugal is the westernmost continental country. The Mediterranean climate creates ideal conditions for relaxation at almost any time of the year.
You can spend a very long time exploring the sights of this amazing country: these are the famous ones, and the Belem Tower, which has become a symbol, and the Alto Douro wine region, and the Vasco da Gama Bridge... But sooner or later, even the most tireless traveler will get hungry and he will be faced with the question: what is worth trying?
Food in Portugal
The dishes of the national Portuguese cuisine are simple and tasty; this hearty meal is perfect for a tourist who wants to have a thorough meal before further sightseeing. But those who are more interested in Portuguese cuisine than local beauty and antiquities will not be disappointed.
This cuisine was created by peasants and fishermen, its main ingredients are vegetables, fish, and seafood. But it would be a mistake to think that the cuisine of Portugal will not offer you anything else. You can try unusual meat dishes, various types of cheeses, and a huge number of puddings and cakes. But that's not all: did you know that Portugal is the birthplace of port wine? He's great there.
Wine, bread and olive oil are the other three pillars of Portuguese cooking. The Mediterranean is the Mediterranean.
The Portuguese themselves are especially fond of cod dishes: there are several hundred recipes for preparing this fish. Local residents claim that you can cook cod every day for a year and never have it happen again.
Top 10 Portuguese dishes
The word “bacalhau” itself means “cod” in Portuguese. It is also used to refer to dried and salted cod, which is an ingredient in a huge number of Portuguese dishes. One of these dishes is baked cod bacalau.
There is no cod found off the coast of Portugal; all this fish is imported. At the same time, every resident of the country eats about one and a half dozen kilograms of cod annually - such a culinary paradox.
Grilled fish
This dish can be tried in any restaurant and is served in large portions. The traditional side dish for this fish is vegetables and rice; you will also be served olive oil. Residents of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, have a special love for grilled fish. They often prepare this dish right on the balconies of their houses, while the appetizing smell of baked fish spreads throughout all the surrounding streets.
This is a stew that includes stewed beans, rice, cabbage, peppers, smoked meat, and various types of sausage. In different cities of Portugal, the nuances of preparing this dish differ, and therefore the taste of feijoada in Lisbon is not similar to the taste of this stew in or. Try it and see for yourself.
Beef offal tripash
This dish comes from the city of Porto, the northern capital of Portugal. Its ingredients are offal, pig ears, cow hooves. It doesn't sound very appetizing, but the people of Porto love this dish so much that they even got the nickname "trepeiros", which means "tripe lovers" in Portuguese.
This is pureed cabbage soup. It is seasoned with paprika and olive oil. Potatoes and smoked Portuguese sausage are also added to this soup. The last ingredient is sometimes served separately; you can throw the sausage into the soup or eat it as a snack. If you are a vegetarian, you can try not adding sausage to the cream of soup... although the result will be a completely different dish. You can call calda verde the Portuguese equivalent of Russian cabbage soup.
Cheese "Queijo de Serra"
This is a soft type of cheese. It is so soft that you can spread it on a piece of bread, although the Portuguese never do this. Usually we perceive cheese as an ingredient in some dish, but the people of Portugal consume this product separately, without adding it anywhere, or wash it down with wine. "Queijo de Serra" has a light sour-milk aroma and has a hard crust.
Here are a few more varieties of Portuguese cheeses:
"Queijo de Castelo Branco";
"Queijo Sant Jorge";
"Fresh cheese"
Portugal has a centuries-old cheese-making tradition. Some gourmets believe that local cheeses are not inferior to French and Italian ones.
These are puff pastry cakes loved by all Portuguese. Locals love to eat them for breakfast. Creamy egg cream gives this dish a piquant taste. If desired, you can ask for the brownies to be sprinkled with cinnamon. Pastel de nata goes well with coffee. You can try this delicacy in any Lisbon pastelaria - that’s the name of the local cafes. Sit back on the terrace or patio of this pastelaria and enjoy the sweets.
King Cake
The Portuguese usually eat it with their family on Christmas Eve. But nothing prevents you from enjoying it at any other time of the year in one of the Portuguese restaurants or cafes. The pie is made from butter dough and decorated with candied fruits and nuts. One of the distinctive features of the pie is the round hole in the middle. Local residents believe that the recipe for this dish comes from, which does not stop them from being proud of the king's cake as one of the most delicious dishes of Portuguese national cuisine.
A yellow-brown roll filled with egg cream. Moderately sweet and very tender, it will appeal not only to those with a sweet tooth, but also to those who are looking for a suitable snack for Portuguese port.
Cozido das furnas
The most exotic dish of all ten. The people of the Azores love him very much. This dish is prepared like this: a large pot of vegetables, pork and chicken is lowered on strong cables into a volcanic crater, where the food is stewed on the hot ground. During the preparation of this dish, many tourists with cameras always gather around the cooks. As a result, travelers get both delicious food and interesting photographs.
